Clover Stieve Is Born to Live on Stage
Concertgoers crowded into storied Philadelphia venue Johnny Brenda’s for the third night of the annual Philly Music Fest, eager to enjoy a set showcasing three of the area’s best emerging artists. First up on the bill was New Jersey-born Clover Stieve, a brilliant singer-songwriter with metaphorically rich and imaginative lyrics, and a dreamy, silky voice to match. She easily sets her indie-folk strums and danceable hooks apart from her peers, as evidenced in her debut album, Born to Live, just released last month. The music industry is a fickle and unpredictable business, but I have faith that following Clover’s career trajectory will be a worthwhile and fruitful investment for anyone lucky enough to discover her now, in these early stages.
Kicking off her set with the alluring “Quantum Leap”, Clover immediately pulled the audience into her dreamy world of bewitching melodies and soft storytelling. The track transitioned seamlessly into “How Big Can I Dream”, a song that she actually submitted to a songwriting contest hosted by local Philly radio station WXPN last year. Her commanding stage presence and confident aura shone especially bright while she sang lyrics like, “I’m an architect / I can bend the light / And I move things with my mind,” doing a tremendous job of demonstrating the truth in her words by filling the entire room with her radiant energy.
Her third song of the set was “Antidote”, one of my personal favorites, which blissfully transcends from airy, soft-spoken vocals into an emotionally charged layering of wistful and rapturous verses promising to “Pour you in a tall glass / And let you run through my veins.” Already a standout on the studio recording, it translated beautifully into a live performance as her entire band’s sound swelled, building up to her belting the lyrics, “I’ll sip on you slowly / as I release all the pain,” a definite highlight of the show. Then, it simmers delicately as she and her main musical collaborator/real-life husband, Dani Sundream, croon “Hold me for a while / hold me for forever” to wrap up the performance with a mesmerizing harmony.
Following that stunning production, she happily told the crowd, “Philly is a really special place, there’s no other place with a music community like this.” I’ll have to take her word for it, as this was my first experience truly spending time in Philly, but there’s no denying the magnetic buzz that made its way through the crowd as she continued to take us through her sun-soaked songs.
Her fourth song was her most-streamed song on Spotify, “Used to It”, a single she released in 2025 inspired by her sweet love story. For this discography highlight, she hopped over to the keyboard to play the R&B-infused dance track. She kept the good times rolling and held the crowd’s spirits high as she kicked off her shoes just before dancing into her next song, “Soft Shell Scorpio”, joyfully grooving barefoot around the stage with an effortlessly captivating energy that was breezily captivating. For her closing song, she returned to the keyboard to sing the sultry “My Kind of Woman”, easily pulling cheers and applause from a crowd who were visibly moved by her glistening vocals and magnetic talent.
Clover packed an impressive punch in her six-song set, ensuring the audience at Johnny Brenda’s would remember her music long after the night’s end. She may have been the opener for the night, but if her music can reach more and more ears, she’ll be headlining her own shows and tours soon enough, and I will certainly be there to watch.
Keep an eye out for my upcoming interview with Clover. In the meantime, stream her debut album, Born to Live! And if you're a lucky European resident, check out her tour dates below, or buy tickets here!
Stream Born to Live now!
Check out Clover Stieve's upcoming European tour dates!
WRITTEN BY
Mary
I was a very shy kid, so I found my solace in writing, where I could say whatever I wanted to a blank page. This hobby turned into a passion, which turned into a lifeline, which is (hopefully) turning into a career! I am mostly inspired by poetic lyrics in songs I repeatedly listen to, descriptive language in novels I cannot put down, and scenes from movies or television that just won't stop playing in my head.
