Cloverton Sings for Joy with their New Christmas EP

Cloverton consisting of Lance Stafford (piano/vocals), his twin brother, Layne Stafford (bass), Kirby LeMoine (drums) and Josh Svorinic (guitars), propelled onto the Christian music scene in 2011 as the first ever ROCK THE CAMP contest winners hosted by TobyMac and Camp Electric. Soon after receiving this prestigious honor, Cloverton scored the #1 most downloaded song in the history of KLOVE radio for their first single "Take Me into the Beautiful," which also climbed the CHR charts to #12 and #17 on the overall Christian Billboard top 25.

After a season of racking up countless numbers of miles traveling all over the world playing shows, festivals, and even cruises, Cloverton ventured back into the studio with producer Joshua D. Niles (Nashville, Tennessee) to record their highly anticipated first full-length album Patterns. Little did they know, this would be the band's most daring testament of faith to date.

On November 25, they will be releasing their Christmas EP "We Sing Joy."  We are honored to catch up with them for this exclusive Hallels' interview. 

Hallels:  Thank you so much for your time.  For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us who Cloverton is? 

Cloverton is a four piece pop-rock band out of Manhattan, KS. From their humble beginnings as a church worship band, to winning the first ever Rock the Camp contest (by TobyMac), the band continues to captivate with their catchy melodies and poetic message. 

Hallels:  Congratulations on your new Christmas EP.  Why did you decide to do a Christmas project?

We released our first full length record "Patterns" in the fall of 2013. With the YouTube success of our Christmas single "A Hallelujah Christmas" last year, we thought our fans might enjoy some of our other Christmas renditions. 

Hallels:  I notice that all the songs here are all Christ focused rather than Christmas songs about Frosty or Santa.  Why did you choose Christ focused songs for this project?

We love both types of songs because of the memories they stir up for each of us. That said, there is a message that gets lost or forgotten during the Christmas season and our desire is to remind people of that message while putting our twist on some Christmas classics. 

Hallels:  Being all classic covers like "I Heard the Bells," "Do You Hear," "What Child is This" and so forth, how have you re-interpret these carols in order to make them your own?

I think that anytime people know a classic song, you have to strike a balance between keeping it close to the original while offering a new interpretation. With these songs, you can definitely hear the traditionally familiar parts (lyrically or melodically) married with Cloverton's sound and style. 

Hallels: On this Christmas EP as well as you last album "Patterns," you begin both sets with an instrumental song.  Is there a reason behind this? 

In both cases, it wasn't necessarily planned. Those opening tracks are almost setting the stage for the rest of the songs. It's almost a first impression or greeting/welcome to the listener. 

Hallels: Speaking of Christmas, what does Christmas mean to you personally?

It's a reminder of the humble entrance Jesus made into this world. And we commonly celebrate that by spending time with our families around the holidays. Lots of great traditions and memories!

Hallels:  If our readers would like to purchase your Christmas EP or/and find out more about you, where can they go?

Head to clovertonmusic.com to purchase all of our music and to learn more about the band. The Christmas EP "We Sing Joy" releases November 25th. 

 

 

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