Cloverton - Live at Central!

Tickets:
$10 general admission (Pre-show starts at 7:00 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30)
$20 VIP - front rows + exclusive acoustic set at 5:45 p.m.! (Doors open at 5:30)
Capacity: 150 -purchase your tickets today!

When you look at the achievements of the Manhattan based pop-rock band Cloverton, you might think they'd scripted their success. Winners of the first ever ROCK THE CAMP contest hosted by TobyMac and Camp Electric, Cloverton propelled onto the Christian music scene in 2011, scoring the #1 most downloaded song in the history of KLOVE radio for their first single "Take Me into the Beautiful." After racking up countless numbers of miles traveling all over the world playing shows, festivals, and even cruises, the four piece Christian indie outfit focuses on the future and the release of their highly anticipated EP.

The first single off their upcoming EP, "The End is the Beginning," is not only a powerful follow up to "Take Me into the Beautiful," but carries a strong message of the hope we find only in Christ.

"Essentially, 'The End is the Beginning' is about death," says Lance Stafford, Cloverton's lead singer and songwriter. "Not death in the physical sense, but death to self. We are all weighed down by layers that effect how we live. They can be things that we're addicted to, things from our past, things that we idolize. Over time, our dependence becomes more and more on these things, and we become very inward focused. This selfish way of living leads to a gaining of the whole world while we, in turn, forfeit our souls. When we make the decision to leave our old selves behind, we embrace a new beginning where our dependence is on Christ. The death of self can become a daily choice for us%u2026.to pick up our cross and follow Him. When we reach the end of ourselves, that's where life really begins."

"And the end is the beginning, where death makes way for living."

"It's on You I'm depending."

The beginning for Cloverton almost never happened either, as front man Lance Stafford dealt with stage fright, was informally trained in music, and had no desire to follow in his father's musical footsteps. Upon taking a position as a worship leader in a small town Kansas church, the band would slowly take shape with the help of his twin brother Layne Stafford (bass) and Kirby LeMoine (drums). With the addition of Josh Svorinic (guitars), the foursome strives to not only put on a great live show but also to create an environment for God's love to speak through the sounds, melodies, and lyrics the band creates on stage.

"Our roots as a band were worship, so that's our ultimate goal," says Stafford. "We hope that our individual expressions of worship will both captivate and motivate others to do the same. It looks different for everyone, and we understand that. We also understand that a worship song can be defined many different ways. And while you may not hear many of our songs being played in a typical Sunday corporate worship gathering, we believe that all of our songs carry worshipful meaning and expression."


The new EP touches on a variety of themes birthed out of personal convictions and witnessing the needs of this generation in this particular season. Cloverton has married rich sounds with glimmering lyrical motion in this worshipful offering. The entire collaboration is an effort that should offer hope and encouragement to people at all places on their journeys. And it's only the beginning, as the full length follow up will debut later in 2012. Along with the single are songs such as "Send Down Your Grace" which grapples with our struggle with sin and how God's perfect love covers over our inequities.

"Oh, wash my soul. Make me whole. Make me white in the blood of the Lamb."

"Here I am."

Also included on the EP is a song that has quickly become a fan-favorite called "Great Plans." The song is inspired from Jeremiah 29:11, and serves as an affirming reminder of God's specific design and plan for each of us. Plans not for harm, but for a hope and a future.

"Prosper you will. I know you will."

"I know you will."

While accolades and success have not been the ambition of the band, the early response to Cloverton's piano-laden rock has garnered much attention. When asked why Cloverton's music has already had such an impact, Grammy and Dove award winning producer Paul Ebersold (Third Day, Skillet, 3 Doors Down), who is also the producer for the new EP states, "Lyrically, it's forward thinking. It's smarter."

Their debut single "Take Me into the Beautiful" spent lots of time on the overall Christian Billboard Top 25. And the song climbed all the way to #1 in the United Kingdom and reached as high as #5 in Australia. Yet amidst the blurry lines of worship, entertainment, creativity and culture, the band is able to keep their focus on why they became a band in the first place.

"God created everything. He created each of us. He created our voices. He created our ears, our emotions, our tastes, our creative spirits. Each of these is related to music, whether it's enjoying it or creating it. There are thousands of artists out there creating, writing, and adding to the musical conversation daily. We want to reclaim music as a spiritual act. We want to reclaim the creative inspiration that God gives so that music trends and limits are set and pushed from a sacred outlet and not just a secular one. Music is a great common ground that crosses generations and cultures. We want to shed light on His truths while reaching people creatively with melodies that seem familiar and songs that touch souls. We are messengers, hoping to creatively communicate the truth of God's word and love for us."

This is the beginning.

(For more, go to http://www.clovertonmusic.com)