Lollapalooza celebrated its 25th anniversary by expanding to a phenomenal four-day festival, headlined this time around by the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, J.Cole, and Lana Del Rey. Curious to learn more about 25 of our favorite performers, LADYGUNN was on hand at Chicagoās historic Grant Park providing a predominately blank canvas for each individual to paint a captivating picture of their unique story. Hereās our chat with Cloves, who opened up about her all-or-nothing mindset, wild ambitions, and balancing lifeās highs and lows.
Would you like to introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello readers, my name is Cloves [laughs].
What do you love about music?
I think what I love about music isā¦ that not only is it something that can take you away from something that youāre currently in, but it also can make you quite reminiscent of something as well. You hear a song and you go, āOh my god, my mom used to play this song over and over when I was like five years old in the house.ā Or you hear a new song and youāre like, āUgh, this is just hitting me so hard.ā I think thatās what I love about music, is it justā¦ itās constant. It brings people together.
Can you recall your earliest memory of music?
I have a few things. Like my mom used to play a lot of Stevie Nicks in the house, soā¦ big fan of Fleetwood Mac and stuff. And my dad used to be into Frank Zappa and ACDC. So that was sort of here, and my mom was into Fleetwood, but also a little bit of Belinda Carlisle and stuff like that. Thatās sort of my earlyājust on a summerās day theyāre blasting music through the house, ācause we lived really far out from the cityā¦. so they would just absolutely blast it, ācause thereās no neighbors. So I guess thatās sort of my earliest memory of music, and then I started playing in bands and stuff, and singing.
Did you ever wanna be anything other than a musician?
No, not really. At one point I wanted to be a tattoo artist, but it was more of a joke [laughs]ā¦ than anything.
Would you tattoo your friends or something?
No, I just used to do a lot of drawing and sketches on books at school and stuff. But Iām glad I didnāt do that, becauseā¦ I just donāt think I had that kind of concentration span. Like imagine getting that wrong on someone, youād feel awful.
A lot of pressure thereā¦
A lot of pressure! I donāt think Iād cope with the pressure very well. So that was sort of a period of like two years that Iād watch loads of Miami Ink or something. Aside from that, no [laughs].
Do you have any tattoos yourself, or no?
Iāve got a lot. But theyāre all little things, just little bits [from] when Iāve gone different places.
Sentimental, or just kind of random stuff?
Yeah, I guess so. But more just like bits in time. Like the first time I went to London, I got a little London tattoo. When I first went overseas, I got a tattoo. I donāt know, stuff like that.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Oh, Iām really good at basketball.
Are you really?
Yeah, I used to play basketball growing up, and my older sister used to play with me as well. And I likeāliterally ask my bass player, because we always team upā¦ me and Cory. Iām really good at basketball. Thatās my one thing.
Whatās the worst job youāve ever had?
Oh, I had some awful jobs. I used to work atāI donāt think Iām very employable.
Whyās that?
Because I thinkā¦ if I really am passionate about something, then I put everything into it. And if Iām not, Iām just lazy.
All or nothing.
Yeah, all or nothing! 100%. I was like that at school. If I was doing something I loved, I put everything into itā¦ Iād do it all the time. And then if it was likeā¦ something really boring, like scienceāI love science! But I hated science class.
I was terrible at it.
Exactly! I love science facts and stuff like that, but I really hated sitting in class, like writing outā
I think too, when youāre like forced to do something, itā
Yeah, it takes the fun out of it. Iām also reallyāIām quite dyslexic as well, so it was a nightmare. But back to the point of the conversation! [Laughs]
I could see where that wouldnāt work out too wellā¦
Yeah, it didnāt work out very well. So itās kind of all or nothing. What was the question again?
Oh, what was your worst job?
Oh! Yeahā¦ [Laughs] How did we get here?
Itās OK!
Ummā¦ yeah, soā¦ I think my worst job was working in a surf shop because I wasnāt very good at it. Like I had to go up to people and try and likeā¦ not hustle them into buying something, but they used to teach you techniques. Theyād be like, āYou should ask them to up their sale.ā And I was just really bad at that.
Donāt you get like extra percentages because of that too?
No, not extra percentages. We just used to get likeā¦ they just used to tell you [that] you were doing a good job or whatever. I was doing a summer job for them, so theyād re-employ the people that did that, but I kind of would go out to people and be like, āDo you wanna buy something?ā Theyād be like, āNo…ā Iād be like, āOK, coolā¦ā āCause I felt bad, I didnāt wanna pressurize them.
Yeah, you didnāt wanna pester āemā¦
No, exactly. I hate people in shops that come up and hover, so I was really bad at it. āCause I just was a bit like, āOK, do your own thing! Just let me know if you need anything.ā So that was quite a bad job, butā¦ Iām trying to think, I had some really terrible jobs. I worked at a fish and chips shop, but I only did like two shifts and didnāt get re-hired.
What did you do there?
Just in my hometown, it was like a little milk bar sort of thing, and Iād just fry dim sims. Ummā¦ what else? I had like loads of jobs. But yeah, just like spot things. That was a really long answer to a question [laughs], sorry!
No, itās great! I love it! Whatās something you wish you knew when you were younger?
Wish I knewā¦ Ummā¦
Maybe could have saved you some time or some trouble in lifeā¦
I donāt know, I donāt think Iāwellā¦ I donāt know, I think it would change your path, wouldnāt it?
True, yeahā¦
So I donāt really wish I knew something when I was younger.
Do you believe in that? Like the butterfly effect, where everything ultimately leads to another?
Ummā¦ I think that you get the choice to make good and bad decisions. Thatās what I think. I donāt think that necessarily everything happens for a reason or anything. I donāt believe in that. I think if you work hard and you [laughs] use your braināI think you get the choice to make good and bad choices.
Just along the lines that sometimes if something good happens, well, it may not have been able to happen if the bad thing didnāt happen yesterday.
Exactly! Thatās the thing is likeā¦ Iāve had a lot of that in my life, where itās as if this hadnāt happened, and that hadnāt happened, and that hadnāt happenedā¦
Itās crazyā¦
It is crazy, but it is also based on your decisions, soā¦ itās cool! I mean, itās life.
How would you describe your approach to life?
My approach to life, ummā¦
Or is it just a go-with-the-flow type of thing?
No, Iām veryā¦ Iām quite a stressed personā¦ a lot of the time. I can tend to be sometimes quite an anxious person, a lot of the time. Iām up and down all the time. Iām usuallyāIām slightly negative, but then also really positive. I donāt know, Iām quite likeā¦ I think Iām quite schizophrenicāwait, not actually schizophrenic! [Laughs] But like, in the way I deal with life: Iām very up; and down; and yes, Iām really excited; and no, I donāt wanna do it.
I guess thatās just part of being a human, I suppose, to a certain extentā¦
Yeah. I think Iām different every single day. So some days I have a great day, where I feel like I can fucking do anything. And the next day Iām like, āI literally canāt move. I donāt know what to do.ā You know what I mean? Itās just up and down all the time, but itās cool.
Whatās your idea of a perfect day?
A perfect dayā¦ thatās a good question. Where I feel like I accomplished something is a perfect day to meā¦ and I can sit down and go, āOK coolā ā I can wake up tomorrow feeling like I can start again the next day, because I actually did something that day.
Can you recall the last time you cried?
I cryā¦ a lot. Oh actually no, thatās not true. Actually, I donāt really cry. I think I only really cry to like one or two people, and everyone else Iām always like, āIām fine.ā But last time, I donāt knowā¦ probably over stress.
What cheers you up when youāre feeling down?
Music! Music cheers me up, alcohol cheers me up, and I donāt knowā¦ friends, family. Iām one of those people that I canāt be by myself very long. I get really justā¦ I hate being on my own; I need people around me to keep me pumped up and entertained.
Whatās been your biggest pinch-me moment?
I mean I feel like today was one of them, but I donāt think Iāll really realize it until I get home andā
Itāll sink in laterā¦
Yeah! Itāll sink in a little later, when I get back to the hotel. It was really amazing. It was probably the biggest stage Iāve played on, as well as the crowd was allā¦ like they all came to see the show. Itās cool, I mean a lot of people just sort of strolled up andā¦ it was really cool.
Whatās been your craziest fan encounter? Have you had any?
Ummā¦ I donāt know, I think thingsāyou know, Iāve really only put out one EP.
True, true!
[Laughs] I donāt really think of myself as having any fans. I think the things that stand out to me is like when I see someone in the audience singing. Iāll be like, āOh wow, you actually have listened to the song before [laughs]. Thatās amazing! Itās sweet that youāve come to the show.ā Or like beforeā¦ weāve done two shows today, and the first show was sort of the bigger festival stage, and the second show was a smaller one, and some girls came up to me afterwards and they said that they had come to both. And I was like, āOh my god! You actually came to both.ā
Went out of their way for itā¦
Yeah! Itās really lovely. So thatās stuff to me that Iām like, āThat is so strange, but thank you.ā
Have you ever been star-struck?
Ummā¦ Noā¦ I donāt think so. Iā¦ donāt think Iāve really met anyone though.
Do you think you would be?
I mean someone Iād be star-struck by would be if I met like Carole King, or something like that. Orā¦ Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes. I just think sheās incredible. I went to see their show at British Summer Time, and she was so fucking great. She just walked up to the stage, and she just sung, and then she played her guitar, and she was just like so natural, and so raw. It was great. But yeah, I donāt know if it would be star-struck or more just sort of like, āCan you tell me everything?ā Iām just a big fan, [rather] than being star-struck.
Whoās an artist you think more people should be familiar with?
Ummā¦ [Pauses to think] Iām not sure. Maybeā¦ I donāt know, maybeā¦ I feel like everyone does know about Alabama Shakes. But then I thinkā
But then again, maybe notā¦
Sometimes maybe not. I meanā¦ Yeah, Iād say Alabama Shakes maybe. But maybe people know about them already.
If your house was on fire, whatās one thing youād grab?
If I was at my house in Australia, where my parents live, obviously Iād grab my parents. Does that count?
That can count, absolutely!
But thatāletās just pretend theyāre not there. Umm, Iād take my dogā¦ obviously.
What kind of dog is it?
Itās an Australian Sheppard, and itās massive and fluffy, and itās got big, blue eyes, and heās literally adorable. And then if it was in my flat where I live in London, I would grabā¦ I donāt know, Iād probably grab my laptop or my book ā my writing book ā or something like that. I donāt know, ācause Iāve got my songs on it and my writing, butā¦ I donāt know, Iām not really that materialistic; I donāt really have that much stuff. Because I also move around a lot; I live pretty much out of my suitcase. āCause I do Airbnbs for my houses, so I move all the time. So I donāt have that much stuff.
What are you most afraid of?
I hate the dark. Iām really petrified of the dark. So I always sleep with a laptop playing films, or I have to be watching [television] or something to go to sleep. I justā¦ I hate it.
Where does that stem from, you think? Or has it just always been that way?
I donāt wanna think about it [laughs].
Fair enough! Moving onā¦
I mean, whatās wrong with me? I donāt wanna think about it [laughs]. No, yeah.
Whatās something you think everyone should try at least once?
Ummā¦ [Pauses to think] Uhhā¦ Maybeā¦ I donāt know.
Is there anything on your bucket list thatās left?
Oh! Iād love to go skydiving. Iād love to go deep-sea diving. Iād love to do a lot of things. Iād love to go to India, and Egypt. Iād love toā¦ a lot of things! Iād love to hike a massive mountain or something. I donāt know, lotsā
Pretty ambitiousā¦
I meanā¦ [Laughs] It sounds a bit ridiculous.
No, no! Thatās the first step in making it happen is believing.
Maybeā¦ Yeah, maybe.
If you had one wish, what would it be?
I donāt know, I feel like thatās tooāI would bestow it upon someone else who could do something better with it, because I feel likeā¦ I donāt know, I donāt know what kind of choice Iād make.
Thatās very selfless of youā¦
[Laughs] I donāt know if itās selfless, or itās me being lazy.
Whatās something people might be surprised to know about you?
[Pauses to think] I donāt know. I mean, I think that Iām quiteā¦ quite antisocial. Not āantisocialā¦ā
But you did say that you have to be around people, right?
Around people, but like five people.
So out there on the other side of the fence [on the festival grounds], itās a little iffy?
No, no, no, not at all! I mean, I like to chat to people, but I also like to just sort of hang out in my own environment. I donāt know if thatās surprisingā¦ I donāt really know. I mean, people donāt know that much about me now, so. [Pauses to think] I think my answers are very jetlagged answers, thatās why Iāve gone off on a bit of a tangent.
Itās been great though! I think itāll make for a great read. Do you have any final thoughts for the readers?
That I appreciate them taking the time to read this, and I hope it didnāt waste your time [laughs].
