Clover Stieve Reclaims the Power of Ambition in Ethereal New Single “How Big Can I Dream”

Shimmering acoustic guitars and honey-drenched vocals define this expansive new preview of the upcoming LP Born to Live

The backseat of a Subaru in Ridgewood, Queens, isn’t exactly the Roman Colosseum, but for Clover Stieve, it was the birthplace of a personal manifesto. It was there, during a frantic 24-hour songwriting challenge for Philadelphia’s WXPN, that the singer-songwriter—formerly known simply as CLOVER—found herself staring down the word “belong.” The result is “How Big Can I Dream,” a shimmering, ethereal anthem that stakes a serious claim. The track’s chorus is a haunting inquiry: “How big can I dream before I break the green screen? How low can I sing before I shatter everything?” Premiering today, the track serves as the second glimpse into her forthcoming LP, Born to Live, due this fall of 2026.

For years, Stieve wrestled with the classic indie-artist complex: the fear that ambition is just ego in a trench coat. For as long as she can remember, she struggled with the desire to be a widely known artist—to fill big rooms, tour the world, and make music that resonates with the masses. “I’ve carried this story that wanting that kind of visibility must be ego-driven, that it comes from a need to be seen… which feels icky,” Stieve says. “But what if this desire isn’t ego at all? What if it’s purpose? What if the dream planted in me is there because it’s meant to be grown?” Writing this song was her way of reclaiming that desire, a way of finally admitting that she belongs in the bright lights and on the big stages she once felt guilty for wanting.

Produced alongside long-time collaborator Dani Sundream, the single is a masterclass in tension and release. Stieve’s voice—a rich, “honey-drenched” alto that recalls the soulful gravity of Carole King paired with the synth-folk sensibilities of Maggie Rogers—hovers over Sundream’s luminous acoustic guitars and lush vocal harmonies. When Pedro Fonte’s driving percussion kicks in, the song shifts from a bedroom internal monologue into a widescreen highway anthem. It is a powerful follow-up to her previous release “Forever Getting to Know You.”

Stieve’s path to this moment has been anything but linear; a Bard College grad who famously walked away from NBC’s The Voice in 2018 to preserve her creative autonomy, she has spent the last several years living out the kind of grassroots apprenticeship that barely exists anymore. After spending a month in LA filming for the show, she realized the importance of her independence and the power of having complete control over her music and image. She chose to fly home and move to Brooklyn, performing at storied venues like Rockwood Music Hall and Pete’s Candy Store, while making appearances on WNYC’s The Greene Space.

When the pandemic hit in 2020 shortly after the release of her debut single “This Love,” Stieve and Sundream took to the road. They spent a year driving across the country, busking and bringing music directly to the people through street performance. During this time, her commitment to sustainability and female empowerment took on a physical form; she began selling hand-dyed, sustainable merch out of the back of their van, thrifting t-shirts and using plants to naturally dye them in whatever town they happened to call home. This social activism is woven into the fabric of her career, from co-writing the song “Power” for MILCK—which was featured on ABC for Women’s History Month—to performing at the NYC Women’s March.

That commitment to the “slow build” is what makes “How Big Can I Dream” feel so earned. Her debut EP, Atlas, recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios and released in May 2025, proved she could handle the weight of a professional studio environment while maintaining her folk, pop, and soul-blended roots. Now, as she draws inspiration from the likes of Lake Street Dive and the energy of the 60s and 70s, she is creating a sound that resonates across generations.

As Stieve prepares to hit the festival circuit this spring—having already graced stages at the Bethlehem SteelStacks, Ardmore Music Hall, and City Winery NYC—there is a sense that the “big rooms” are finally ready for her. “How Big Can I Dream” is for anyone who has been told they’re unrealistic or too much. As Stieve puts it, “Maybe your dream isn’t random. Maybe it’s a compass.”