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In an interview right around the time her debut album came out, A.G. Schiano of Clover County noted, “I’m built for the road.”
Thank goodness, because without her affinity for the asphalt, this Studio Milwaukee Session wouldn’t have happened.
Schiano has been opening for Sam Barber on his “American Route Tour,” which booked back-to-back nights at the Sylvee in Madison. So with Thursday night’s performance still ringing in her ears, Schiano hopped in a van and navigated I-94 to play on our stage, then did it all in reverse to get back to the Sylvee for Friday night’s sold-out show.
Naturally, she kicked off the set with two travel-titled tracks from Finer Things: “Airpark” and “Suitcase,” which welcomed new and returning visitors to Clover County with the hallmarks of Schiano’s self-described “bootgaze” style of music. Her voice is somehow soft and powerful at the same time, her lyrics are deeply personal yet still relatable, and her stage presence is entirely guileless.
That came across in the songs and the conversation between them, starting with the Southern-raised Schiano nodding to her Wisconsin roots. “My grammy was born in Eau Claire, and every time I come up to the Midwest from Georgia, I feel this strong sense of granddaughter's guilt and the pull of all the family that lives here,” she explained. “It shouldn't be as familiar as it is, seeing as I've not spent much time up here, but I love it.
“Everybody here is so kind,” she continued, adding with a smile, “They always ask me how I am.”
Our own Queen of Midwest Nice, Dori Zori, kept the kind vibes going during the mid-set interview and helped Schiano conjure childhood memories of pink guitars, homemade Halloween costumes and cinnamon brooms on the wall. She also revealed how her autobiographical songwriting sends her through the world a little differently than other folks and the caring community she unintentionally built as an artist.
Studio MKE: Clover County set list
- “Airpark”
- “Suitcase”
- “Virginia Slims”
- “Sweeter” (non-broadcast performance)
