Famous 5: Maggie Rose
Maggie Rose may be a native of the DC area, growing up in Potomac, MD but this bright young songstress has been chasing her dream in Nashville since she was just nineteen years old. With a soaring country voice that leans toward gospel but is streaked with tones of darkness, Maggie has become known for her fierce feminine attitude and emotional intention she brings to each song. We caught up with Maggie and she dished on some of her favorite DC memories and what current ventures she is excited about.
1. What’s your favorite venue to play in D.C.?
I have a few spots that are very special to me. I loved playing the 9:30 Club especially since that was one of the places where I discovered some of the artists I still follow and love today. It was very cool to see names like Sam Smith and Adele on the walls and then perform on that same stage that they played on not so long ago. I plan on spending my New Year’s Eve there to see St. Paul and the Broken Bones! I cannot fail to mention the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club which has welcomed me to play there a half dozen times. It provides and environment that you don’t see often with it’s old school, sultry, jazzy vibe. However, what makes that location the most sacred to me is the fact that I got engaged on that stage last March when my fiancé proposed to me during my show after he joined me in a surprise duet!
2. Are you working on any cool projects right now?
I have a few different irons in the fire right now as an artist, writer and producer. I am about to release an EP in early 2016 which is a variety of my favorite songs that I have written over the last year. It’s my favorite project so far because I think it shows my versatility as an artist and showcases my different influences. I am also featured on a song I co-wrote with Mannie Fresh, Big Boi and Dallas Davidson which will be released in early 2016 as well. I’ve just finished producing The Morrison Brothers Band’s EP as well which has been a very rewarding challenge and a process that was unchartered territory for me. They are a local act that I met in Bethesda a few years ago and after I helped convince them to move to Nashville, they have entrusted me with their music and it has truly been an honor. I see really great things happening for them and it has been inspiring for me to help them realize their vision.
3. What’s your favorite part of the creative process?
Sometimes when I am writing with someone I have just met or even with someone with whom I have written a hundred songs, there will be this moment of fear and insecurity before I offer up a lyric or melody idea to my collaborator. My favorite part of the creative process is that moment when I disregard the “governor” that holds me back from sharing the idea. If I can’t speak freely to this person helping me craft the song, then how can I expect to sing that line or idea with conviction to my audience or expect another artist I am writing for to do the same?
4. What’s your favorite song that you have written? Favorite video?
I think that this answer changes depending on the scenario. Songs have their appropriate moment for the appropriate mood. However, one song and video that I am really proud of is “Broken.” I wrote it with Patrick Davis and Corey Crowder, two talented singer-songwriters from Nashville. There are a few personal and professional struggles I have overcome and in my current state of mind, I appreciate those struggles because they have shaped me and directed me to where I am now. I think “Broken” will resonate with listeners given the timing of what’s going on in our world because it is a song about allowing struggles to bring people together. When I was performing for my 30th time at the Opry, I brought a videographer along and he shadowed me from the time I left my house for the Opry to the moment I walked off the stage. I love that video because it is exactly how I remembered the night and I feel as if it allows viewers to share in that experience with me. It may be the most low-maintenance video I have ever shot, but there is something very special and honest about it.
5. What is the best concert you have ever been to?
I mentioned St. Paul and the Broken Bones earlier…I may have cried when I saw them play for the first time in Oxford, MS. Their energy is overwhelming. I had the chance to see Paul McCartney in Nashville and he basically had to tell us to go home when he had played for an hour longer than scheduled. His vocals were so strong and every single person in the stadium was wrapped up in his story-telling. I saw Bonnie Raitt play recently at the Country Music Hall of Fame in an intimate setting and I am pretty sure I cried then, too. I don’t plan on making a habit of weeping at concerts.
*BONUS: You are a DC Metro native, what restaurant to you miss most from home?
Cava!!! I love Cava. I also think about the spinach dip at Woodmont Grill from time to time.
