Skip to main content

Maggie Rose


The song "Preacher's Daughter" is close to Maggie Rose's heart.

Not because it's the first track on her debut album, "Cut To Impress," released last month. Not because she co-wrote it. And not because she's a preacher's daughter. (She isn't.)

Rose said the song gave her the chance to vent about an old relationship. A guy she once dated turned out to be married with children - something confirmed by his preacher.

"I was really young and pretty green," Rose said during a phone interview from her Nashville apartment. "I should have seen a red flag."

Luckily, her mom did, and poked around online to help bring the truth to light. Rose channeled her emotions into her music.

"I wanted it to be a story without glorifying him," she said. "Country music is about telling stories. I just made him the bad guy in a fictional narrative. (The song) was a template for the rest of the album as far as the tone and sound. It's really swampy and blues-y and has a cool vibe about it."

Done-me-wrong tunes are pretty common in the country genre, but that's what drew Rose to it. As a child, she said she listened to all kinds of music. But when it came to writing, she felt a connection to the style of women her mom listened to - Trisha Yearwood, Patsy Cline and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

"I want my listeners to feel like they have a confidant," Rose said. For her, songwriting is like telling a friend what's going on in her life.

And it's not all tears and heartbreak. Rose said she and her band worked hard to make entertaining sets for this spring and summer.

"It's very high energy," she said of her live show. "I have an amazing band that I trust and that supports me really well. Some people get fatigued (on tour) but I welcome it. I love meeting people."

She'll greet locals at her performance Saturday during the 2013 York Revolution Fan Fest at Sovereign Bank Stadium. Rose, a Maryland native, said her family will likely attend the show. Her father played ball at Washington & Jefferson College in the greater Pittsburgh area. But for Rose, baseball is more about the experience - cold beer, hot dogs and summer sun - than the play-by-play.

On Saturday, she'll be focused on sharing tunes from "Cut To Impress" with the crowd.

"I think the recording process itself was a process of self discovery for me," Rose said. "A lot of artists will say ... their debut album is really like seeing your baby into the world. It's exciting that it can now begin its life."

Within the past few weeks, Rose has shot a music video, attended the Academy of Country Music Awards and performed at the Grand Ole Opry.

"There (are) a handful of experiences in an artist's life where they can say, 'this is a milestone,'" Rose said of performing at the Opry. "It was one of those moments I could enjoy and bask in. I totally burst into tears as soon as my performance was over."

As she looked forward to a summer of festivals and shows, she took a moment to think about those who showed her the ropes in the industry, including Gary Allan and Rodney Atkins.

"The country world is very welcoming," she said. "Over the past year, I've been accepted into a little family."

- ERIN McCRACKEN,
FlipSide staff

If you go

York Revolution will host its 2013 Fan Fest Saturday at Sovereign Bank Stadium, 5 Brooks Robinson Way, York.

Country star Maggie Rose will help kick off festivities at noon with a free concert on the stadium's plaza. At 12:45 p.m., fans can meet this year's team and stars of past seasons during an autograph session. An exhibition game, including Atlantic League greats and former Revs, will follow at

2 p.m. The alumni team's jerseys will be auctioned off during the event.

Fan Fest tickets cost $3 for Revolution season ticket-holders and $5 for the public. They're available at the ticket office, by phone at 717-801-HITS and online at YorkRevolution.com.

Online

Maggie Rose: maggierosemusic.com

Get more York Revolution news on the Rev's Inside Pitch blog: www.yorkblog.com/revs

Read more celebrity interviews: www.yorkblog.com/flipside/celebrity-interviews