2025 has been a banner year for singer-songwriter Maggie Rose. In November, she earned her second Grammy nomination.<\/b>
\nNext week, Rose, who lives in Nashville with her husband and their son Graham, will be coming home for her annual Christmas concerts at the Bethesda Theater in Maryland on Dec. 19 and 20. The show will feature holiday favorites plus songs from Rose\u2019s growing catalog of southern soul, country and Americana.
After wrapping up a video shoot in Nashville this week, Rose talked to WTOP by phone about what playing her favorite hometown venue means to her.
\u201cI got engaged on that stage to my husband, Austin. This has become a tradition now around the holidays that we can really look forward to, and it\u2019s a different tone than the rest of my shows throughout the year, because we dedicate a pretty significant portion of our set to just some of the classic Christmas songs that are so nostalgic and make you prime for the holiday season,\u201d she said.
As a teenager growing up in Potomac, Rose sang in a Bruce Springsteen cover band. She attended Georgetown Visitation Preperatory School then Clemson University. After a couple years at Clemson, she moved to Nashville to pursue her dream of becoming a recording artist. Eighteen years later, Rose has performed at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry almost 125 times.
In 2024, Rose decided to step things up with her music, striving for a bigger sound. The plan worked.
Her album, \u201cNo One Gets Out Alive,\u201d generated acclaim from critics and fans alike and garnered her first Grammy nomination in the Americana Album category.
\u201cI think with that album, I wanted to swing for the fences,\u201d Rose said. \u201cSome songs have a 64-piece orchestra on it and really make it as big as we wanted it to be and it\u2019s cinematic and kind of overwhelming.\u201d
Her second Grammy nomination came for \u201cPoison in My Well,\u201d a collaboration with Grace Potter, in the Best Americana Performance category. News of the nomination caught Rose off guard.
\u201cI was performing on a cruise ship, when I found out,\u201d she said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have the best service on our cellphones. So, I got a text from my friend who\u2019s in the industry, and I was like, well, we can\u2019t unring that bell. So, I want to make very sure that this is the case before I tell my friends and family. We were just stunned by it.\u201d
Rose says she is honored just to be nominated \u2014 as the famous cliche goes \u2014 but doesn\u2019t shy away from saying she really wants to bring home the trophy this time.
\u201cIf you\u2019re in music, you can be as nonchalant about it as you want, but I think everyone dreams of being able to take home a Grammy, especially after working hard for as many years as I have, and also the fact that it\u2019s a collaboration with Grace Potter, and the way it came together so organically, would make it just that much more special,\u201d Rose said.
\u201cWe weren\u2019t expecting the nomination, but I really love that song, and it\u2019s sort of strong showing of female comradery, something I\u2019m proud of. And on the heels of a really big year too,\u201d she added.
And what better way to cap off such a memorable year than with two hometown shows.
\u201cYou just kind of feel that welcoming energy,\u201d Rose said. \u201cBut also, there is something slightly nerve wracking about knowing that you\u2019re performing for a bunch of friends and family, it just is a different kind of presence that you feel it\u2019s a good thing, but it\u2019s such an intimate thing to perform for people that already know you well, and also it\u2019s a privilege and special.\u201d
Limited tickets Maggie Rose\u2019s Dec. 19 and 20 shows are available online.
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