Premiere: Maggie Rose talks genre in documentary clip, performs ‘I’m Yours’

Genre is a hot button issue right now. You’ve got progressives on one side of the proverbial fence and self-proclaimed purists on the other. Especially within the modern country landscape, benchmarks of tradition dictate where an artist lands in the grander scope of influence, running from honky-tonk styles to arena-sized pop-rock (and everything in between). If one’s musical sensibilities lie outside expectations, they’re open for severe and swift scrutiny. Maggie Rose shakes such a stigma with her soul-defying new record, Change the Whole Thing, which sees the singer and songwriter lean into her penchant for throwback grooves, big band arrangements and power singing.

“People would ask about genre all the time. Just like, ‘It’s not really country…’ Well, no one is one thing,” Rose clarifies in a clip, premiering on B-Sides & Badlands today, of an upcoming documentary named after her latest record. “A lot of artists are struggling with that stigma of ‘well, this doesn’t fit in that box.’ Well, maybe it’s because we’re in such a singles-driven world that you’re not getting to see the breadth of people’s personalities and artistry when you don’t listen to the whole record.”

She adds, “I don’t really have a genre. It’s my own take on a lot of artists that are my influences, which are soul singers..straight-up country singers…blues singers…R&B…pop. There’s everything there. The beauty of that is I’m in Nashville, and I can do all those things.” Upon listening to much of Rose’s work to-date, you’ll find traces of Patsy Cline, Etta James and even Madonna, lacing up her melodies and phrasing with distinct and assorted elements.

Along with many Nashville singers, songwriters and musicians, including Kyle Whalem (TobyMac), Sarah Tomek (drummer for Steven Tyler, Gretchen Wilson and Jon Bon Jovi) and Tom Maxwell, Rose discusses her influences, journey through the noise and what is best described as soul-country in today’s climate. Other contributors are performer and film composer Vanessa Campagna and rock band Them Vibes members Alex Haddad and Larry “Brother Love” Florman.

Rose first caught the industry’s attention with her 2013 debut album, Cut to Impress, a remarkably underrated roundup of swampy story songs (“Preacher’s Daughter,” “Looking Back Now”), tear-jerking ballads (“Better”) and straight-up pop-country anthems (“Mostly Bad,” “I Ain’t Your Mama”). Over the ensuing years, Rose took her time to explore her influences and approach and reemerged far more self-possessed and engaged in the craft itself.

After a series of EPs, including 2017’s Dreams > Dollars, she ultimately found her footing between the cracks of classic soul and fiery, front-porch blues. Change the Whole Thing is a firestorm of barn-burners, completely drenched in soaring production and guitar work. At the end of the day, Rose is unchained from convention and is leading a new age of genre-less music-making.

Below, she also performs an irresistibly explosive version of album cut “I’m Yours” in a live video:

Photo Credit: Ford Fairchild // Design: Mary Harrington

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