2025 has been a banner year for singer-songwriter Maggie Rose. In April, the D.C. region native became a mom for the first time. In November, she earned her second Grammy nomination in as many years.
Next 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’s 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.
“I 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’s 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,” 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, “No One Gets Out Alive,” generated acclaim from critics and fans alike and garnered her first Grammy nomination in the Americana Album category.
“I think with that album, I wanted to swing for the fences,” Rose said. “Some songs have a 64-piece orchestra on it and really make it as big as we wanted it to be and it’s cinematic and kind of overwhelming.”
Her second Grammy nomination came for “Poison in My Well,” a collaboration with Grace Potter, in the Best Americana Performance category. News of the nomination caught Rose off guard.
“I was performing on a cruise ship, when I found out,” she said. “We didn’t have the best service on our cellphones. So, I got a text from my friend who’s in the industry, and I was like, well, we can’t 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.”
Rose says she is honored just to be nominated — as the famous cliche goes — but doesn’t shy away from saying she really wants to bring home the trophy this time.
“If you’re 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’s a collaboration with Grace Potter, and the way it came together so organically, would make it just that much more special,” Rose said.
“We weren’t expecting the nomination, but I really love that song, and it’s sort of strong showing of female comradery, something I’m proud of. And on the heels of a really big year too,” she added.
And what better way to cap off such a memorable year than with two hometown shows.
“You just kind of feel that welcoming energy,” Rose said. “But also, there is something slightly nerve wracking about knowing that you’re performing for a bunch of friends and family, it just is a different kind of presence that you feel it’s a good thing, but it’s such an intimate thing to perform for people that already know you well, and also it’s a privilege and special.”
Limited tickets Maggie Rose’s Dec. 19 and 20 shows are available online.
