It’s not every day you get the nod from Pharrell Williams whilst performing a song at university… Well, unless you’re Maggie Rogers. With an authentic and moving approach to her music and videos which you can really feel, the 24-year-old Maryland-born songwriter released her major-label debut album Heard It In a Past Life earlier this year and subsequently made us all fall in love with her.

We caught up with Maggie backstage on her tour with Mumford & Sons to chat albums, touring, and what comes next.

When and how did your love for music begin?
It’s just something that’s always been there. I don’t come from a musical family so it’s something I just always really naturally gravitated towards and fought to be a part of my life. It helps that I have really incredibly supportive parents. I think there are so many things I love about music that are the same as when I was a 7-year-old begging my mom for harp lessons or a 12-year-old just starting to write songs in my bedroom. I love the way it helps me contextualize and process and think about the world. I love the way it brings people together. You can tell someone how you feel and that’s all great, but if you sing it you can really show them. That’s magic.

If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?
Living, breathing, making.

How was the tour with Mumford & Sons?
Oh man, I love those guys so much. They’re the best. It’s kind of hard to top the shows at the Madison Square Garden shows in New York. I went to college there and had so many friends in the audience + just what a crazy honour to perform at that venue. The last show in Toronto was also pretty special. I played a prank on Marcus where I took all the strings off of one of his guitars and totally bedazzled it. We all had a good laugh.

They have been such early supporters of me and my work. What I admire the most about them is that there is no ego – they give everyone at the table an equal seat. They’ll say “Oh you play guitar? Here’s a guitar, come play.” They’re incredibly welcoming and warm in that way.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not performing or writing music?
I read a lot. I bought a motorcycle about a year and a half ago. Going for long rides is one of my favourite things to do off the road. Right now, musically I’m really loving Brockhampton and Sharon Van Etten.

You have so much fun and energy on stage, what feeling do you get when you perform?
It’s total joy. I just love music so much and I love the way it moves through me. I love the feeling when I’m with my band and we’re all together really PLAYING and channelling. In sync.

Heard It In A Past Life, what does this personally mean to you?
This record was made between my childhood bedroom in rural Maryland and friend’s home studios in Los Angeles. The title is about memory and a sense of purpose. This idea of memory as something that finds you and flows through you. A powerful sense of intuition guiding you. Those are all ideas I really leaned into during this big period of change.

What’s next for Maggie Rogers?
I’M GOING ON TOUR 4EVRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!