Maggie Rogers at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre at Encore Park

Maggie Rogers was leading a reclusive, isolated existence in the early stages of the epidemic, much like many other artists. With no intention of writing, she withdrew to the coast of Maine in an attempt to recuperate from the exhaustion of touring in support of her 2019 major-label debut, "Heard It In a Past Life." "I was staying hidden," she murmured. "Totally at a loss for words."

However, Rogers didn't remain secluded for long. Her record blended dance-tent energy with her folk singer-songwriter background, earning her a Grammy award for best new artist. Recalling that creating beats is enjoyable, she became a part of an online accountability group featuring artists such as Feist, Mac DeMarco, and Damien Rice. She would go for a walk and then listen to her favorite artists. The demos she produced in her own home studio sounded joyful, which surprised her.

Rogers explains, “I talk so much about the artist’s job being to feel. Feeling through the last couple of years — there’s been so much pain and so much suffering and so much injustice in the world. It brought up a lot of questions for me about what I believe, and how I want to structure my artistic practice or my business. Or my life.”

She then enrolled in Harvard Divinity School with the desire to create some sort of framework for herself.

She completed a new program in May 2022 that focused on helping largely secular individuals "whose work is focused on having a positive social impact"—a master's degree in religion and public life.

She was finishing "Surrender," her second album for Capitol, which is a mesmerizing tribute to euphoric abandon, making leaps and navigating worry. Co-produced by Rogers and Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Florence + the Machine), it embraces distortion, a new sound for her.

The 28-year-old Rogers stated, "At this moment, the joy on the record feels like the greatest form of rebellion." It is a hard-won hope that may be the prevailing sentiment at the moment on political, cultural, and environmental fronts. Her thesis, which looked at cultural consciousness, the spirituality of public gatherings, and the morality of pop power, included "Surrender" as well. She described the record to as "joy with teeth."

A big achievement for this young singer is her performance at Coachella in 2022. She said,. "I felt most connected to something bigger than myself when I was onstage or in the crowd of fans."