Artist: Maggie Pope
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Song: “Northern Girl”
Release Date: November 18, 2022
In Their Words: “I most often write songs with the hope that others will find their own unique connection with and meaning for the song — that its lyrics and melodies will resonate with the listenerâs own story. The same is true for ‘Northern Girl,’ though I will say that for me, this one was inspired by and will always be about my grandmother. She lived in Gloucester, Massachusetts, right on the edge of the Annisquam River. I lived with her for a year or so after college as I found my footing and was working in Boston. She was full of wisdom and music and warm hugs.
“She once said to me, ‘Now, you know theyâll be okay’ when I had been worrying about some people close to me who were navigating a difficult situation. It was just a conversation we had in her kitchen, next to the muffin tin and the little jar on the windowsill that she had stuffed full with some bread crust to save to feed to the birds. The memory of it is still so clear in my mind and her words hit so profoundly for some reason. It wasnât until I shared this song with my dad and he said, ‘Hey, you included a line in that song that is really special and something she used to say all the time to us’ that I realized why. Now, you know weâll be okay.
“So much gratitude to my friends Nicholas Gunty, for producing this one in the most perfect way, and Brad Hinton, for lending his sweet voice.” — Maggie Pope
Photo Credit: Ellen Miller Photography