Despite the early hour, Maggie Rogers danced as exuberantly for her performance at TODAY’s Citi Concert Series on Aug. 9.
Her energy was infectious. Fans who had been waiting for hours to see the singer perked up and danced along.
The last time Rogers performed on the TODAY stage was in July 2019, just after the release of her acclaimed debut album “Heard It in a Past Life.”
Now back to promote her new album “Don’t Forget Me,” out this past April, Rogers is a seasoned pro, working the crowd and even surprising one young fan with tickets to her tour.
The “Don’t Forget Me” tour is Rogers’ biggest one yet as a headliner so far, with stops at venues like Madison Square Garden.
“Will you guys be there?” Sheinelle Jones asked the audience, eliciting loud cheers.
By now, the story of Rogers’ rise to indie pop stardom has become somewhat of a music industry fairy tale.
In 2016, Rogers was a senior at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University when Pharrell Williams visited her music production class.
Williams was visibly moved while listening to her original song “Alaska,” which Rogers released as her first single later that year. “You couldn’t compare it to anything else,” Williams said at the time.
After a video of the masterclass with Williams went viral, record deals poured in. Rogers released her major label debut album “Heard it In a Past Life” in 2019, and was nominated for best new artist at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Through it all, she’s stayed true to her singer-songwriter roots. Rogers told Savannah Guthrie during her performance on TODAY that she wrote all the songs for “Don’t Forget Me” in only five days.
“I think the creative process is sometimes just best when you can let go, and I was able to be really present,” Rogers said. “I didn’t really think that I was making a record, I thought that I was just making some songs with a friend, and we turned around afterwards and liked the way it sounded. It just worked.”
The “Don’t Forget Me” tour may be her biggest venture yet, but Rogers has had super fans since the very beginning — one audience member at her TODAY Plaza performance told TODAY.com that he has seen Rogers perform live 27 times.
Rogers says that she’s still learning, though. Before the second part of her tour kicks off in October, Rogers and her band will head to Germany to open for Coldplay on their “Music of the Spheres” world tour.
“I can’t wait,” she said on TODAY. “I get to keep learning — to watch them onstage, it’s a masterclass.”
Rogers sat down with TODAY.com to answer some questions for “8 before 8,” our original video series in which we ask artists eight questions before 8 a.m.
“This is not my strong suit, guys. I’m an academic album maker. This is not what I do, but I’m game,” Rogers joked ahead of the shoot.
Still, she had answers ready. Here’s what Rogers has to say about music, crabcakes, her creative process. and more.
Which of your songs is your favorite to perform onstage?
I love playing “Say It” because it’s a little bit of a sexy slow jam.
What has turning 30 felt like for you?
When I turned 30, I woke up that day and literally just felt like, Oh my God, I’m awesome. Thirty to me means no fear. And I really did have this moment that morning where I was like, Oh, I’m sick, nothing can touch me, and thank God my 20s are over.
How does it feel to know that people include your music in their weddings?
That is unbelievably special to me. I think the coolest part about making music is getting to soundtrack these really special moments in people’s lives, and so especially a wedding, which is a ritual where people are going to remember that for the rest of their life. I mean, there’s nothing more special to that to me.
What is your favorite instrument to play?
My favorite instrument to play is the really old piano in my living room. It’s like my favorite morning ritual — to get to be alone and light some incense and have a cup of coffee. I like to play along to all my favorite songs, like I’m in the band.
What do you do to decompress when you’re on tour?
I really just hang out with my band. I really love my band. I’ve been playing with some of those players for eight or nine years now, and they’ve become some of my dearest friends. So we just walk around a new city and sometimes go vintage shopping or find a good coffee and have a good laugh.
Oh, actually — we call it “swim team.” We try to find somewhere to swim every time we’re in a new city, if it’s in the summer, and, like, reasonable. So I guess I got there in the end, my real answer is swim team.
What’s it like to see that fans have tattoos of your lyrics?
It’s one of the most bizarre… It’s crazy. The first time I ever saw that was really early on, and it was online. It was the lyric, “And I walked off you,” and it was on someone’s foot. I remember being like, Whoa. My life is changing.
From One Republic: Where can you find the best crabcakes in Maryland?
“I love that they know that I’m from Maryland,” Rogers said.
After a phone call with her father, Rogers settled on Gay’s Seafood in her hometown of Easton, Maryland.
Rapid fire
What’s the best advice you’ve been given as an artist?
Bet on yourself.
What is your drink of choice?
It depends on the time of day. I love a cappuccino. I love a negroni. Water is good, too. You know, someone once at a restaurant asked me if I wanted water, and I said no, and she responded, “Are you sure? It’s free and you need it to live.” And I will never, ever forget that. Now, I say yes.
Which Olympic sport would you want to try out?
Six visions of me in different costumes just popped up above my head. But I saw slalom kayaking the other day, and I just thought that was so cool.
Staying up late or waking up early?
Waking up early.
Text or call?
Call.
Handwriting or typing lyrics?
Considering that my actual artist font is my handwriting, and it’s been that since I was 16, handwriting.