Maggie Pope - “The Wandering”

Photo by Ellen Miller Photography

When Maggie Pope described her new single as “The moment you realize a hike in the woods is actually a hug from the Universe,” we knew we were in for something truly profound. And once you press play on “The Wandering,” you will feel its folksy arms wrap right around you.

The atmosphere inside of “The Wandering” is quite ethereal; though it is predominantly an acoustic number, many cinematic elements have been incorporated in order to give it a wide production, completely permeating every last bit of the space inside of your headphones. It is not difficult to imagine this song echoing off of the various peaks during one’s trek through a mountainous region. It brings a sense of peace and allows for self reflection. “The Wandering” is about hope, but it is also “a song about loss and beauty… maybe some ghosts and butterflies…” (Pope).

Although the music here is truly fantastic, the star of this show is Pope’s vocal work. They effortlessly describe the landscape, personifying nature and comparing it to life. Between the delicate lines, the listener can catch glimpses of Steve Varney’s banjo work and, at about a minute and a half into the track, Pope delivers the first glorious vocal harmony, which elevates the performance and sends this song straight through the stratosphere.

“The Wandering” is the first that we’re hearing from Maggie Pope, but we see that she has a number of songs in her catalogue, so we will be visiting those this weekend. In the meantime, we hope that you all enjoy this new one as much as we have.

-TM