Maggie Clifford
Born and raised in a suburb of Rochester, NY, Clifford’s first project as a professional musician was with childhood best friend Kat Wright. Their folk duo, Loveful Heights, toured cross-country in 2010 and followed up the tour by recording their self-titled album. In collaboration with Wright, Clifford has opened for M. Ward and been featured in the 2017 film, The King, which was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Music Film category, an Emmy in the Best Documentary category, and for the Golden Eye Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Clifford has performed in venues in France, India, Brazil, and across the United States. As a solo artist, she has written music for multiple documentary film projects, including Petra Costa’s feature-length directorial debut ELENA (2012). Clifford released an album inspired by her work on ELENA, a film that deals explicitly with mental health issues for women artists. ELENA was the most-watched documentary in Brazil the year of its release and Clifford’s song was referred to as “the soul of the film” by its director. The soundtrack, which includes several songs by and with Clifford, went on to be awarded Best Original Soundtrack by Ciné Musica. Since the release of her ELENA-inspired album in 2013, Clifford has recorded several singles including her most widely streamed, “Earth My Body” a love song for the living world.
Clifford is currently a PhD candidate studying climate change communication at American University. Her academic work often informs the thematic elements of her songs. Her most recent release (November 2021), was recorded with Gainesville musician Ricky Kendall and pays homage to acclaimed songwriter and musician Nanci Griffith, who passed away in August, 2021. “Trouble in the Fields,” a song by Griffith, portrays the resilience of a multi-generational farming family as they struggle to make ends meet and sustain their way of life.
Recent Releases
Come The Rain (2022)