Margaret Durante may have grown up in Potomac, but her heart was always somewhere in Nashville, Tenn., and other cities from which famous musicians sprang. As a child, Durante said her mother fed her a steady musical diet of the songs by the much-acclaimed local singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter. She also took in ample doses of the music of Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Shania Twain and others. Little surprise that Durante sought to share her own voice in the country music world.
“Mine is an unconventional way to get here,” said Durante. “I was playing with [a Bruce Springsteen-inspired band] the B Street Band starting at about 16. I was also getting a lot of experience performing in front of a crowd.”
| Onstage |
| Six Flags America Country Day with Host Kix Brooks |
| Performers: Margaret Durante with Randy Montana and Dustin Lynch |
| When: 12 p.m. Saturday |
| Where: Gotham Arena, Six Flags America, 13710 Central Ave., Mitchellville |
| Info: Free with park admission; 301-249-1500 |
Not to mention honing her craft so finely that an audition with famed then head of Sony Music Entertainment Tommy Mottola won her a record deal and inspired her to leave Clemson University and head to Nashville.
Now touring behind her new single “Maybe Tonight,” and a four-song digital EP, it seems Durante is on a fast track that just won’t slow down.
The music video for “Maybe Tonight” entered the GAC Top 20 Country Countdown at the top spot making Durante the first artist signed to an independent label to ever debut at No. 1 on that list.
Directed by Kristin Barlowe, the clip for “Maybe Tonight” highlights Durante’s fun-loving and lighthearted side as she and her love interest flirt their way through the early stages of a new relationship. Fans also get to see a spontaneous side of Durante, as she leads a troupe in a dance on the streets of downtown Nashville.
The song echoes the themes of those the artist writes and performs. When writing and selecting songs, Durante is intent on choosing ones that have themes and messages to which she relates, perhaps showing various sides of her personality as she encounters challenges and triumphs.
“I wanted to write a lot of songs from my own experiences,” said Durante of her music. “I want to share those with my audience. When I think about what music has provided me, I know it’s always been a friend or someone like a friend I can commiserate with yet I keep in mind that I also want to share music that entertains people.”
