Proud to follow in the footsteps of acknowledged idols Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi, Magnolia Boulevard isn’t trying to fool anyone with its soulful, no-nonsense blues-rock template. A few years shy of the pandemic, former bluegrasser Maggie Noelle co-founded the band in Lexington, Ky., with keyboardist Ryan Allen.
Noelle quickly evolved into a fierce frontwoman, and the quintet has capitalized on its close relationship with PRS Guitars founder and CEO Paul Reed Smith, who helped to mix and master last year’s Things Are Gonna Change EP. The band has also shared stages with Blues Traveler, Marcus King, Neal Francis, North Mississippi Allstars and other top-tier acts.
Magnolia Boulevard’s self-titled/self-released debut LP is due November 28. Here’s the plain truth behind the band’s latest single, “Devil You Know,” delivered in the classic “he said, she said” format:
Allen: “Like most of our songs, it’s pretty much a snapshot of what’s going on in Maggie’s life at the moment. I’ll defer to her to reveal as much of that story as she wants. But I know what it means to me—and hopefully anybody who hears it can decide what it means to them.”
Noelle: “Life is full of messy entanglements, especially within relationships. This song brings light to the other side of the story—the feeling of forever being entrapped in that cycle of heartbreak. Without giving too much information about my personal life, this was definitely a tough time for me. I tried really hard to think about what it would feel like to be in that other girl’s shoes.”
We’re proud to premiere Magnolia Boulevard’s “Devil You Know.”
—Hobart Rowland
See Magnolia Boulevard live.
