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Maggie & Judd Bolger use their folk songwriting to relate the gospel to others in their own way.

Their stage name may not be too original, but Judd & Maggie don't mind much. The pair is a no-frills, unassuming alternative folk duo, a brother-and-sister tandem that went from living-room jam sessions with their family (last name: Bolger) to a deal with the legendary RCA Victor imprint, a label mostly known for its classic Broadway catalogue (Maggie is a Broadway buff, so the connection excites her). Though their national debut Subjects was met with enthusiasm in the mainstream last August, the duo recently re-released it in the Christian marketplace, where they hope to find a new audience. Christian Music Today went out to lunch with Judd & Maggie and talked about all of this, including their spiritual fervor and their desire to relate the gospel in their own contemplative way.

How does a sibling duo get its start?

Maggie: I have five other siblings and we're seven total. We grew up in a very musical environment. My dad was in a folk band in the '60s. After he and my mom got married, they would sing and play and at church sometimes. All of our siblings picked up an instrument. We'd have little family jams at home. I would just sing the harmony part for my dad, Judd would play the piano. Although we weren't doing it as a duo at that time, we were in the same room trying to learn to listen to every one else.

About four years ago Judd started writing songs, and he would play the guitar in the living room. I would start to sing along because I was just so used to it, and my parents would say, "Oh, that sounds good!" Our voices blended well.

So how do you go from singing in your living room to a recording career?

Maggie: We did an album by ourselves with some friends' help. That's how we started as a duo. We did our own demo album. After my sophomore year in college I decided to quit and just do music full-time. We worked on a three-song EP and set up a few showcases. We had been doing some local shows and also recording and trying to work on what exactly we were as a duo. When we played our showcase, it was just Judd and myself. He was on guitar and I was on bass on some of the songs. It was mostly vocals and harmony. So we weren't very different from where we started.

Today you're signed to RCA Victor, one of the most historical labels in the U.S. How come?

Maggie: Our attitude is just kind of in the moment. We weren't thinking, Wow, this is so incredible! When we went into it we just thought, This is God's will for our life. When we went to play for RCA Victor in their offices in Times Square, we said, "Whoa, this is kinda different from what we were doing." At the same time we didn't have to change anything about what we were about. We were just ourselves. God's gonna open doors and we're just going to be good stewards of what we've been given. We still live at home and we're still really grounded with our family and our faith.

Judd: Yeah, that was basically it. It wasn't a big decision-making process. We didn't gig a lot at first. We recorded an independent CD on our own. We did meet our manager about three years ago, and that's when this got a little more serious. We started doing our showcases for the labels.

Maggie: We realized that our voices blended well. Personality-wise, it's really cool to have a business thing together, because we're now bound by blood and by a music contract.

Your album came out last year, but it recently got re-released in Christian circles. How did that come about?

Judd: We do feel very comfortable in the secular world. But as Christians we feel called to go out into the world and sing about the light that we have. The music we write naturally is not overtly Christian. We're people of faith and that informs how we write. Everything that God created is good. It's natural for us to go to the Christian world and be in both [markets]. We really feel there shouldn't be a division between them.

Maggie: Yeah, we're not going to change our writing style or anything. We just think that music is music. It's strange that it has to be categorized. This is who we are, wherever we are.

You were at Gospel Music Week in Nashville this past April and saw the Christian music machine at work. Is this much different from your reality?

Maggie: We originally went to the secular market because that's where we got an opportunity to play. We just have heart for playing in clubs. We just played in a dirty rock club in Baltimore last Friday. That's where God has called us to be, but we also love playing for Christians, playing for churches. So when we got this opportunity to release the album in the Christian market, it was natural because we love talking about God and talking about our faith. But we also have a heart for the world. That's where Christ was and where he wants us to be.

You have an audience in the "secular world," as you called it. Do you think going Christian might alienate them a bit?

Maggie: I think what they like is the music. Even they know it's about God, it's just in a poetic way that [documents] a journey. It's not about a particular experience. I don't think it gives them any reason to say, "Oh, no, I'm not going to listen to that." We want to make poetic, artful music that has a lot of symbolism.

Judd: And if they do [feel alienated], whatever. It happens. We won't change.

Maggie: We won't change. We're not going to start saying "Jesus" or singing praise music. But we're also not going to hide the fact that it's about our faith journey.

Most artists start out in the Christian arena, and then explore mainstream opportunities. Any reason why you chose to do it the other way around?

Maggie: We're definitely looking at this as a way to play to more people. A lot of the young Christians don't go to clubs, so we found doing our shows at churches is a cool way to reach them. People are people. I don't care where I play.

Judd: We've grown up in the church our whole lives. We're comfortable playing in churches. And hopefully we can encourage other Christians to get out there, that there's nothing to be scared of. We have to find ways to engage the culture with the gospel. Sometimes it can get stale. There's a segment of our country who doesn't believe Jesus is who he said he was. So we have to find ways to bring that back. We're the hands of God.

So there is a ministry aspect to what you do.

Maggie: We feel like it's what we're supposed to do now. Maybe not ministry like preaching, but ministry in trying to be effective witnesses. We don't really preach at shows, but if we have something on our mind, we'll share it.

Judd: I think, being an artist, you can't just say, "This is just ministry," or "This is just art." The whole goal of an artist should be both. I think your music should be informed by your faith. But the purpose of art and beauty is to raise our thoughts towards God. If art is not doing that, it could be destructive. We do put a lot of pressure on our celebrities and our stars that they have to be ministers. There's a place for the minister and there's a place for the artist.

Maggie: We're not really out to convert people. It's cool to meet people and talk to someone who doesn't have faith but has a lot of virtue. You're like, "Wow, I have all this truth but I'm not living in a way that I should be living." We're reaching out to people, but we're not necessarily trying to convert them.

You two are relatively young. Is it strange playing music that people your age don't think it's "hot"?

Maggie: It might not be what's "hot" or what's popular at the moment. But I think when you do that, you set yourself up for a short career because you're not being honest with who you are, because trends are always changing. I'm really happy with who we are. I just want success to come, but to come naturally. We don't want to compromise anything. The quieter folk music generally appeals to an older audience. At times it'll [appeal to] teenagers. I don't really care who I'm playing for.

Maggie, I understand you weren't always into folk music.

Maggie: I did a lot of musicals. I was into belting—The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz. I was more into that. Judd was more in the band thing—Wilco, The Jayhawks, The Wallflowers. When we came together, he helped me tone it down a little bit. But I also added something a little more dramatic to the group. I think it's a good balance from his background. My stylings and his kinda make a unique sound.

Any chance Judd & Maggie will be doing some vaudeville numbers in the future?

Maggie: It's really funny. I still think of it. I like to perform a little bit more than Judd. He likes recording and being at home and writing. I like performing and using my hands and being more expressive. I think it just helps make us be a more interesting combo because I have a more dramatic flair than he does.

Click here to read our review of Subjects. Visit Christianbook.com to sample and purchase the music.

© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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