The Sit Down with Fancy Hagood
Fancy Hagood is a Nashville-based singer and songwriter known for blending country, pop, and Southern soul with bold authenticity. The native of Bentonville, Arkansas earned critical acclaim for his 2024 sophomore album “American Spirit” and began capturing the attention of fans on this side of the Atlantic earlier this year when he performed at C2C: Country to Country in London and Berlin. Off the back of this, Hagood recently returned to see us across the pond where he joined Ashley Monroe for a run of dates across the UK which included two sets at The Long Road Festival where we were able to sit down and have a good old chat with him.
It's a great have you here at Long Road.
“Yeah, it's great to be here.”
This must be, what, the second, third time her performing as the country Fancy, I guess.
“Yeah there's been several iterations of what I do. I started as country artist then that evolved into getting signed professionally and then people not knowing if that would work, so it would kind of go into this pop thing but, I just never felt fulfilled even with all the success happening and all the big bucket lists, it just didn't feel like me. So, yeah, I started coming over to England last year doing the country thing.”
We saw you the other night in Manchester and I apologise for not wooing when you asked who was coming to Long Road. We were there and the three of us looked at each other when nobody else made any noise and we were sort of in the are we too cool for this type thought. With the show, going to start at the beginning and I love that you open with “My Old Habits” because I am like the biggest Lucie Silvas fan. She’s an absolute Queen and so nice but for some reason after seven years of doing this, she is the only person I have got proper starstruck and giggly teenager around. There’s a link with her sister-in-law being your manager and Lucie is genuinely how I first came across your music when she was posting about you on her socials but how did you first meet her and start working with her?
It's a great have you here at Long Road.
“Yeah, it's great to be here.”
This must be, what, the second, third time her performing as the country Fancy, I guess.
“Yeah there's been several iterations of what I do. I started as country artist then that evolved into getting signed professionally and then people not knowing if that would work, so it would kind of go into this pop thing but, I just never felt fulfilled even with all the success happening and all the big bucket lists, it just didn't feel like me. So, yeah, I started coming over to England last year doing the country thing.”
We saw you the other night in Manchester and I apologise for not wooing when you asked who was coming to Long Road. We were there and the three of us looked at each other when nobody else made any noise and we were sort of in the are we too cool for this type thought. With the show, going to start at the beginning and I love that you open with “My Old Habits” because I am like the biggest Lucie Silvas fan. She’s an absolute Queen and so nice but for some reason after seven years of doing this, she is the only person I have got proper starstruck and giggly teenager around. There’s a link with her sister-in-law being your manager and Lucie is genuinely how I first came across your music when she was posting about you on her socials but how did you first meet her and start working with her?
“I first met Lucie in early 2012 maybe. We started writing songs together and I have, like, a deep soul connection with Lucie. She's like a sister to me, it's beyond friendship. We've lived together, I got hit by a tornado in 2020 then her and her husband John housed me so I lived with them through the pandemic. We've lived a lot of life together over the last decade, plus Lucie is someone who's had such a career and sometimes in America, people forget that. When I was having like my whole Who Is Fancy thing in the States where I had a top forty hit, I was touring arenas with Ariana Grande and all this stuff, she was the person I could call to really get some rounding advice and she's just such a good friend. She's such a good person, but beyond that, she's my favourite artist and it's weird sometimes when you sit there and you're like looking at your friend across from you at dinner then you see them on stage later and you're just like, oh my gosh she's everything to me. When I was in a deep, dark place in 2016 and 2017, I got to watch her make her album, “E.G.O.” which is one of my favourite albums, but getting to watch an artist, you know, take the reins, she's been through so much, she's achieved so much then she came to the States to kind of like, start over a little bit and is doing her thing. Then watching her take the reins of her own career and make “E.G.O.” that album is just so special to me so I feel like my album “American Spirit” was me taking the reins of my career and on the deluxe version, I wanted to have like a little bit of a nod to Lucie, because she's someone who has pulled me out of a really dark musical place multiple times”
I saw her last at Union Chapel and she was teasing this new music, where I’m like, girl, just get on with it. Stop flying planes, the kids are getting bigger and we want it, we are ready for it. But, back to you, I said, I saw you in Manchester with Miss Ashley Monroe. How's that been for you? How cool is it to get to do a tour with one of your friends?
“Like, it is a dream come true and beyond that, you know, I was a fan of Ashley Monroe before I even knew Ashley Monroe. I've been in Nashville for a long time, we have a lot in common. We write together a lot, we both dropped out of high school, we both moved to Nashville at a very young age and I think there's a certain amount of life which we've both lived that, you know, we just get each other. We just have a bond and that has been explored so much since we've been on the road here in the UK in getting to know each other even further. When you write with people, you know that version of them but this is day in, day out. Like, you really get to know people when you travel and I could not be more in love with Ashley Monroe. I told her the other day, I would follow you off a fucking cliff, she's just real as hell. My favourite kind of people are people who just show up as themselves. I am cursed, I can't be anything other than myself so when I'm around people who are just themselves no matter what, no matter the environment, no matter who's around, it just really lifts me up and just makes me feel seen and heard, she's a queen.”
I think it’s really cool how you were doing the joint encore. I loved the “Islands in the Stream” cover and don’t hate me but the ABBA one needs a bit of work ha-ha.
“Yeah, you're not joking ha-ha.”
I am such a huge ABBA fan, we’re going to the hologram type residency show that they have in London for my birthday in December. “Dancing Queen” is the song you were doing, is that your favourite ABBA song? Is there a better song one to cover than that?
“Ooh, I mean, I really like “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme (A Man After Midnight)”
Banger! Everyone I ask that question too, it's always “Mamma Mia” or “Dancing Queen” as the answer.
“Me and Ashley were actually also talking about a band that we actually both loved from the UK when we were younger and that’s Steps.”
Oh my God, that would be even better to do.
“We talked about maybe doing “Tragedy” but we had so many conversation about what we should do and we just landed on “Dancing Queen” because I do just love it, I can't help it and everyone knows it. The same with “Islands in the Stream” and we were having some inner workings on stage anyway so it was a mix of some other things and whatever but I got to do “Island in the Stream” with her on the main stage yesterday which was so fun. She's giving Dolly, I'm giving Kenny Rogers, so yeah, why not?”
Since you sort of changed in terms of your sound and what you're doing, as a writer, does the LA based pop world, vary win terms of process compared to doing country music, or is it pretty much you're still just writing songs and pit just goes a different direction after that?
I saw her last at Union Chapel and she was teasing this new music, where I’m like, girl, just get on with it. Stop flying planes, the kids are getting bigger and we want it, we are ready for it. But, back to you, I said, I saw you in Manchester with Miss Ashley Monroe. How's that been for you? How cool is it to get to do a tour with one of your friends?
“Like, it is a dream come true and beyond that, you know, I was a fan of Ashley Monroe before I even knew Ashley Monroe. I've been in Nashville for a long time, we have a lot in common. We write together a lot, we both dropped out of high school, we both moved to Nashville at a very young age and I think there's a certain amount of life which we've both lived that, you know, we just get each other. We just have a bond and that has been explored so much since we've been on the road here in the UK in getting to know each other even further. When you write with people, you know that version of them but this is day in, day out. Like, you really get to know people when you travel and I could not be more in love with Ashley Monroe. I told her the other day, I would follow you off a fucking cliff, she's just real as hell. My favourite kind of people are people who just show up as themselves. I am cursed, I can't be anything other than myself so when I'm around people who are just themselves no matter what, no matter the environment, no matter who's around, it just really lifts me up and just makes me feel seen and heard, she's a queen.”
I think it’s really cool how you were doing the joint encore. I loved the “Islands in the Stream” cover and don’t hate me but the ABBA one needs a bit of work ha-ha.
“Yeah, you're not joking ha-ha.”
I am such a huge ABBA fan, we’re going to the hologram type residency show that they have in London for my birthday in December. “Dancing Queen” is the song you were doing, is that your favourite ABBA song? Is there a better song one to cover than that?
“Ooh, I mean, I really like “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme (A Man After Midnight)”
Banger! Everyone I ask that question too, it's always “Mamma Mia” or “Dancing Queen” as the answer.
“Me and Ashley were actually also talking about a band that we actually both loved from the UK when we were younger and that’s Steps.”
Oh my God, that would be even better to do.
“We talked about maybe doing “Tragedy” but we had so many conversation about what we should do and we just landed on “Dancing Queen” because I do just love it, I can't help it and everyone knows it. The same with “Islands in the Stream” and we were having some inner workings on stage anyway so it was a mix of some other things and whatever but I got to do “Island in the Stream” with her on the main stage yesterday which was so fun. She's giving Dolly, I'm giving Kenny Rogers, so yeah, why not?”
Since you sort of changed in terms of your sound and what you're doing, as a writer, does the LA based pop world, vary win terms of process compared to doing country music, or is it pretty much you're still just writing songs and pit just goes a different direction after that?
“You know, I'm a songwriter song writer and I think songs can be addressed in a lot of different ways. When I had a top forty hit with a song called “Goodbye” and if you were to break that down, play it on acoustic guitar, it's a spaghetti western song. I think a song is a song as a song and it doesn't fit into a genre until you dress it up and make it look how you want. It's the same as like Lucie doing “My Old Habits” and me having it. It sounds a lot different, I kind of countrified it where hers is more bluesy, but it's it doesn't make one better, it's just different. I think for me, I'm not country now, it's like I was doing that so more than me changing the sound, it is me returning to what I knew how to do originally. So, I don't really think about genre when I'm writing songs. It's just more when you're in the studio and how you're dressing it up, that's when the conversation of genre kind of comes in.”
How do you feel about playing over here and things? Do you find that the UK really is so much more welcoming to you and what you’re doing?
“I think the proof is in the pudding. I just played a tent here at this festival and it was filled to the brim. In the States, it's like, I’m made to feel like that wouldn't happen for me or couldn't happen. I think there's just some hurdles here that don't exist for myself as a queer artist that definitely exist, unfortunately because of politics, what not and, you know, country music is claimed by a lot of southern people. I think country music is for everyone and I'm from the South, you know, my story's not less important because I'm queer and think at the end of the day, you'll hear every artist say that country music is storytelling. I'm a storyteller so I belong in that genre just like anyone else and I love that I can come over here, I think your country's a little bit more old than ours is so I think y'all have had time to figure out some things that don't matter, where I think our country's like struggling with that.”
That's the biggest difference that you guys pick out when you come here. It's like, we don't knock shit down. You guys are like that building's thirty years old, we’ve got to tear it down, whereas we're like, that's three hundred years old, don't sneeze near it or something might happen. Apart from that, you guys drive on the wrong side of the road, you're scared the letter “U” in words and you play football with your hands, then there’s a couple of minor little things like with gun control and healthcare.
“You may have gun control, but you have no air conditioning. I literally was walking around earlier with a giant fan.”
See, I have two. So firstly, I have a White Claw like, proper old school wave around fan, but I also have a USB charging one.
“Rissi Palmer is letting me borrow one of hers. I literally came to this festival today with like a plug in the wall oscillating fan, I was like, I need to find a moment to just have a breeze and it’s been nice today, it’s not been hot.”
Where I live in London, I'm on the central line which is a really hot line so you're on it anytime from May to September, you are literally baking on there without one.
“Yeah, that’s not my vibe.”
How do you feel about playing over here and things? Do you find that the UK really is so much more welcoming to you and what you’re doing?
“I think the proof is in the pudding. I just played a tent here at this festival and it was filled to the brim. In the States, it's like, I’m made to feel like that wouldn't happen for me or couldn't happen. I think there's just some hurdles here that don't exist for myself as a queer artist that definitely exist, unfortunately because of politics, what not and, you know, country music is claimed by a lot of southern people. I think country music is for everyone and I'm from the South, you know, my story's not less important because I'm queer and think at the end of the day, you'll hear every artist say that country music is storytelling. I'm a storyteller so I belong in that genre just like anyone else and I love that I can come over here, I think your country's a little bit more old than ours is so I think y'all have had time to figure out some things that don't matter, where I think our country's like struggling with that.”
That's the biggest difference that you guys pick out when you come here. It's like, we don't knock shit down. You guys are like that building's thirty years old, we’ve got to tear it down, whereas we're like, that's three hundred years old, don't sneeze near it or something might happen. Apart from that, you guys drive on the wrong side of the road, you're scared the letter “U” in words and you play football with your hands, then there’s a couple of minor little things like with gun control and healthcare.
“You may have gun control, but you have no air conditioning. I literally was walking around earlier with a giant fan.”
See, I have two. So firstly, I have a White Claw like, proper old school wave around fan, but I also have a USB charging one.
“Rissi Palmer is letting me borrow one of hers. I literally came to this festival today with like a plug in the wall oscillating fan, I was like, I need to find a moment to just have a breeze and it’s been nice today, it’s not been hot.”
Where I live in London, I'm on the central line which is a really hot line so you're on it anytime from May to September, you are literally baking on there without one.
“Yeah, that’s not my vibe.”
You're playing again tomorrow so get a second chance to do it which is going to be fun. I really enjoyed the show in Manchester, I was like just so blown away with how you were a band. I know it's not your normal band but your sound really transforms at a live show and your banner is still so good. You get it over here because most Americans don't get British humour at all with how we are brought up on taking the taking the piss out of each other, it's very natural.
“And yourselves, that's what I've noticed about my British friends, they're very self-deprecating and I can be that way too, so I do kind of get it.”
Thanks for your time, I appreciate it, this has been cool and it’s great that you are here.
“America Spirit: The Last Drag” is the current album from Fancy Hagood which is out now and available HERE. Fancy will be back in the UK later this month where he will be performing at the Keep It Country Festival in London, Wolverhampton and Newcastle before joining CMAT on her tour in November and December. You can find dates and ticket information for all of these shows on his WEBSITE and you can keep up to date with all that Fancy is up to socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK X & FACEBOOK.
The Long Road Festival will return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire in 2026 between Thursday 27th and Sunday 30th August, with tickets on sale now. You can find ticket details and further information on their WEBSITE and you can be the first to know all updates ahead of next year’s event by checking out their socials on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.
“And yourselves, that's what I've noticed about my British friends, they're very self-deprecating and I can be that way too, so I do kind of get it.”
Thanks for your time, I appreciate it, this has been cool and it’s great that you are here.
“America Spirit: The Last Drag” is the current album from Fancy Hagood which is out now and available HERE. Fancy will be back in the UK later this month where he will be performing at the Keep It Country Festival in London, Wolverhampton and Newcastle before joining CMAT on her tour in November and December. You can find dates and ticket information for all of these shows on his WEBSITE and you can keep up to date with all that Fancy is up to socially on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK X & FACEBOOK.
The Long Road Festival will return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire in 2026 between Thursday 27th and Sunday 30th August, with tickets on sale now. You can find ticket details and further information on their WEBSITE and you can be the first to know all updates ahead of next year’s event by checking out their socials on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.
