He's born-and-raised Southern. He's proudly queer. He's unabashedly pop. But Fancy Hagood is about to show the world that he's much, much more. Finding chart-topping success at an early age through collaborations with Ariana Grande and Dr. Luke, Fancy decided to walk away from an industry dictated by fearful executives that wanted to pigeonhole him and his music. Six years later he has emerged with his debut album, "Southern Curiosity", an amazing collection of songs that uses his unique musical voice to tell his story as a queer man. Join Nick as he shares Fancy's inspiring journey, a journey that took him from the suburbs of Arkansas to the beginnings of what promises to be an incredible musical career.
HIGHLIGHTS:
[02:14] At 17, Fancy left the conservative environs of Arkansas for the musical mecca of Nashville
[04:32] While in LA Fancy worked with big-time producer Dr. Luke and manager Scooter Braun
[05:11] Fancy was stunned to discover that being gay didn't fit into the "Hollywood star" model, so in order to stay true to himself and his music, he left the industry
[06:53] Luckily, Fancy's record label and management let him out of his record deals so he could pursue his own path
[08:01] Fancy took some time to figure out who he was and what he wanted before beginning to write his debut album "Southern Curiosity"
[09:20] Fancy has fought and sacrificed to tell his story the way he wanted to tell it through his music
[09:47] Fancy collaborated with musicians and producers in Nashville and London, people who understood his desire to tell his queer story bravely and truthfully
[12:05] A couple of songs on "Southern Curiosity" are credited to Fancy's old stage name Who Is Fancy, but all the new songs are credited to him
[13:12] The song "Mr. Atlanta" was co-written in London, where the conversation about being queer was much more open and accepted
[14:16] Fancy did a little bit of touring back in 2015 with Ariana Grande, but he's dying to get on stage solo and perform his new music
[15:46] Fancy's music didn't fit into any of the Hollywood marketing niches, so he left the industry to make his own "queer Southern pop"
[19:20] Fancy no longer lets marketing groups decide his career, he's proudly out and eager to share his queer story with the world
[21:28] The external pressures put on Fancy in LA created in him a self-defeating attitude, until he removed himself from the environment and learned to appreciate himself as he is
[23:37] Surprisingly, some of the harshest criticism Fancy has received both personally and professionally was from other gay men
[24:07] To Fancy, being gay doesn't mean that he's competing with other gay performers and artists, there's room for everyone at the table
[26:17] Coming out at a young age taught Fancy that nothing in life is black and white
[27:21] Self-taught on piano and guitar, Fancy wrote most of "Southern Curiosity" on piano
[28:55] Fancy looks up to icons like Elton John and Adele, and genre-bending artists like Kasey Musgraves
[30:52] In an attempt to reinvigorate his career, Fancy's publishing company Downtown Music Publishing sent him to London to help him find his artistic voice
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Find out more about today’s guest, Fancy Hagood.
Find out more about your host, Nick Terzo
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