Last May we saw queer country singer/songwriter Fancy Hagood at the Music Hall at World Café Live when he opened the No One Gets Out Alive tour for our phriend, and fellow Nashville-based Americana artist, Maggie Rose (He’s also toured with our pal Kaitlin Butts!) However, earlier this month — following the April 11th release of American Spirit: The Last Drag, the deluxe edition of his sophomore LP, which originally dropped last fall – Fancy Hagood kicked off The American Spirit Tour, his first-ever headlining jaunt, which will have him at The Lounge at World Café Live this Tuesday, April 29th (where he’ll be joined by Abbey Cone, who opened MilkBoy for our buddy Stephen Day just last month). I recently got a chance to chat with Fancy Hagood about all of this and more.
Izzy Cihak: I actually saw you like a year ago, opening the Music Hall at World Café Live for Maggie Rose, and when you broke a string on your guitar, you borrowed an electric from her band and said it was the first time you’d played an electric in years, but it was super charming and felt special to get to see… How was that whole tour with Maggie? She’s definitely one of my favorite people in music.
Fancy Hagood: The No One Gets Out Alive tour with Maggie was truly such a gift to me. I jokingly referred to it as my eat, pray, love tour. I was alone in a rental car going city to city. I was intimidated at first to do such a journey on my own, but I had so many transformative experiences on that tour that I look back and get a little teary eyed. I know for sure I am not the same person/artist now that I was at the start of that run! I’m extremely grateful for friends and artists like Maggie who see value in me and my art and so graciously share their stage with me!
Izzy: I know that you just received the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award at their Nashville gala, so I’m curious to hear a little more about that. I watched the clips that you posted on YouTube, which are super inspiring.
Fancy: Yeah, you know that came as such a wonderful surprise to me. I’ve been in Nashville fighting the fight for queer representation for 17 years now and to be honored like that, surrounded by my family and friends, it’s a moment I won’t forget and a reminder to stay the course!
Izzy: In addition to that, in the time since you were last in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, you released the American Spirit LP, whose deluxe version just dropped. Have you had any favorite reactions to the album?
Fancy: Well, I gotta say as an independent artist, my favorite thing is getting messages from people telling me what monumental moments in their lives my songs have played a part in. You put music out hoping that it will connect with anyone, and then you get a DM from someone sharing with how they’ve just gotten married, or they had a baby, or they lost someone, and it was my song that celebrated them or held them in a moment of grief. I will never take for granted the fact that people are inviting these songs to be a part of their lives. It’s an honor to get those messages.
Izzy: How did the idea behind the deluxe edition, American Spirit: The Last Drag, come about? Deluxe editions have definitely gotten to be a big thing recently, which I’ve been talking about with artists for like the past year or so.
Fancy: For me, my album American Spirit really chronicles a chapter of my life, and the deluxe is simply the period at the end of the sentence. I had just a ‘lil bit left to say before I shut the door on that one.
Izzy: The current single from the deluxe edition is a cover of Lucie Silvas’ “My Old Habits” (which I just realized was co-written by Daniel Tashian, who I’m guessing you know, and who’s done lots of amazing stuff with phriends of PHILTHY, like Sarah Jarosz, Overcoats, and Real Estate). How did you come about the idea to cover that particular song and how was the process of creating your take on it?
Fancy: So, Lucie Silvas is one of my nearest and dearest, and that is absolutely one of my favorite songs ever! I love it. I’ve always wanted to cover it, and so I finally did. I went and watched Lucie open for Chris Stapleton at Red Rocks and was in the hallway when her and her bandmates (including Jarrad K, who is my producer) sing it with just guitar and harmonies, and I thought to myself that might be a perfect song. It was a matter of when, not if. And I love Daniel Tashian, and I worship at the altar of Kacey M, Sarah J, and of course Lucie Silvas!
Izzy: While we’re talking about them, do you have any favorite deluxe editions of albums in your own music library? Like I said, they’ve become kind of common recently.
Fancy: I mean this feels a little like a cop out of an answer because it just came out, but I do think Kacey’s Deeper Into The Well was flawlessly executed. Also, Brandi’s In The Canyon Haze was pretty special!
Izzy: You’re about to kick off The American Spirit Tour, your first-ever headlining tour, which will have you headlining The Lounge at World Café Live. What can be expected of the headlining show?
Fancy: I think what can be expected most at any Fancy Hagood show is vulnerability. Stories. Laughs. And a good mix of songs from American Spirit and my first album, Southern Curiosity.
Izzy: Your upcoming dates have you in a number of different settings, with headlining dates in both barrooms and listening rooms (like The Lounge), in addition to a bunch of really huge festivals. So, I’m curious how you like each of these different settings, in terms of the performance experience it offers you? Do you have a favorite, or is it nice to get to change it up?
Fancy: You know, I’m so excited to have a packed full schedule of shows! I’m excited to be doing something that I know we are gonna be able to grow and build from! Right now it’s a ‘lil bit of “if you know you know,” and I’m excited to be giving all of the ones that do know exactly what they have been waiting for!
Izzy: You’re going to be on the road with Abbey Cone, who I totally dig and just saw last month with Stephen Day. What are your thoughts on her and her music? Are you excited to be on the road with her for the better part of a month?
Fancy: Love Abbey and her songwriting so much! Definitely excited she is joining the tour!
Izzy: Like I was saying, I know you have some festival appearances this summer but, in addition to them, what are you hoping and planning for the second half of 2025? Anything you’re especially excited about?
Fancy: Well, I have a ton of irons in the fire with several different creative mediums that I am beyond thrilled about. But really, I’m just looking forward to experiencing life and living. Most of my writing stems from my own human experience, so I have to make time to experience life.
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