Justin Fancy launched his career straight from the garden shed to the stage as a top 200 Canadian Idol contestant in 2008. He was immediately thrown into the music industry’s high pressure cooker, and while that process comes with its advantages, it’s not without sacrifice. Now, Justin Fancy is finally getting down to doing things own way. “Long Time Comin’,” the first single from his upcoming album, is about the journey that got him to this new era in his career.
“‘Long Time Comin’,’ the first single, is really an introduction to the country music world,” says Justin Fancy, “and it’s just that; it’s been a long time getting to this point in my career and life and now I’m ready to share it with you. It’s speaks of years gigging around in the bars on George Street and in St. John’s and the music video represents one of my true values and prizes in life, my daughter.”
When Fancy returned from Canadian Idol he found no lack of work. For years he played on the live entertainment scene, but without much room for his own music. In the time that followed, music shifted from being Fancy’s full-time career to becoming a side project. Fancy took a job working in IT and, as is the nature of such things, his musical aspirations found a spot on the back burner.
It was a matter of finding himself in a new relationship and discovery of his daughters abilities to sing and dance that rekindled his interest and motivated him to record a new album.
“I had written a ton of songs over the years and they haven’t been hitting any ears,” says Fancy, “so I thought ‘what about now?’. All my songs are written on emotion and experiences I have went through in my life, and I want to share them with the world.”
The fresh approach also meant Fancy had an opportunity to return to his roots. This time around he was free to start things off under his own direction. But first, Fancy wanted to make sure he could get the sound right.
“I grew up on country and western music, my extended family were very talented and had old songs books I used to avail of. I started playing guitar when I was thirteen and caught on fairly quickly without much lesson at all,” says Fancy.
“I really found someone who could give me the sound I wanted and the production needed to compete in the crowded industry. I was introduced to Clint Curtis of Sevenview Studios by a good friend of mine after hearing a recent single from him. Greg Bolger gave me his contact. I was very surprised to hear that type of production was coming out of a little town in Newfoundland in Springdale, and the rest is history. We co-produce the songs together, I write and compose, we both share ideas, and away we go.”
The result is decidedly Newfoundland country. Justin Fancy might just be getting both his feet wet in the country music scene, but there’s no question about where’s from when he sings about “where he’s to.”