The latest single from Justin Fancy shows off just a couple more hats he’s kept in his collection. The Newfoundland-based musician is, perhaps, best known for his stint in the pop world of Canadian Idol, while his career as an independent artist has taken a sharp turn towards country music. At one point, like many Newfoundland performers, Fancy’s fancy had turned to the traditional. He’s revisited the genre with the very traditional “The Wildwood Flower” along with an old friend and bandmate.
Between 2016 and 2018, Justin Fancy performed with Middle Tickle, a Newfoundland band known for their renditions of traditional music, particularly the traditional musics of both their native Newfoundland and Ireland.
Key to that group is folksinger Ron Kelly, who is responsible for the song “Joe Batt’s Arm Longliners” which has likely earned him a place of distinction in the history of Newfoundland’s music.
“I had always admired his love for country and folk music, which is very similar to my taste,” says Fancy. “Ron is a Fogo Island native, also where my mother is from. He is a very skilled and heart-felt songwriter who has been entertaining audiences from the time he was young. Ron brings a very unique authenticity to his music and performing with him regularly ignited a thought that we could possibly do a song together one of these days.”
Fancy approached Kelly about performing a cover of “The Wildwood Flower,” a song that was written in the 1800s, made popular in 1928 by the Carter Family, said to have been a major contributor to making country music an international genre and, coincidentally, holds a special place in both their hearts.
“Ron is a Newfoundland musical staple and it was a true honour for me to be able to do this,” says Fancy. “The song was ironically the first song we had both learned how to play on the guitar.
“I always felt like modernizing that song would be a great compliment to an already phenomenally written tune and melody. I’ve had that melody in my head for as long as I could remember and felt it was the perfect song to collaborate on. The song actually has some folk feel to it as well as country, which is a great mix for east coast music, especially Newfoundland.
“Given the history behind us both starting to play guitar on this song, I felt it was a great story to tell and re-create the song with him.”
Produced by Ron’s son, Robert Kelly, and with a studio video directed by Stephen Green (Centre City Media & Film Production, Fairgale) featuring Aaron Collis on accordion/mandolin, background vocals by Mike Penton, and Maria Cherwick on fiddle, Fancy and Kelly make this classic sound like it was born on the rocky shores of Fogo Island.
Justin Fancy is currently nominated for three MusicNL Music Awards for his album Sure Beats a Good Time, include Country Artist of the Year, MDIIO Rising Star of the Year and Event of the Year for his album release show via Saltwater Noise. The winners of the awards will be announced during MusicNL Week online celebration from February 1st – 7th, 2021.