The genre-blending Gold Coast artist talks creative freedom, calling out Fisher, and why his debut EP Land of The Freeks is just the beginning.
Australian artist Hugh Bagley makes his explosive debut with ‘Sad Song,’ the lead single from his highly anticipated debut EP, Land of The Freeks.
Blending R&B, hip-hop, and pop with raw, cinematic flair, Bagley has captivated audiences nationwide through electrifying live performances and genre-defying production.
In this interview, Hugh Bagley opens up about his creative process, the challenges of emerging in Australia’s music scene, and his ambitious vision for global domination.
From freestyling melodies to calling out Fisher for a potential collab, he shares the stories behind his music, his standout tracks, and why authenticity is key.
Dive into the mind of one of Australia’s most exciting new voices.
HAPPY: Congrats on the release of ‘Sad Song’! What inspired the track and why did you choose it as your debut single?
HUGH BAGLEY: Thank you so much I’m so happy that its finally out!
I chose ‘Sad Song’ because it’s a great condensed version of what my first EP is like both stylistically and sonically.
The singing part was a freestyle and was easier to write than the others because the music made me want to write to it.
HAPPY: Your style blends R&B, hip-hop, and pop in such a unique way. How did you develop your sound, and what artists influenced that journey?
HUGH BAGLEY: When I was writing the music I listened to a lot of different music artists and pulled different elements of their songs that I liked and put them together.
What I’ve found for me at least when I’m writing songs, it’s the sounds that don’t necessarily belong in the song that make it interesting because it feels fresh and new.
I listened to a lot of Prince, INXS and production by The Weeknd/Illangelo because they automated different sounds in an interesting way.
HAPPY: You’ve built a strong following from your live performances. How has performing unreleased material shaped your connection with fans?
HUGH BAGLEY: The music translates differently live than it does in studio so you have to think how it would translate to a live audience and would it work well.
HAPPY: Working with Luke Mariconte and ARIA award-winner Konstantin Kersting is huge. What was the collaborative process like while creating Land of The Freeks?
HUGH BAGLEY: Yeah I’m super lucky I got to work with both those guys.
Mariconte and I wrote over 50 ideas and I picked the ones I liked best.
Konstantin mixed them and made them polished and made them sound the way they do.
HAPPY: You’ve been compared to artists like The Weeknd and Post Malone — how do you feel about those comparisons, and what do you think sets you apart?
HUGH BAGLEY: I think its awesome. People get annoyed when they’re compared to other artists but I think its a huge compliment I’m a massive fan of both those guys and their music is unbelievable.
Time will tell what sets me apart from those guys.
HAPPY: Can you give us a glimpse into what listeners can expect from Land of The Freeks beyond ‘Sad Song’? Any standout tracks you’re particularly proud of?
HUGH BAGLEY: People can expect a unique sound on this project, ‘Sad Song’ is only the tip of the iceberg.
I’m proud of the whole EP but my stand out songs are Lay Low and Find/I think you’ll Find.
HAPPY: What’s your process like when starting a new track — do lyrics come first, or do you start with the sound and message?
HUGH BAGLEY: It’s different every time. Sometimes I came in with lyrics, write a song around the vocal melody and other times it’s a freestyle.
Just depends on the song.
HAPPY: As an emerging artist in Australia’s music scene, what challenges have you faced, and how have they shaped your artistic identity?
HUGH BAGLEY: Make music you want to hear and don’t follow the crowd. I think doing something different can be hard to find people in a similar lane but people will love you more for it cause they can only go to you for that sound.
HAPPY: If you could work with one Australian Artist and one Australian producer who would it be?
HUGH BAGLEY: Fisher. He’s the King of Australian music and we’re both from the Gold Coast.
He’s very talented. I would love the opportunity to collaborate and produce something with him.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with a collaborator of his before, so it’s not out of the question.
FISHER I’M CALLING YOU OUT, LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
For a producer I’d love to work with Blake Malone.
It would be cool to see what we could come up with. I really love the music he has produced in the Australian and indie scene.
Blake has done phenomenal production and song mixes.
I Love his work with Tia Gostelow, Amy Shark and Budjerah, so it would be an honour to work with such a talented guy like Blake.
HAPPY: Looking ahead, what’s your vision for Hugh Bagley as an artist?
HUGH BAGLEY: My vision in the early stages of my career as an artist is to release a lot of music this year and become one of the biggest nationally and then go international.
And to make this happen you need to build a following and make people really love what you create.
Listen to ‘Sad Song’ below.
