If someone has not heard your music before, what is the best way to describe Berry Hagman in 2026?
The best description would be if a young Bob Dylan tried to sing a Frank Turner song when he’s only ever heard it once in the background of a busy pub.
You’ve got your album launch at The Ship Isis coming up on 23 April — are you looking forward to it, and how do you want that night to feel for people in the room?
Yes I’m very much looking forward to it. It will be my first headline gig of the year and I’m really looking forward to showing my new songs to everyone. Whenever I put a gig on I always like to put myself in the shoes of the audience and imagine what kind of gig I would go to, so I’m hoping the feel would be warm, not too rowdy and full of people looking for a nice night out with some top quality music and nice beers.
Old Fashioned Millennial is a title that stands out straight away. Where did that come from, and why did it feel right for this album?
It’s funny you should mention the album name. It was an homage to the first EP I ever released 15 years ago called Old Fashioned Youth and there are a few songs from there that are reimagined and remixed for this upcoming album. The name came to me before I had even started recording and it was supposed follow a story of “a day in the life” as a millennial in the modern world. However, as I finished the recordings and listened to them a few times I realised the “old fashioned” part was a little redundant and no longer made sense. So in my own classic fashion I came to upload the album with a new name, which is This Day Keeps Getting Worse, which I found much more apt considering I was feeling a lot of burnout when finalising the recordings.
So yes I’ve changed the name of the album at the very last minute to This Day Keeps Getting Worse and I’m so glad I did because I feel like it fits the style of the album much more.
Does this album feel like the clearest picture yet of who you are as an artist?
The album starts off from being the artist I felt I was and it ends being the artist I feel I’m becoming so I think there is a great transition in the album in terms of sound and feel.
Your music has that mix of folk roots, storytelling and a more modern edge. When did that start to feel like your sound?
I’ve always had a split personality when it comes to music. I started loving music in school listening to Blink 182 and Linkin Park etc, then in College I became obsessed with Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and a lot of very old blues artists. When I started writing music properly, those 2 styles kind of merged seamlessly with each other so I’ve always kind of had that specific feel to my sound.
A lot of your work feels full of character and personality. How important is that to the way you write?
Very important. Every song is a story and every story needs a good character. Sometimes the character isn’t myself but I’ll always be inspired by my own feelings and experiences when thinking of a song.
When people hear this album, what side of you do you think they’ll get the clearest sense of?
The album begins with a song about indecisiveness (fitting that I changed the album name last minute haha) Berry Hagmans 719th Dream isn’t about sleeping, the “dream” refers to aspirations. It then moves into songs about burnout, lack of sleep then nihilism and finally ends on a song about wanting to move on. I hope people will see the constant fight I have with self confidence and identity, and maybe they’ll relate in some way.
Does putting this album out with a launch show behind it make it feel like a bigger moment for you than a normal release would?
Yes, making it an event certainly helps with creating a buzz about what you’re doing.
Your live sets have a real handmade feel to them, with everything from banjo and harmonica to a foot stomper and kazoo. How important is that raw side of it to what you do?
I’ve always liked doing things myself and I have a bad habit of never asking people for favours or help with things so the DIY rough around the edges style will always be an inevitable part of what I do.
You’ve got Slow For a Poet joining you on the bill too — what do you think they add to the night?
He’s an amazing songwriter and I’m just glad he agreed to come all the way from Scotland to perform. His style is similar to mine so the energy he brings should match the theme of the night. I think we’ll be doing a couple songs together too which will be fun.
What do you think people misunderstand most about the kind of artist you are?
I play music professionally round the pubs (as James Berry) but people know me more for that than they do with my Berry Hagman original folk songs. I think people misunderstand how I’m trying to differentiate from the pub cover circuit. I’m hoping when people hear my album and start to listen to my original music they’ll begin to understand what I’m doing a lot more.
Looking ahead, what should people be keeping an eye out for from you over the rest of this year?
I’ve got quite a few exciting collaborations coming up this year, including Conor Michael and Failed To Ignite. An artist from the USA is currently in Nashville recording one of my songs for their debut album so I’ll be excited to share that with everybody too. There’s also a plethora of songs I’ll be releasing after the album too and a few more shows to play so it’s going to be a busy year!