[1] Bob and Margaret, James and his sister Kate formed the Fagans, who have toured the Australian folk scene since the early 1980s.
Fagan is best known for his work with Kerr whom he married in 2007, and with whom he won BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 'Best Duo' in both 2003 and 2011.
[15] In 2010 Kerr and Fagan formed the Melrose Quartet with Sheffield duo Richard and Jess Arrowsmith.
[19] Fagan is well respected in his own right on the UK music scene – his other projects include being a member of The Cara Dillon Band, Melrose Quartet (with Nancy Kerr, Richard Arrowsmith and Jess Arrowsmith) and heavy metal English Ceilidh band The Glorystrokes.
Fagan also works in a duo called The James Brothers,[21] with Jamie McClennan, the New Zealand fiddle player and partner of Scottish folk singer Emily Smith.