MUSIC Chapel Hart

Takes Country Music By Storm

By Scott Brazda

They were three young women looking for a name. ‘What about Chapel Hart?’” recalled Danica Hart. “We all grew up in Hart’s Chapel, a Baptist church in Poplarville, Mississippi. It is who we are.

It is the place where we grew up.” Hart paused for a second. “It turned out to be perfect.” Danica, her sister Devynn and their cousin Trea Swindle began their musical careers in 2014 singing cover songs and working the festival circuit across Louisiana.

But being black and female in the South must have opened itself up to a obstacles and resentment, right? “Contrary to what some would believe,” corrected Trea. “We didn’t receive that much pushback. We’ve been so lucky that most people saw the honesty in our music.”

There was difficulty, however, in getting into the Nashville scene, but like everything else, Chapel Hart found an alternate route, put their boots to the ground, and hit the ballrooms and backyards of numerous small towns. “We knew we had to be willing to put in the effort,” added Devynn.

Chapel Hart released a pair of albums, and in early 2022 was asked to audition on the NBC television show “America’s

Got Talent,” where for only the second time in the show’s history, a free pass was given to the next round. “When we got the group Golden Buzzer, it felt like our hard work was validated and that the world was saying, ‘You’ve got something.’” That kept us going,” remembered Devynn.

The band’s popularity has exploded from there. They were showcased, along with artists, on the Country Music Channel’s show “CMT Next Women of Country: Celebrating Songs of Loretta Lynn. The single, “You Can Have Him Jolene” was named “International Song of the Year” in Scotland, and they were also nominated for the British Country Music Awards Group of the Year Award.

What’s next for Chapel Hart? A third album and back to work and seeing the ever-growing number of people who enjoy what they do. “It’s so weird to think it can get better or higher,” laughed Danica, “but that’s where we are. Our new fans are connecting with older ones, all in the name of love and country music.” R

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