With roots in Mississippi, sisters Danica and Devynn Hart along with their cousin Trea Swindle make up the band Chapel Hart. In 2021, Chapel Hart was inducted as part of CMT's Next Women of Country honors. They're performing tonight at Levitt Pavilion Dayton. WYSO Music Director Juliet Fromholt spoke with the members of Chapel Hart earlier this week.
For Chapel Hart, music was always a family affair, Trea Swindle told Juliet: "I feel like we grew up in a musical. We come from a huge family—our grandma had 17 kids, there are 108 of us [grandkids]. And literally anytime the family gets together for any extended amount of time, be it a birthday, a graduation, a wedding or divorce party, after a while, people are going to start singing."
This family foundation laid the groundwork for the trio’s music career, though success wasn't always certain. "We could have never ever imagined that we'd be able to do this for a living, on this scale, at this magnitude,” Danica Hart said. “My mom used to ask me when I was growing up, 'Okay, now that you're getting older, what do you really want to do, if you didn't have to worry about bills, if you didn't have to worry about anything?' I would say, 'I would sing.' And she said, 'But what's a real job?' So this career was kind of far off in some fairytale land."
The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for Chapel Hart, but also opportunities. Trea explained, "We started doing online shows and our fans were there for us every step of the way. Then we started playing hopscotch, going back and forth to different places depending on who's open, who's closed, who's shut down, who's at 20% capacity. We'd load up the van and drive all the way out to Indiana. And, lo and behold, people would come."
Chapel Hart's perseverance paid off in 2022 when they competed on the 17th season of America's Got Talent. Their audition performance of "You Can Have Him Jolene," an original song inspired by Dolly Parton's classic, earned them a rare group Golden Buzzer from all four judges, catapulting them to national fame.
Chapel Hart's authenticity resonates with fans. "We don't really have a filter with each other and it's kind of like, what you see is what you get. And, we found out along the way that that was what the fans were wanting," Danica said. This genuine approach extends to their social media presence, including their "We Win Wednesday" series, where fans share personal victories.
Describing their live shows, Danica promised, "You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll probably dance a little bit. It's an emotional rollercoaster in the best way, and it always ends up feeling like you're in the living room with your best friends, and they just so happen to be able to sing."
Chapel Hart performs tonight at Levitt Pavilion at 7 p.m. The show is free and open to the public. Fans can also look forward to the band's forthcoming Christmas album, with listening parties planned for July.
For more information, follow Chapel Hart Band on social media or visit their website, chapelhart.com.
