Dolly Parton. Loretta Lynn. Shania Twain: Country music has only seen a handful of female icons dominate its stages. But a new group is climbing its way to the top of industry charts – and ya’ll, they won’t stop until they get there.
The New Orleans-based trio found overnight fame after their audition on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in July. The group – made up of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, and their cousin Trea Swindle – performed their original song “You Can Have Him Jolene.” A tongue-in-cheek nod to Dolly Parton’s 1974 hit “Jolene,” the performance earned them a standing ovation and a group golden buzzer from the show’s celebrity judges and host.
Chapel Hart’s audition went viral, catching widespread national attention and Twitter praise from industry icons Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.
What a fun new take on my song, @ChapelHartBand! Carl’s birthday is today so I think I’ll hang on to him, and I’m not notifying Jolene that today is
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) July 20, 2022
his birthday 😉 #AGT https://t.co/UFiT1AH84R
“No one prepares you for that viral moment that happens afterward,” Danica Hart recently told Know Your Value. “It has been an amazing whirlwind we weren’t prepared for.”
While Chapel Hart did not win the “AGT” finale, their charisma and boot-taping harmony has taken the country music scene by storm. They are set to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Saturday, only the second Black all-female trio to take the legendary stage since 1974.
“We’ve been trying to break into Nashville for the last couple of years, but it’s been kind of hard,” Danica Hart told the “AGT” judges earlier in the season. “Country music doesn’t always look like us.”
Turning rejection into motivation
For years, Nashville and the industry at large has marginalized female artists, especially women of color. The tomato-gate scandal of 2015 brought this gender imbalance to light when a radio consultant called female artists the “tomatoes of our salad” and encouraged directors to limit the number of songs performed by women on country airwaves. The incident was followed by a series of studies that revealed a 66 percent decline in the number of songs played by women on country radio between 2018 and 2020.
But this backdrop has only motivated the Chapel Hart trio to defy expectations. For years, the group traveled between New Orleans and Nashville, hoping to get their big break and repeatedly striking out. The group recounted the times they were told they weren’t the right fit for country music. “People see trios and they’re like we can’t do trios because they’re women,” Swindle told Know Your Value. She added that there was an assumption they would fight and eventually break up, simply because of their gender.
The group’s experience trying to break into the Nashville music scene inspired one of their hit songs “The Girls are Back in Town,” a gritty anthem of resilience where they denounce the genre’s gender imbalance.
“Every closed door, every kick down, we just kept going,” said Danica Hart. “Whether we’re bruised up, beaten up, or broken hearted … we’re going to keep coming back.” Chapel Hart said the fact that they are a trio has been a source of strength and support as they continue to break down walls in a space that has long kept women out.
“We got each other to hold each other up in tough times,” Danica Hart said. “We are able to lean on and count on each other.” Swindle agreed, adding, “That’s such an advantage to being a trio. I could only imagine going through all of this, especially this last month, as an individual.”
Before being discovered on “AGT,” the group was already making a name for itself. In 2021, Chapel Hart was inducted into CMT’s Next Women of Country – a campaign dedicated to spotlighting female talent in a male-dominated industry. Their album, “The Girls are Back in Town,” rose to the top of iTunes charts following their “AGT” debut.
Show up, be authentic
As the women of Chapel Hart continue to innovate, disrupt and create their own version of success, their mission is clear: to always be true to themselves. As three black women from the small town of Poplarville, Mississippi, they take pride in the unique stories that drive their original songwriting. From girl-power anthems and gospel-inspired tunes to odes on motherhood, their upbringing is the soul behind their music. The name ‘Chapel Hart’ itself is inspired from their hometown’s family church.
“I’ve learned that our experiences are really impactful to people from literally all around the world,” Swindle said. “Especially being three girls from Mississippi and having people from everywhere understand that … it makes you appreciative of the art you’re able to bring and share with people.”
In an industry whose gatekeepers have historically kept women sidelined, they face a balancing act between staying true to who they are and giving people what they want.
“It’s all about finding the balance, you may have an idea that you love but maybe there’s 10 people ahead of you,” said Danica Hart. “Figure out how you can innovatively connect your idea to their idea. Maybe it’s not your full idea at first, but you got to share and give and take a little bit.”
Authenticity is the approach Chapel Hart encourages all women to take in the workplace. “Bring you to the table,” Danica Hart said. “There’s something that’s super special and super unique about you that no one else has in the entire world. You have to just keep showing up.”
The group also emphasized that more women need to bet on themselves. “If it’s something you truly believe in, no matter what you’re being told, go for it,” Devynn Hart told Know Your Value. “There’s always that chance you will go in and get exactly what you’re looking for.”
How did they become so confident? The group credits their mindset to the country music pioneers who came before them – all of whom were told they didn’t fit the mold. “From Johnny Cash to Dolly Parton to Gretchen Wilson, at the time when they came out, they were told this isn’t country,” said Swindle. “They were not manufactured, [they were not] the norm … They were 1,000 percent themselves [and] it’s hard not to be inspired by them when you’re also not the norm.”
For the trailblazing group, their goals reach far beyond music. “We want to be able to encourage the upcoming generation,” said Danica Hart. “We want to be at that level of success in music, [but also] that level of success in literature and that level of success in arts and education,” she added. “We’re going to just keep bringing Chapel Hart.”
Marissa Avnaim