Daily Inspiration: Meet Chapel Hart

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chapel Hart. 

Hello Chapel Hart, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We started out as a duo of cousins (Danica + Trea) singing on Royal Street In New Orleans. After being told that “no one sings country music in the Big Easy” we compromised by performing a combination of all of our favorite kinds of music. We’d regularly pack venues singing songs ranging from country to blues, heavy metal and everything in between. Several years later we found our missing piece when Devynn, who is Danica’s little sister, joined the band. We then decided to go back to our roots and finally start singing the music that really resonated with us at the core. Naming the band after the community our family started, Hart’s Chapel, and showing how proud we were to be from a small town but following our dreams was a real turning point in our career. Luckily, we’ve been able to reach people from the Deep South all the way to Eastern Europe as they sing along to our tales about growing up in Mississippi and all the things that make southern way of life so beautiful. We owe every ounce of our success to hard work and the unending support of our die-hard fans, aptly named “The Congregation.” We were blessed with being inducted into CMT’s Next Women Of Country class of 2021 as well as International Group of the Year in Scotland. From being named cultural ambassadors in Austria to receiving the key to two cities, one of our proudest moments was when our Uncle Billy of ZZ Top said that we made some of the best music he’s heard in decades, now that’s one monumental stamp of approval!! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our road has been as smooth as a horny toad’s backside. Then, again the music industry is definitely not for the faint of heart. Especially when you’re three black women from Mississippi singing country music. When most people picture a country star, Chapel Hart is far from the first image to pop into your mind. We’ve walked into bars and it’s almost akin to a western when the bandits walk into the saloon; and not just the looks of surprise, confusion and sometimes downright contempt, but with the audible gasps that accompany them as every head turns to see exactly what we’re doing there. We really don’t mind it because it only takes the first few notes and the entire atmosphere changes. Usually, by the end of the night it’s hard to believe that everyone inside wasn’t lifelong friends and fans. The internet is even worse at times. Some people take one look at us and say “that ain’t country” without hearing a single song. We kindly invite them to check out some of our music, and almost every instance is followed by an apology and more often than not a new, loyal fan. Most times, some of our online naysayers are converted into the most devout Chapel Hart Congregation members, ready to defend our music anyone else who might have made the same mistake they did initially. We love that we get to be a part of eliminating prejudices and showing that we’re all a lot more alike than we are different. Of course, there are plenty more obstacles that we’ve had to encounter on our journey, but just as with all the rest, we take them as teachable moments and just try to turn every negative into another opportunity to spread love. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We’re Chapel Hart and we specialize in connecting with people! Through good ole country music, 

We are performers at heart! We love playing music around the world and one of our favorite parts of that is all the amazing people we meet! We meet some people who have never heard country music & some who, country is all they’ve known. Somehow, by the end of the day, they have not only become fans of us but they’ve become friends with each other and somehow in doing this every night we realized our mission is spreading LOVE! 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Through this journey we have learned so much. I think one of the most profound yet simple lessons that we’ve learned is to never give up. We have probably been told “no” more times than any person could ever imagine. Although it does get discouraging at times, we know that it’s all a part of our story and journey. Anytime that we are told no, we don’t allow it to stop us. We accept it and we keep working and doing what we need to do to eventually get that “YES”. 

Contact Info:

• Email: Info@chapelhart.com
• Website: www.chapelhart.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chapelhartband?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chapelhartband
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/chapelhartband?s=21
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/ChapelHart

Image Credits
Rudy Melancon Photography