Hailing from Poplarville, Mississippi, Danica Hart, Devynn Hart, and Trea Swindle are three family members who together make the country music group, Chapel Hart. What started with Swindle and Danica having a love for country music — and then bringing Devynn along — turned into a group that got their first big moment on “America’s Got Talent.” Chapel Hart shows that 1) there are Black country music lovers and 2) there is a true rise of the genre.
How would you explain country music to someone who has never listened?
Danica Hart: I think that what we’re finding is there’s a swarm of people now coming to country music. I love this because a lot of people go, “I didn’t grow up with the cows and horses” and stuff like that, but they listened to the songs. We’ve got a song called “If You Ain’t Wearing Boots.” Some people didn’t grow up in the country, but they relate to it because they remember their grandpa and grandma being like, “You need to slow down, you need to pull them pants up, you need to do this, you need to do that.” So it talks about our grandpa telling us stories. Everybody got that one uncle or grandpa who said “Well, back in my day …” That’s really what the song is about: finding the time to slow down to get back to the old and the simple times. To me, I think it doesn’t matter what genre you grew up in. That’s relatable across the board — and I think that’s the power of country music. It’s the storytelling. Sometimes you don’t have to be in the genre, but you can appreciate the music.
Where do you think the connection comes from with young Black people and country music?
Devynn Hart: Speaking from experience, growing up we never got to really see Black people in mainstream country. I feel like once you get to see it happening — and you see that it is possible and that it is a thing that can be done — I think it allows people that space to be like, “You know what, let me try. And if this is something that I really want to do, I’m gonna go for it.” Just having that representation — and now that people are noticing more Black people in country music, it gives you that “oomph.”
How do you all feel about artists like Beyoncé recently coming into the country music space?
Trea Swindle: Who are we to say who is allowed to share that experience to tell that kind of story? Beyoncé is from Texas; at the same time, there are mainstream country artists who are from Australia, so I don’t think that it fits within a specific realm. It wasn’t a big deal when Ray Charles — who everybody knew who he was and what he did, made an entire country album. [However], he honored the craft, and he did it in his way.
Danica: I think that it’s a two-sided coin. I think that you can jump in and give it a shot. Be my guest. But on the other side of that coin, country music fans get to say what is country music and what isn’t.
Devynn: I feel like a lot of people don’t realize that this isn’t Beyoncé’s first country song like. She put out “Daddy Lessons” with the Dixie Chicks years ago here, and she’s performed at the CMA Awards. I feel like people cross over genres all the time and people are free to do that — it’s music. I’m excited to see more crossovers and all the things to just see what people come up with.
