Country Music Band Chapel Hart Was an 'AGT' Fan Favorite — Did The Group Ever Get a Record Contract?
Published Feb. 6 2024, 1:45 p.m. ET
In the spin-off series America's Got Talent: Fantasy League, which premiered in January 2024, our favorite contestants throughout America's Got Talent history returned for another shot at victory. Of the familiar faces that returned was country music band Chapel Hart from Mississippi. Below we recap Chapel Hart's AGT journey and give you an update on their music.
Who is Chapel Hart? The country music group appeared on 'America's Got Talent' in 2022 and 2024.
The country music group Chapel Hart consists of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, and their cousin Trea Swindle. The ladies started singing together in 2014 and have written many original songs.
Danica, Devynn, and Trea made their AGT debut in 2022 during Season 17 with their original song “You Can Have Him, Jolene,” which they wrote as a sequel to Dolly Parton's “Jolene." The song caught the attention of the AGT judges, audiences, and even Dolly herself.
Ultimately, a strong contender in Season 17, Chapel Hart made it to the finals, where they performed their original song "American Pride." But unfortunately, they fell short of winning and came in fifth place.
In 2024, the ladies returned to the AGT stage in America's Got Talent: Fantasy League and performed "American Pride" once again.
Backed by judge and renowned critic Simon Cowell, who had picked them to be on his fantasy team, the trio appeared to be in a good position. But they were eliminated in the semifinals, where they performed another original song of theirs, “This Girl Likes Fords.”
Chapel Hart still doesn't have a record deal.
Despite releasing two independent albums and five singles, the music group Chapel Hart hasn't landed a record deal, which has understandably caused them frustration.
In November 2023, before their appearance on America's Got Talent: Fantasy League, the group posted a now-deleted video on Facebook expressing their disappointment at not yet experiencing their "big break." In the video via Saving Country Music, the ladies said that they wanted to stop playing public shows for profit and return to performing at schools, hospitals, and other community settings. They were done playing the industry's way and just wanted to connect with fans.
"We went to the CMAs the other night, and [were] in the room that only industry people have access to. Every single person knew who Chapel Hart was. Exciting news for us, but also sad news, because for us that means everyone knows who we are, and we still don’t have a record deal, we still don’t have a publishing deal, we still don’t have sponsorships, and we’re still out here busting our tails," Danica said in the video.
“We’re just so tired of trying to compete in an industry that is just making no effort,” Danica continued. “This is to serve notice that we are no longer competing in the industry … We’re so busy trying to keep up in an industry who isn’t even acknowledging us when we could be doing the things that really make our heart happy. We’re not here to play fame. We’re not here to get famous. We’re here to serve the people. We’re here to write the songs that makes you feel good from the inside out."
Clearly, Chapel Hart is dedicated to their craft, and it's a shame that the record industry never took a chance on them. Hopefully, that will change in the future. But for now, it seems Chapel Hart is reclaiming their musical journey on their own terms, and power to them for that.
