#366 - Chapel Hart on Going from Playing on the Streets of New Orleans to Getting the Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent + Holding Back the Tears After Receiving Multiple Standing Ovations at Opry Debut

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Speaker 1: M hm. Talk about energy. This entire next podcast is energy. A Chapel Hearts. There they were, here's a lot of fun. I don't want to spend too much time hanging out talking about him because I just want you to hear what had happened here. And so you know, three ladies, they're based in New Orleans. You know they were singing on on the sidewalk and they got a real cool story about how they got from there to hear. You know, when you talk about them doing America's got talent, we we get into it. And so it's one of these world I don't have a lot to say right now because I just want you to hear the interview, which, by the way, if you want to go see Chapel Heart, go to Chapel Heart dot com. I'll say that at the beginning and at the end Chapel Heart dot com. So here we go at Chapel Heart. Band is the name of their Instagram and their TikTok. This episode three sixty six, we have Tree, Danika and Devon. Here they are Chapel Heart. Let me tell you the first. By the way, I just had some posta myself at my house. I was rushing from one studio to the other. And I had some leftover from last night that my wife had made some and it was cold, and I think I ate the wrong leftovers. I think that from a month ago that was pasta and I didn't I ate, not the ones from last night. So you're talking about bad pasta. I think I might have a crying but not crying myself to sleep. I can probably guarantee that it was still better than the pasta. It was terrible. I mean, some people like butter noodles, not me, but so okay. And we're not gonna say the name of the place. If you did say it, we'll bleep it. But you go, you just talk with me for a second. You go, you're looking forward to this pasta. I assume yes, because well, you're going for the pasta specifically, or did you see it and go I gotta eat that pasta. No, I was going for pasta because I'm like, I really don't really I don't want pizza. I don't want a pasta head pasta head. So I was like, you know what, I'm gonna get some chicken off freda. Why do you have an expectation about this place? Though? Well, the reviews. I expectations for everywhere I'd go when it comes to food. I don't think this is supposed to be just like ful failure because I have zero expectations. So if it's not bad, I'm like, Okay, won't do it again. Well true, but said that her food was good and the reviews were good. So I'm like, okay, so did you get sick or is it just not good? It was disgusting. Ultimately, you're harsh man, ultimately righteous. Okay, Gordon Ramsay ain't got nothing on deav The first time I saw you guys, and I think it's what led to me playing you guys on our national weekend show was I was one of my friends was boxing at a charity event. Oh yeah, it was a couple of years ago on the road. That's what it is. So she was boxing, and I tried not I'm not a big I don't like people that much generally. It's not even like people, it's just I don't like. This is pre COVID too, I think. And I don't like germs anyway, and yeah, people spitting on me, and so I just was not gonna go out of home lot. But I said I'm gonna go and I go her names on. Yeah, she works at Serious Now. She's one of my dear friends. I love her. And so she was fighting that night and I go out and hanging out and they say, hey, just sing the national anthem chap part and you guys come out and you crushed it really, because I don't know. I think like by the time we were like we got set up and everything, it sounded kind of like I feel like when we finished, we were like, all right, I gotta go. Well, then on a three year delay, I will tell you that it was so good and I was like, dang, I should find out more about them. That I went to Mike and I said, hey, well you can you find some stuff that they've done, like live. I want to make sure that because sometimes, honestly, and this isn't you guys, we understand when you go you find stuff if someone's been recorded in a studio, and Mike and I'll go, well, they did sound good until we found them singing live at the places, and then it wasn't so good. You hear them live and you realize the blessing was in the studio. Yeah, I call that the blessing and the board. It was the board, and I was so I was like, that's they're really good. And so we started playing you guys on the National Weekend Show and that We've just kind of been keeping up with you the whole time. We've tried a couple of times to kind of line something up. But then you guys went off and you know, went on a G T H. And I was supposed to be there one of the weeks because I have a show on USA Network and I was gonna go on promo it during when you guys saying the Dolly. I was supposed to be there as part of the panel that night, and I wasn't because maybe somebody got sick and so here in Nashville and they were like, you might have COVID, so don't come. But I remember not being able to go and going man out of totally cheated for them, even before you guys went, I remember going out, were totally cheated for them, And so I'm glad I didn't. And you don't have you don't have anybody going. You only got on. You only crushed because Boby Cheeta for you. But all that to say before we like get into like the stories like, really, you guys are awesome. Yeah, just your energy. Your energy is awesome. And this is our weird still zombies right now. So if you like zombies, wake up Zombie Bobby. I was in Vegas all weekend working and then we do the morning show. It's like, wake up at three in the morning and then I live Zombie and you got a running Like all the real heroes, I would have to stay up for three, so it'd be fun for me. I'm sung enough. I'm not on early morning radio. Interviews with Danika are always interesting. Interesting. Oh Lord Jesus Christ, we're about to find out the gift. Well let's start off. So Dannaka is my sister and so like growing up, Danaca was the worst person to wake up, like she's not a morning person. Well this morning she woke up kind of on like a level five out of how many she wasn't like a level five, and then she was like, you know what, I'm gonna get me a triple shot that one radio interview. So I was just feeling real low energy. So I was like, let me just and I don't really even drink energy drinks anyway, so I probably should drive maybe regular shot. So I'm w a straight triple shot. I was laughing so hard and like and at some point I was just like going. I was like, y'all, hear that. My heart's beating you hear me? And like I was like, oh, that's so Finally, by the time I crashed, I was like, oh that's energy drinks were when it was it was a radio station here, and so we were super excited to go, and uh yeah no. Nevertheless, we hadn't been back. So I feel like maybe I'm pretty sure they thought that she was hopped up on crack cocaine. They I'm sure they thought. And I was just like, oh, yeah, you gotta know your limitation. It was interesting. You don't have a chance to know your limitation. You just went hard the first time. She is on a two shot maximum at this point. It's so funny. I said Starbucks, and I'm like, I'm taking extra shot up this person. Everybody's like, let's let's go back to the beginning for you guys, because obviously you guys are sisters and you are their favorite cousins. First. No, first of all, there's a hundred and eight first cousins, and I please please believe me. They wouldn't be on the road with any of the other One will say that I got about taken things cousins by who like a mom and dad. I guess this was my question, like my mom, my brother, sister, Yes, okay, and so it's a crazy story, so okay, so her so her dad, No, don't people listening can't see you, So go ahead. So this is Devin, my dad, and Danica's biological mom. Your dad, her mom got our siblings and Trees mom. My dad adopted Danica when she was like two and so, so imagine me as a fifth grader trying to explain that my dad and my mom were brothers and sister and they're like, oh, and so you have to explain all and then I'll compare my because I have I'm from Arkansas, so I have a similar story. So okay, hold on. So you're your dad, yes, going up, and your mom birth mom birth mom, okay, are brother and sister along with Trees and my birth mom. They're seventeen three siblings. Okay, so you would have all been cousins technically, but got it, Except I'm really sensitive and I don't like when Danna could calls me her cousin, and she was little like she pissed me off and like, well, you know, we're cousins, and she would just ball and I was like, I'm evil, I'm so evil. So her dad, her biological dad, adopted me when I was too so um, but so technically I'm birth mom and her birth dad. So their sister cousins was in the weird Mississippi way. Okay, let me give you the weird Arkansas Arkansas, Arkansas. Can you taught Mississippi? I don't know about top, but we can be in the same conversation. Here we go, my mom and my biological father. I don't call my dad and I never really knew him. My mom and my biological father. Let me back up, it's even confused. My mom and her sister married my biological dad and his brothers. You have brothers and sisters. But what happens is my cousins are double cousins. The tree don't branch, it's like a stick. Yeah and so yeah, no, no, no same here. We had a we had like our grandfather's father sisters. Well he married his sister, but he had children with all of her sisters. No, he some of her sisters he married the lady and then procreated with her or sisters as well. So it's yes, But but then grandma sister married one of Grandpa's brothers, and so that's how we have double cousins like you as well. Okay, so let's go out, let's go way way way back. When did you did the sisters start singing together before the cousin came in? Who was first? We well, this is tree and it started out as dannekin I'd like it. Well, Dan Becau says, we were the black sheep of the family. I'd like to say we were more like the rainbow fish in the school because we were a little different. But like you know, we were you know, be walking up and down like back roads like you know Blair Analysystem of it down or singing some George Jones or whatever, because like just whatever kind of went. And we started out in New Orleans and like singing on the street. Um, I don't know, twenty two four. So it's to your adults. Yeah, we were. We were very much. And so you two just start singing together. Are you making any money on the streets? Actually, I feel kind of dumb that we didn't do it. Sooner because I'd heard I heard people talking about busking. It's like, oh, you know, it's kind of hard. You know, it's a struggle. And we would sing for a couple of hours and the police would have to come and like move people out of the road from blocking the street. And it was like really really good. But it's and I felt like it was. It was amazing because we didn't know that we were good like we did, so we just assumed like this is what everybody did. But like we were bringing home like boxes of money like from people. And so then like once we started playing club like like three or two years, like I was like, we're just staying on the street. So did you have like a stick like and said you obviously you're singing songs, but did you have like a little when a bunch of people got around? Was well, I know, I think we just have that maybe just that bubbly personality or something, because like we'd meet people and like it didn't matter if you were a businessman, a bomb, housewife, or a hooker, like every actually for those be the same person and some of our fans are there, but um, well, I don't know. I think it's maybe because we grew up in such a large family and used to such a variety of different types of personalities, backgrounds and people like it kind of just translated into adulthood. Did you have out the jobs, um or did you not need them because you're singing? Yeah? I whenever when we started singing, we just sing but didn't run the gamut. Honey a second, she started naming all the jobs she had. But like, while we were doing music, it was just it was just music. We get up every day and go down and find our spot on Royal Street and just kind of found that had Like we had an old Yamaha piano that ran on batteries and it was just ding birth. So did you have a truck? You put it in in the back of the car. Well, let me just kill you, Okay, So my gosh, did you have pardon my ignorance here on this part, but did you have your own spot or did you have to get there early? And it's like Black Friday's free for all, honey. But it's so crazy though, like like I guess, you know, I guess hearing all the things we would have, like people that would be like, are y'all coming out tomorrow? And if you're coming out, what Tom, and we'll hold the spot for you, like business owners in the area because they knew like they were getting good music if we were in there just lining up early, like you're getting TV at Walmart. It was people started to like you enough where like, we'll hold this for you if you want, because trust me, some of those business owners on Royal Street, they will call the cops on you are, like, shut up, y'all been playing too long. And if you're really good and people are all around, they're probably good for business, or depending what kind of business, maybe they don't people block in the door. Yeah, you know, yeah, if you know, it's not a place where they need a lot of foot traffic. You know. But did you guys ever think and and Devin would get to go in a second. But did you do you too, ever think you could do this outside of just singing on the street. Did you ever have dreams then it was it a reality that you could even try? Um? I feel like coming from Trey lived in New Orleans a couple of years before I got there, before I was there, and so I came straight from Poplarville from Paplaville, Mississippi, to New Orleans and so at the time, I didn't even know that like singing was a career, like you know, And so I was like, you know, if and I lost my job working at the hospital and Papa Ville, like, if you can get a job at the hospital, that's the pinnacle. And so I was blessed. I was. It was called the IOP so Intensive outpatient Therapy, so it's like therapy for older people and they come and they have group therapy and so um. I was not very good at it. So I made a music department. So when people would come in, I'd sing songs coming in. They were like, this is where she thrives. She was also an interesting employee. Yeah, she's that person that you can be like trying to fire her and she'll just I'm pretty a couple of places. So you two are singing, you're making a good enough living to just sing. It's a lot of work because you gotta be out there. You don't get there are no days off, but if you do take days off, you don't get paid. Right, it's not mad a lot of those jobs to where people like just take off, okay, cool, but I gotta pay the bills. There you go, let you take off, you don't get paid. How long are you singing together in New Orleans on the street? Um, so, I think we might have been singing on the street for about two years or a year and a half, maybe like a I feel like it happened kind of fast, maybe like a half a year, a year and a half. I think we were because I think we were only busking for like six months. It was definitely longer than Yeah, it was. I do remember the transition, though very distinctly. We were getting the costed by I'm not going to say who. There was a business owner. He was like just you know, just the neighborhood cremudgeon and he was like, all you guys always come out here. And then there's too many people blocking my door. And then it was almost like out of a dream. This guy named Tony Saville, who he is like a New Orleans staple. He like floated up. He said, this lowrider bike. It was all black he wear. He was wearing a three piece and like he just I don't even know how the bike was sturdy because he just like floated up. He was like, you guys don't have to take this, come play at my club and were like, okay, it wasn't quite a break because the club was also in transition. Just bought the club that was formerly known as the Harem and it was a strip club and then there was still a pole. Were like we had to like transition like put the bands section us in where like the pole divided us club. Well, the strippers didn't know that it was not they didn't know that they had new management. Said they would come in and like look around, kind of confused and like there were cold doing music up and then like the strippers come in and like they kind of still ran their own operations. So it was like a COVID Like we were like business partners. So it's like that who they were were of the underground music. When you were playing a club, do you have instruments? No? Now do you have a real guitar? Piano? Danica played guitar, and we like had and we had never had And the stage was tinier than this table, I feel like, and we also had an upright bass and drums. It was a lot on the tiny stage with a pole in the middle. Anybody watching, oh tons, So and I felt like that was my biggest worry. I was like Okay, so we got the street thing figured out, but if we go inside, does it relate? And so our first game we were like a couple of songs in there was a few people, but like by the end, like the little space just really filled up and I was like, okay, okay, and so um so yeah it worked. But that moment, we all we were in the middle of a show and all of a sudden, I go and like the music stops and it's dead quiet. Everybody's looking. I said, the strip of bulls. That's what I knew. We made it. So are you the younger sister? Yeah? So is that why you weren't there originally? Because you were, like, I'm still in high school. So what is your sister saying to you while she's gone. I'm assuming you guys are still talking regularly. But when you would talk, what does she say about her life? Now? I mean, it was just music. Everything was music, and I'm like, well, whatever music you'll put out, I'm putting all my friends on. It's like me and my friends and be riding around listening to their music and stuff like that. So I was a fan. What was your name? Oh gosh, we were We were hyper Fly was our cover band, hyper Fly, but it was hyper Fly one word with a pH and two wives. Yeah, me having to figure that out. It's like the early thing with your dad and mom. So I'm just gonna makes more sense unless you think about it, because it came from like we were playing in the kitchen one night, Google word generator because we're like, oh crap, we're gonna be playing indoors. We might need a name, and so like clicked a couple of times, hyper popped up, played a couple of songs, clicked a couple of takes, and payingcakes. So hyper Fly for how long? A while? It was a long time. Were you listening to hyper Fly when you were Yeah, and you were a fan or a family member that was supportive. No, I was a fan and a member that was supportive. Did you let them know that you one love their music and to eventually you wanted to be a part of it? Oh, listen. I didn't plan to be the band. I never Music was never what I envisioned for my life. In my mind. I was going to be an athletic trainer. Yeah, and then I thought I was gonna be a dental assistant. Turns out genetics run. Oh no, let me tell you about her music career. So one Sunday, so our dad's a pastor, and um, there was a pastor in a little to a little city and outside of Pickie in Mississippi. And so these poor children, Miss Marie, who was the choir director, said, Devin, are you gonna sing this song? DEVI was like, oh, yeah, yes, ma'am. And so she was like are you sure. She said yes, ma'am. So for four weeks these kids ran over this song with deaf singing lee. They got to Sunday morning, the piano player, blaying deaf, took off run and she started crying. She went to the bathroom and wept. She wept. I said, shame on you. Those were out there to find for themselves that Sundays the song. So that was Dev's musical experience and it was never in your mind. I want to be a music star obviously. Okay. So at this point, right, so I too lost my job. And so one day I just called Danika and I was just kind of binning weeping. Tell her what she said, damn, Like it was just it was yeah, She ugly cried. She was like, and um, she was just like you know, I don't know what I'm gonna do. But and so but at that time, we we we we started. We added in a third harmony and our friend of ours and she was from Australia. And then she decided she was going back home, and so we just lost the third singer. And I said, why don't you come sing with us. It'll keep a little money in your pocket. You know, if you don't like it, you can go and do something else. And um, Bobby, So we got her there. We rehearsed first two shows terrible. Could you sing? In your mind? Could you sing? You still said? Yes? She needed money. Yes, I had just got a freaking new car and no job. I'm like, what am I gonna do? But I did like Danika. Our dad would always make Danica sing whenever he would go to churches, so she would. After a while she was like you and kJ which is our little brother, and she was like, y'all are gonna sing harmonies where they all want to. I'm gonna stay at this house, you're gonna work. So so I didn't mind singing with her. So I knew I could at least do that, But I didn't know being on the stage. What's gonna even then? With them? Even? Who do you move to New Orleans? Where do you just go thinking you're for a bit? I ended up moving to New Orleans and I was living with Danaka And how was that? Oh? It was interesting? Were you now like every day you were singing and you didn't expect that to be your life pretty much because you guys were it was already your life. Yeah. How do you feel about her? Did you feel like she had potential because she obviously didn't want to be on the stage. Um, I felt like I felt like, uh, I knew because like she and my brother like dev had have been like maybe how old, like eight something like that. So like our little brothers like four, and like I have like I have them at like three in the morning, Like my dad got this old piano from somebody. It's not even in tune, so like I have them like come on, you could do it, and definitely I can't think that how I'm like, oh, yes you can. And my little brother is like I can't sing that low, and I'm like oh yeah. So we got like three part harmonies going like two in the morning. The kids want to sleep, so like I knew she had an inner, and I knew like she could at least get the job done that we needed, you know what kind of what we were expecting. And um, you know, it didn't really work out because the first two gigs she just lip sank. She just was like so nervous. I was like just standing right behind a little bit behind us. And and then it was like it was such a huge dynamic because like Tree would be like swinging from the rafters at the bar, and I have like full praise and worship moments, so like everybody in the crowds crying, and poor Davis just like sitting in the middle answers. Well, let me ask this question then, and this is just kind of an in question I'm gonna put now, but do you enjoy singing now? Yes? Okay, just making sure I didn't want to get she quits. I do enjoy it now. And I just always tell people is like I feel like we can try to plan stuff out for our life, but when God has something completely different plan for your life, there's no stopping at Do you guys still live in New Orleans? Yes, like full time. Well that's where the mail goes. We live full time on the interstate. Go absolutely understand that you live between the Yellow ones. You pay tax to the the New Orleans for the most part. Yeah, So are you here a lot in Nashville? I guess yeah. I just assumed you guys lived here with us all you got the event. I've seen you around a little bit. We're like usually we're typically we're like here, like like here twice a month, maybe two weeks out of the month in New Orleans, or if we're at home two weeks out of the month. So we're here very probably more than more home. I've played the tell me theater names wrong. I'll play the Boodoo Theater a few times. Is that a theater? I think so? Maybe not in New Orleans. Baton Rouge, I think that's Baton Rouge. Yeah, that's gotta be Baton Rouge. I've played in New Orleans. Where have I played in New Orleans? You know how it is? I'll never think of it right now, there you go. I don't even know what town. I mean. Sometimes because I'll do the radio show four or five days in a row and to be on the road, do you guys ever do that? We're like, Okay, where are we? Where are we working. Oh yeah, like literally the worst. I was like, what's up Tennessee, and the whole crowd, the whole crowd went like so totally solid, you've done that. It was like Kentucky, Oh they recovered, they recovered. They just yelled right up behind me. So that's when you say, I'm tired. Have you never been tired? Giving me? Great? So you're seeing when did you get comfortable? As then you can figure, yeah, you just be yourself and and and really just let it. It had to happen quickly. I think it was like a matter of months. She went from like I was in my first song within months, within that first year, first six months. Did you feel then like Okay, why I'm supposed to do this? Did that ever? Like that didn't? I didn't have that moment until I think you know what it was? Was it? What was it? That video that rec sent us oh about the album? About our album? That was the first album. I feel like I feel like it didn't have and this is just me, but I feel like it didn't really happen until until I May death perform Barracuda for Yeah, and she was like she called it. She was like Dan, I cannot do this. I was like, you will, you will do and why do you do your face like that you didn't like it? Because she's still makes me sing it every Yeah, it's so funny tho because the people watch this on America's Got Talent and they were like, like some of the comments like why did you why does she even need the other two they don't sing whatever. But I was like, obviously you don't come to the show because it's there's so much of like me and hey, you'll do it in the mid but every blue moon, like so Trie'll go and like throw a song and people like whoa, okay, she can see and then so and then like by the end of the said we do Baracut and people like what the hell? We don't even know and it just like like the switch comes on and she just like turns into this like hot I didn't know what like six like just like musical Vixen taken in because it won't happen again pretty much. I was looking back the first time that we played you Can Have Them Joe Lane on the National Show with September one. The first time that we played I Will Follow was April one and I'm I'm I'm just looking back at you know, when we was first introduced to you guys, and you know, and I was able to take your music and play it. But when did you guys start attempting Nashville because attempting country music is one thing. Attempting Nashville Nashville. Yes, and and honestly it sucks. We started about two or three years before I joined, so maybe we were like maybe just one year before she came, so I know, I felt like a million years now we were We've been in and out Nashville for about five or six years now, so like and that's what people are like, Oh they're new to town. We're like, we've been coming for many and you know we we I guess, like I guess, but it maybe more recently we started kind of trying to do like the Nashville like right with other people thing. And you guys being here this morning, you see, it's a lot. It's a it's a lot to did you guys write today? No? No, no, no, okay, you mean me with you three? A lot to take anybody, Yeah, if you're not ready, because most people meet and they're like, whatw are you doing? And We're like, what people like, what the hell going on? So it's a lot sometimes so like we were, so we're going like trying to navigate through like the Nashville writing with partners and you know, like the whole thing, and um, you know, I don't know we just had you written with anybody else before you came to Nashville. And what is your right? Is just you three right together or just one to what's that? All the things always say our our method is there is no method. Like sometimes we'll write together. Sometimes we'll write individually then come together. Sometimes we'll write individually and just it's like but nobody on the outside until yeah, and until we got to Nashville, and like when they were like you gotta write with people, you gotta write with people. Who were like, okay, well then we'll write with people, Like who y'all write that with? It's like, yeah, it's called right, I wrote it with them. So we didn't we didn't even know that, like you you write with people. We just thought you write your song? You get how has that been? Have you found some people that you really like, you completely vibe with and you're like, oh you get us. We've done a couple of songs with Jim Beavers, and it was like one of my best he is character. See he can deal with the Mississippi madness. He has madness himself. And it's honestly the movie we call him Jamal Jamal. His name is Jamal Jamal because I was trying to text him one day and I was like, I don't have his numbers, but I know I don't have in my own it says Jamal Javonte, So next call him Jamal Davonte say, sometime after this, So how was that? It's weird have to take feedback and creative lead from other people. Yea, it is for me sometimes that you guys, at first, it's like dating because like the first day and maybe we're not good daters because we come in at it in what's up to date? Three people at the same time and the same room there, and so like, you know, the first rite, it's kind of like you know, okay, well maybe you wouldn't maybe, And then by the second time we get together, we like, you know, ye were like write that down, that's what we're saying. That's money, dude, chapel heart the name, where's that come from? So like we said, we come from a gigantic family. My grandma had seventeen kids. There's a hundred and eight first cousins, and we're from Poplarville, Mississippi. But inside of Poplarville there's a smaller community called Derby, and inside of Derby there's an even smaller community called Heart's Chapel, and that's pretty much where all of our family lives. Our home church. And we just flip that son of a gun and here we are. You guys, ever seen in church, all three of you together, because obviously you're older and you talked about the church story, but they're much older than me. I'm gonna have I'm gonna have to email you the picture. Though. We had this children's choir and it only had about fifty cousins. It wasn't a lot of but I think dev was the youngest member. Like you were a baby, and I don't even think she. They might have just made a tiny road, that's what happen. And like when you were like one or two and you could walk, you were singing in the choir and it was just like all the cousins and um, but we were like they would like they would have a sing in like three part harmony as like crying and flat or I didn't know until college that like tone deaf and not knowing what harmony was was real. Like I thought, like I've called somebody deaf, was like calling somebody like a fat head or like you know at me. Obviously at that point, yeah, because everybody could sing. Everybody was brought up singing, right. I knew in the second grade. I was like, where's the harmony? Where the where the parts? She was like, we're not doing that. I'm like, you know what, I'm gonta just sing the parts? Okay. I gave will pure hell. I love miss Walt there alive. Yeah, keyboarding teacher. She had moved home from being the chorus teacher because I think our class was cross too so much. When did America's talent Americas it talent coming to the conversation because somebody has to bring it up or somebody has to approach you. When does that very first thought of hey, we should and by the way, not a hater, because I did American not on for four years. I think now everything is a vehicle two more eyeballs getting on you when the shower lose the show every time you get on a platform that has millions of people, that's win. That's absolutely win. So I asked that is in like, what was the first moment where somebody said, hey, maybe we should do this? That was that was not a thought for us. We were We're about as old school as it gets. We're like, get on the road, get in the van, take the instruments, play the shows, meet the folks, build the fan base. And so um, A girl named Lindsay Rush reached down and she was like, from where, who's like network show talent scout? Okay, so yeah, does she one of our talent scouts would be like specifically YouTube right, and she would go looking or TikTok and so she did. She find you guys online? Okay, got it. So she's looking for great acts online. She reached out to how email text first? Okay, you get an email, what's it say? Just remember the best? You can't want to say. Hi, I'm Lindsay Rush, and um, I've watched some of your videos and talent scout. I think that you should audition for America's Got Talent. You know they're the auditions are opening for this season. You know that. Um, I think I think She didn't mention that in the beginning. I think she just wanted to be like, reach out for more information. I'd love to talk to you. Did you think no way? We told her no way. Yeah. We were like thank you, but we got you. We're on tour. Thank you. The good ones always do. If I'm being so honest about it, anybody that we would ever go, hey, you should come on American Idol. If they're like, yeah, I would love to, we'd be like it's yeah, it's it means they also got nothing else going on, and so there was people like, hey, I can't I have this after this? Then you're like, okay, they got they must be pretty good live then because or they have some drive because they're already hustling for their own things and um and so like, but I have to give it to Lindsay. Lindsay was a pit bull with it because she would not like we were like no, thank you. She was like, it's Lindsay again. But what I really want. I really want you guys to But like she there was a message where she was just like listen, she said. So she was like I need you guys to do this because I listened to your music, and the world needs to hear this. Like I wake up and I put on you Can Have and I'm inspired. I put on I will follow, and I'm inspired. I listened to your album and I'm inspired. She was like, the world needs to hear this, like there is people who need to see you guys, and and and so. Um we were we were getting ready to um do a run with the Indigo girls, and um there that run got shut down because of COVID, and so we we had the time. So we were like, all right, lindsay, all right, lindsay rush with you. So um so anyway, so we ended up saying, okay, we'll go audition. Oh la. So we got to Pasadena. Yeah yeah, because yeah, yeah, absolutely right, because otherwise we're to worry about. So you fly out to Los Angeles. They put you a nice this hotel it was. It was a nice hotel. And to them, what do they tell you're gonna do? Do you just show up? Now? We didn't what we were going. We didn't know what to expect going into it. They were just like, come sit in this room and we'll call you when we're ready. And sitting in that room, we were thinking maybe ten fifteen minutes turn into other people around you. Yeah, tons of people, tons of others, everybody singing and dang or singing with birds, like you know American. I feel like American Idol would be like you're in the room and people are like they're like vocalizing all day. But America's got talent so different. We got people, got animals and birds flying walking around, so it's like people do a magic trade. So so now we're in this holding sale it was they called it holding. I was like, we're going back to jail, and so it was like being in there with all the things. So we had no idea. It was like what in the world. It was two days, So that's what I tell people. Like by the time we hit the stage, we were like, look, this is they're about to give with the kid because while we were tired, we were the same thing for two days in a row, three days in a row, and it was just like it was all the things, but also um we would like people would come back and they'd either be like Naine and get it or like I got four years, I got four years. I got four yeses. And so after hearing that all day, we were just thinking Okay, we just need four years. It's like it was like the Buzzer, Like the Buzzer wasn't even a concept so like, which was really weird because you know, we also didn't watch either. We had to go like crash. Course, I'd never before I dance on the start. I've never seen an episode, so I think, yeah, I kind of acted like I did a little bit to the producers, but I didn't fully lie. I just let him I'll be like, yeah, of course exactly. But our cram session didn't even help because we were like, Okay, we need to find out how this show works. And then we kind of like watched some of the other seasons and then realize that this season they did everything completely different. Lost So you go in the very first time was your first audition on camera in front of the judge. You didn't do a single audition in front of like some producers. And actually we were on the road and we submitted like grainy videos of us in the dark in the van. It was like, well, we can I guess technically that was our first audition. The videos also in a sense too, we were like we don't have we don't have eight days to be audition in l a like get us, get us to where you need to say, go, we'll do you know, we'll do it. But so your first time was walked out Palie, Sophia and Sam Raisy like it's baptism by firefire. So you walk out on stage first time singing there in that environment with cameras on you. What did you guys do with your audition audition song? That was the first That was the first time you guys sang when you when you got the golden buzzer. Yeah, and then and crazily enough, like we were kind of like going back and forth. We were we were deciding between nine to five by Dolly or you can have him Jolne our original song the nod to Dolly and last we were minute they were like, we'll get chop a heart up for rehearsal one more time. So like we were in the room and we did nine and five and it was great, and um, she was like just but there was still that I feel like an overall like that that feeling that she was like, let me hear you can have him Jolie one time, and she was like do it full outlas. So he did it and there was like a moment she was and like everybody was like, no, this is it? Like and I was like, also, like if we take a chance and we and we don't get it and we feel we did our song, we did our song, and you know you can tell you when somebody else says you kind of like, what if we would have done ourselves? Yeah? I like that that's the strategy you want with Yeah, not because it worked, but because the same thing, Right, if you're gonna fail, you want to fail doing it the way that you want to do it that way. You're not always going if I just would have done it my way, because especially early in my career happened to me all the time. I was like, I just would have done in my way. How did you feel before they gave you your you know, the golden buzzer? They all said it loved you. Did you feel like it was a good performance? Now I just gotta say, like the nerves, like I don't know, kind of kind of like walking out. I think we had an advantage because we did so many live shows and being able to have the live audience there. It definitely helped. But I think, just like Danica said, it was the end of a three day run of like just foolishness. If you asked me, we were just so tired, and like I was like, well, lord, I hope they liked it. Well, did you feel like you nailed it? No vocally, like for your standards and you're doing it not at all? Know and and and you know what I mean, it was like TV production, you know, and like we didn't we didn't have like not even that we're good with the ears, but we didn't have ears, and so they just kind of had the monitors that you couldn't hear. The judges kind of even talking to you were like we were like and so like it was just kind of like all the things and like you said, we hadn't even had a a singing moment before this. This was the first thing that blows my mind that because I didn't watch the show live, but I watched clips of it right and even I saw Dolly tweet. I mean, I saw all the stuff surrounding it, and I thought, oh, they must have done this a few times before they got to this point. I didn't realize that was that was sitting in a room for three days, walking out and just going here we are we're tired and but but I think it was exactly like True said. So I was saying like the first lines, and like as soon as I kind of did that, like I could hear people in the background whoa, And I was like, Okay, it's a chapel Hart show, let's go. And I think that like that's justins a couple of gonna be everywhere. Yeah, and and and but that was that was it. And like I think once we once we just kind of rolled off the energy that was in the room. There was so much energy there. It was so loud, and I realized how loud it was until we started watching the clips afterwards and then like they sent us like the editor's cut, I was like, oh my gosh. We were Yeah, like we cried on the show, and like after like watching and you could like now see the people standing on their feet and they were like we cried again, Like we were just cried in ten years. You know, it's last year you did that. I'm sure you felt the outpouring there, but then it's your adrenaline goes down. You go back up, but then you feel like a second wave you know online and folks going wow, wow, Wow, like in the second wave. It feels different because it's not instant and like a love punch, but it's like an awesome, big fat hug of people just for days. Did you guys like really feel that and feel the love from the country? Definitely, yes, I go. First of all, I guess like I don't know, man, I didn't I didn't know. I didn't know there's that mean people in the world, like you know. And then but I also I'm also like super like realistic and that like okay, once it hits YouTube, the miserable people who like to be miserable about everything are coming out. So we were like, I'm like trying to like brace for like the the hate and like the backlash that we might get. And we didn't get it. Like if somebody even like I don't think it was golden Buzzer are worthy, but great song, like you know, so even like the bad I guess would be the bad things weren't bad. Like literally like going through like five or six hundred comments like waiting for that one negative Nancy, I'm like, oh my god, somebody say, and like it's just real. It was kind of like Salmon like we were just like he would say nice things and we were like, but what no, just say it beat me and go ahead. But like the way that the world received us, we were I don't think we were ready for and you know, yeah, I'm curious about and I do want to get away from the show after a couple more questions here, But was it fun? Did it ever get fun in that show? Oh? It was fun the whole time. The whole time. Well, we were exhausted, we were dead Tian, But I think it's because the delirium had kicked in. We that's why we had fun. But I think a lot of people there were in like competition mode, and I realized at the show we're like aggressive friend, make we're not good companion. It was like eight o'clock in the morning. We don't want to be there. We know y'all don't want to be there, So we got good morning, how y'all do? And hey, they're like the chapel At one point did they start dressing you guys for the sick the second half, see, that's where it's really cool. Like wardrobe and I just want to and sent them through the ranger arrest. The wardrobes were like looks so good? Well, thank you, but I'm sure the Ward Drove department was like, get them out of here. We literally got separated, like we were kind of day. I want to take Chapel Heart all at once, like they'd be like full bands. All the people are in there getting dressed. They put the band again. The chapel a woman one one because I think we, like we've just been together so long, we kind of know what fits well, what looks well, what you know what I mean. That was there to do their job, yeah, very much so, but like it would be like stuff where it's like I don't need to try on fifteen pair of pants. I know which one is are gonna fit? Like you know, it's like, what are you trying to say? Well, like I wasn't. I didn't. I wasn't prepared for their method because it was very put it on, let me see the vault, let me feel it, let me I have to stop. But this lady said, okay, so I mean she was she was really stretching it out so and she was like I have I think I have a vision for what I want. But by time she even got to the word vision, Tree had tried on three outfits alread outfit. She just gave up the tree, dressed herself and so like they were just like, what is going on? But they love it. So it's like you have one extreme. And then I was on the She's like, which do you like aplicas and it they was like, I don't even. I was like, I literally just wear shorts and T shirts most of the time. So and then whenever they asked what we wear, that's literally what I sent. I sent the pictures. We sent the pictures and literally didn't like it wasn't anything on there. It looked like any of the pictures we sent, and like typically usually my side of the rex like this, but they're like, man, we found what we could and Devon try have like these long recks. They have had like four pieces of clothes and she was like, I was like, make it work. And then the pants she was like. I was like, ah, this were a little short because they were a little bit hot waters and not it I like pretty long pants. She was like, it's okay here, we're all like knocking six foot and I actually put that in and went a little wardrobe. No, we're all very very tallow. Everybody in our family is tall. My dad six four, just the opposite of like Hollywood, you show them it's like, oh my god, everybody's so short and the people like, whoa, we didn't think you'll be this. Who's the tallest your family? But who's the big uncle of the big dad? Oh my gosh. I think maybe because Darius shot up to still the tallest six seven. It's some big jokers. Yeah. I mean you girl all sitting down and I've only ever seen a boxing match, so I you were far away and and you were a cowboy hats you're like six fourth. There you go, right, So this part of your story, you you finished fifth or six fourth? Fi? Was that the last episode or the next to last or one? Where? So? What was it last episode? Now? The last episode was the day after the thing? Was that the show? Like that was the reveal show on any sort of If I've ever done a competition show, you get paid the longer you stay on, like every episode you get paid per episode? Did you did you guys get all your money or is that not how it worked? For money? For fifth place? You get an experience, Well what I'm saying it yeah different, it's different. Yeah, but I think we might be getting some money. I've never had a sing on a show. I've had to compete on different shows. But the longer you lasted, the more money they would have to pay you because of your working, did they That's not how that works. That it is. It is maybe how it works, but we ain't got it yet. It hasn't come yet. If they call him, I'm gonna and it ain't good, I'm gonna call him and she's gonna. You can try it. So you come off the show and okay, it's that, that's over. Are you going, Okay, we're here, we've arrived, or are you going we have a little spark? We got to run this thing into a fire and we got a hit ground running, which one exactly I think. I think the fire actually ignited before the show ended. Between like there are only three rounds. In between those rounds, we were picking up more shows and doing shows in between, and then as soon as it was over, we had like you able to work in the middle of this some of them. So yeah, we had a we had a we had a lot of obligations prior to the show and so um. But also, uh, America's got talent, I know for sure, Like that contract it's not as yeah, and are now as much because they don't nobody I'll do it right, nobody will do the show. So you finished the show and Mike, what is the date today? Okay, so you finished the show. Um, when does the opery reach out and go come play the opera that was in them? It was in the midst of it. I was after the first audition. It was that early. They were like, yeah, so we literally got the results on and then the seventeenth we played the operation because you played it less than two weeks ago. Am I right on this? Yes? But then that was the operation? That awesome. There's a picture that have to show you. And I was like, how most people watched the opera and it Deaventry and they're like, and I'm in the bag, Like, so, like, what do you remember from that from at night? Oh my gosh, I think that it's like it's just like being there and like everything. I felt like a hug, even if it was just a compliment, but also like it felt like I remember, it's kind of like watching it and watching our favorites and heroes and and and the legends play there and we were there and the ultimate like you are worthy moment, like it's like it's the it's the pinnacle of country music. We did um made for me American pride and you can have them job. Literally everybody from Mississippi was there. I said, I don't know if that was my favor. The operators ready for all this Mississippi that's about to happen. And then they started meeting up, like we had like groups of people from Louisiana, Mississippi, and they were like downtown and like, look who we found. I'm like, why are they first of all the congregation that's that's a little and little meet a whole lot. Like we have hard security and security like these we don't we we don't know what to do with that. She said she won't listen to me, and it was a little old lady about she was like Semnyn and she was like move out my way through and we have those bad security. I'm like, there's nothing that you can do with our fans. But they're hilarious. I love, they're amazing though, their true reflection of chapel Art. The first time that I played the opera, I just I couldn't see the faces because I was like, I can't believe this. It was just the right I just remember the lights and this sounds a little different. Up there. There's sometimes you're like, can people hear me? But it's got that few. But I couldn't see any faces because I was just like, I can't believe this is happening now. But I'm not anything like you guys are. You guys are way more skilled and talented than I am. And I'm up there doing comedy. And but when you go up there, do you have that like I came and see the faces that can just focusing nervous or are you so focused that you can see every little inch of the place. I saw the people in the top back back. We didn't know it when I was like, oh yea, My contexts were tripping that day, so I didn't really see anything like and like, we have a couple of um, very enthusiastic fans down from Morgan City and they'd made like fat hands of us. I'm telling you, Like people were like they were like walking down the like this is how the how do go you finish your third song? Yes? What happened? Oh my god? First of all, we walked out there and they're standing ovation like just started. We were like, oh my, and the goal is We're like whatever we do, we cannot cry because to us, we rude, like we ruined our finale performance because we cried from the moment. We didn't know they said afterwards. He was like, we always tell the contestants don't watch the video before you perform, and we watched it. I was like I saw like it's six year old Anka, like with the big smile, and I was like if she could be here now, and so like the music starts and I'm like crying and people were like, oh man, it wasn't a good vocal night. I'm like yep, because yeah, I said, the real talent on there was if you could cry and sing, we ain't have it. So so we were like our goal for the opry was do not cry during American Prize. Yeah, so we gotta get through this song and so like that was really like the focus of going out there. But like once we were out there and the oh they like we had like three or four standing ovations of the night. So after every song, like people were just given and we were like, yeah, so getting We're getting there. But it was like it was I don't know, there was a there was a I feel like After American was a super special moment because you know, the opry has a they've got um what's it? What's it like? A and I feel like an average fan range of folks who come to the opry, like there's all kinds of cons but but the age, right, But that's that was our That was like our primary demo for a while. It didn't change, but they were just as wild and rawity but like it was like from forty eight to seventy two. And when I say they partied, yeah, but also you know, and and I feel like people have their perception of people and what country music is and who country music audiences and especially classic country, and so just to kind of look out and every person in the building was standing on their feet. It was just your point. As they were older and maybe people wouldn't think that an older person would actually feel what you guys were doing and singing, and they did. And it was it was also that validation, like you know, for the songs that were writing and the message that we're trying to get across, the like we're not really all who are not that different? You know what I mean? Like every family got some folks has messed up in in it and no matter how rich you are, how poor you are, you know what I mean, like and so, and it's like if we could just get everybody to see that and like the things that you think that separators aren't really that. You know, you can have your opinion. You can be red or blue, or or republic or Democrat or whatever, and you can still get along. Like you don't have to believe like folks, but you can still get along. But I think social media kind of is. For most of my life, I didn't even I thought it was like offensive to ex somebody like their party was like political affiliation, think or whatever. But I don't. Yeah, I didn't think you were supposed to say it either. I thought that was like a law or something. I think Mama, like, shut up, Mama told me having the light on in the car was against the law. I just believe what she said. She could see at night. So when people ask me which wing I support, I say chicken wings. There you go. That's that's all you need to know. You're going back to the opry October eight. I'm seeing here that one's gonna be the first time is very special. The second time is better. Really it is because you're everything is is so pure, meaning you know what you're there to do. You're gonna you're not gonna be so emotional. You're gonna be enjoying it. It's just the first time. It's really special, but it's not gonna be your best performance, probably because you got emotions everywhere and you yeah, family, they're like, we're so proud of you. You know, before the show, after the show, pictures, operate, deb you got to sign out for all that. This time you show up, you do what you do, you do it, You nail a few songs and give you a standing oh, and you walk out and you're like, you're gonna like the second one a lot more because there are far fewer distractions. It's you in the opery. I'm ready for that because our family is a lot so I will still be there. I don't think you'll ever have an opera show where or not if it's as robust as you say. October eight, you guys are playing the Opery and then you guys can go to Chapel heart dot com to see all the shows you guys are doing. I see shows all the way until in December. So you guys, are you know plan shows you're do you ever plan to move to Nashville. I feel at some point one of my homes will be in Nashville. Love it. I don't think you have to have to live here. I love it, though I think I'm like we were truly we truly are three different personalities. But like you pull into Nashville and there's just like a there's a work vibe, like you know what I mean, Like I feel like you get in Nashville and you gotta be busy doing something, and so I love, Yeah, I love it, and like, you know, but I think that I think maybe, like like Ter says, she'll probably it'll be one of her homes and devil email us from Mississippi when new artists come in and like, you know, uh, Gabby Barrett, I worked with her American Idol and I I mean for a whole season and she was like, I'm just gonna live in Pittsburgh. And I was like, no, no, you have to move to Nashville. You're seventeen, eighteen years old, you don't have any experience writing, you haven't done you have to move to Nashville, like you guys have been killing it for so long. You understand touring, you understand songwriting, all the things that you have to learn. I think you guys could teach the course on quite frankly. And so I think there's a difference in having to move here, which some people need to absolutely and having a house here. Also, like you said, you know so well, listen, I'm rooting for You've been for you guys for a long time, right, Like, I just wanted to see when we started playing your stuff, and it was And I remember telling Mike, I saw at the boxing match, let's see if they're good. Yeah, and he said yeah, he said, yeah, they're good. He found enough clips to go, Yeah, they're good. They're good. So this is technically ten days after our anniversary. You remember the day September of what one when you first started playing I thought you at the boxing matches? Hand, that's crazy stuff? Yeah, yeah, do you need a job? Holy crap? So you guys today, are you shooting video or something? Today? We're playing at the City one or tonight Country. Oh, that's that's a good one. That's Bee that's a good little sounding venue. Too excited. I'm just like Diet because it's called a winery, and I would like them. I like the one. Yeah, don't drink a lot of it before you kind of wine, would you like coorse like, Yeah, I never had wines, so I don't know. But listen, you guys, just keep killing it. You're a great example to you started doing it, and you work hard, and you will pivot, meaning never in a million years. You guys think you're going to uh competition TV show, but you also and I said, it's about myself, so you're not too good for it because you understand that's a platform. Everything's a platform right now, So get up and show what you can do to three million or eighty people or and then just let the chips fall. I'm super proud to you guys. Thank you and everybody, uh you know Chapel heart dot com. And you guys have the new song with Darius, which is great coming out on September. I've heard you know, maybe I should have said, which is great. No, I haven't heard it. The rest of you be jealous and wait till the thirty. Darius is my guy. It was the first ever ready to radio interview I ever did at seventeen years old. That's so Darius and I have been close for a long long time. So that's like, that's what I do. And so that's you know what. Let's I don't know what the song sounds like, but I bet it's good. Yeah, there we go, there we go. Um, okay, that's it. We did an hour. It was an hour when I'd never do anything. I just said, hey, I sat back. An hour later, I leaned back up and go all right again, you guys go follow at Chapel Heart Band. You guys singing on TikTok Yeah, okay, good, keep keep doing it, keep doing it. You know that's more people, more on more platform. Don't never let anybody tell you that, oh you shouldn't be on this. If we are people there be there. We are trying to Terry Clark this year. I want to do it all. I agree, go for you can You're good okay at Chapel Hart Band, Chapel Heart dot com. And I will see you guys will soon, right Hey, So Donny