WATCH: Chapel Hart Tributes Loretta Lynn Through Cinematic ‘Welcome To Fist City’ Music Video
This song and video serves as a continuation of Lynn’s 1968 single.
Chapel Hart; Photo via YouTube
The members of Chapel Hart show off their acting skills in the new music video for their song, “Welcome To Fist City,” which serves as a modernized, unapologetic take on Loretta Lynn’s own “Fist City.” Both the video and the heart-pounding tune pay tribute to the late country legend.
The upbeat, fiddle-ridden track features each member of the Mississippi-born and Louisiana-raised group acting out an important role as they strive to best serve their beloved “Fist City.” Throughout the music video, these characters come to life as Danica portrays the Sheriff, Trea takes on the role of the judge, and Devynn plays the mayor.
The cinematic video directed by Tim Hardiman opens to reveal a framed portrait of Lynn before the camera pans over to show the trio, made up of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and first cousin Trea Swindle.
Then, viewers are taken inside a local dive bar where another red-headed character named Jolene is introduced. Jolene, played by independent singer/songwriter Tera Lynne Fister, makes her way over to a man at the bar and appears to hit on him once his wife walks away. However, Mayor Devynn shows up with her arms crossed, prepared to take Jolene down for her actions.
Suddenly a game of cat and mouse begins around the historic town of historic Clarksdale, MS, as Danica the Sheriff and Trea the judge join in and use their powers to try and put a stop to the unwelcome woman. In the end, each of the singer/songwriters are seen holding up the same black-and-white image of Lynn as the words “In loving memory of Miss Loretta Lynn” appear on the screen.
“Just when I think we can’t have more fun bringing a story to life, I’m proven wrong yet again,” Trea said in a press release. “Getting a chance to film this long-awaited video—and in the historic Clarksdale, MS no less—has been an experience I’ll never forget. I can only hope that it puts as many smiles on other people’s faces as much as it does mine every time I watch it!”
“This music video has you hanging on from the opening scene,” Danica added. “Our hope is that people will watch our videos and ‘feel’ something! It feels like we did it again, you will laugh, you will gasp, you will say oh wow! Ultimately we hope folks have as much fun watching as we do making them! We may be ready for the big screen after this one!”
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The boot-stomping tune brings the storyline to life as Chapel Hart continues to deliver the same grit and empowerment that the 1968 single held. This song was originally based on Lynn’s real-life experiences of hearing rumors that her husband wasn’t being faithful while she was away. Although it was a bit controversial at the time, “Fist City” became a hit single and taught listeners that she’s not one to mess with.
Fans also got an inside look at the filming process through a behind-the-scenes video that was captured and shared alongside the official release.
When asked about their experience, Devynn shared, “It was so much fun!! I think the part that I enjoyed the most was watching the storyline of both Fist City and Welcome to Fist City come to life. I feel that the video truly ties everything together and creates a perfect vivid picture. Tim Hardiman is a genius and it was such a pleasure to work with him.”
With this song and video, Chapel Hart took on the biggest role of all as they continued the narrative with their own take on the classic. Their decision to do this came from a direct request by Lynn before she passed in October of 2022.
The trio previously explained to Country Now that Lynn first reached out to them after hearing the song they wrote in response to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” Following Chapel Hart’s golden buzzer performance of “You Can Have Him Jolene,” the legend took to social media to say, “I love it, ladies. Now I’m wondering what you might be able to do with one of my songs!”
Although Lynn did not get the chance to hear the song before she passed, “Welcome To Fist City” will forever live on through the trio. The song is now featured on Chapel Hart’s recently released new album Glory Days.
This project marks the band’s third full-length collection following their debut album, Out the Mud, and their critically-acclaimed sophomore project, The Girls Are Back In Town.
Chapel Hart recently wrapped up their first-ever headlining tour, The Glory Days Tour, which kicked off its initial run in January and spanned coast to coast with over sixty shows. They will continue to bring their bright personalities and authentic music to the stage through performances at a variety of fests and festivals throughout the summer.
For a complete list of tour dates, click here.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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