Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia
*Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
*Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area
Canada
* Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
–based
alternative country
Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...
rock band signed to
Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, which specializes in alternative country.
History
Bloodshot Records was founded in 1994 by Nan Warshaw, Rob Miller, and Eric Babcock, who knew each other from jobs ...
. Formed in 1993, the band consisted of Melissa Swingle (vocalist, guitarist), Robert Mitchener (bass guitar), Brad Goolsby (drummer), Bryon Settle (guitarist) and Scott Goolsby (guitarist). In the summer of 1997, after the release of their first album, Daryl White replaced Mitchener as bassist.
The band is known for a
southern gothic
Southern Gothic is an artistic subgenre of fiction, country music, film and television that are heavily influenced by Gothic elements and the American South. Common themes of Southern Gothic include storytelling of deeply flawed, disturbing or ...
sound, with lyrics reminiscent of the works of
Flannery O'Connor
Mary Flannery O'Connor (March 25, 1925August 3, 1964) was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries.
She was a Southern writer who often ...
. Their songs are described as "spooky", and often contained dark themes of death, sin and sex. The first album, ''
Trailer Bride
Trailer Bride was a Chapel Hill, North Carolina–based alternative country rock band signed to Bloodshot Records. Formed in 1993, the band consisted of Melissa Swingle (vocalist, guitarist), Robert Mitchener (bass guitar), Brad Goolsby (drum ...
'', features songs of local character that celebrate
High Seas
The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regiona ...
'', "Jesco" is a homage to
Jesco White
Jesco White, also known as the "Dancing Outlaw" (born July 30, 1956) is an American folk dancer and entertainer. He is best known as the subject of three American documentary films that detail his desire to follow in his famous father's footstep ...
, the
Appalachia
Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...
n "Dancing Outlaw". The band met White while playing a show with
Hasil Adkins
Hasil Adkins (April 29, 1937 – April 26, 2005) was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His genres include rock and roll, country, blues and more commonly rockabilly, and because of his unusual playing and singing style, ...
. White told Swingle, "I don't get out much on account of being famous", which was used as a line in the song.
Swingle started playing music when she was pregnant with her child, Isabel. She learned that fumes from her oil painting could affect the baby, so while looking for another creative outlet, she began to play guitar. Isabel's artwork is on the album ''
High Seas
The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regiona ...