A Chat with Singer Lachuné Boyd

A transplant from the rural South, Lachuné Boyd is a skillful vocalist whose ambitious dreams brought her to Fort Worth to study music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). When I discovered her music online, her warm and compelling voice, ironically, gave me chills. Her unique sound weaves together gospel, jazz, and operatic influences that move one’s soul. Recently, I sat down with Lachuné to hear more of her story and how her love of music evolved. 

Here’s what she had to say: 

Has singing always been a part of your life? At what point did you realize music is what you wanted to do? 

Growing up, it was a part of my family life, and I sang in church; however, I never thought about it as something I would pursue as a career.  

Did you originally go to college with music in mind? 

No. I was initially a nursing student at a community school in South Carolina, and it was there I met a woman from SWBTS who taught a music appreciation course. It was the first time I saw how vast music was. I realized it was something what I loved and was meant to be a part of my vocation. I knew then that although nursing was very practical, I wanted to do more. I wanted to study music.  

What are your future music goals? 

Right now, there are a few things in the works. This year I have friends who are making albums where I will join them on stage and in the studio to record songs they have written. Additionally, this is my last year of school and getting that done will free up a lot more time. The main thing this year is… to travel to Nashville and South Carolina… where I will be able to work one-on-one with people musically. I am a vocalist first, but lately I have been writing more and would love to work with a group of people in sharpening my song writing skills. 

Where do you draw inspiration? 

One thing that has shaped me musically is having grown up in a traditional African American church. Its improvisational expression of worship is where I learned how to approach music. Storytelling is another. I also love listening to or watching any kind of art form where there is this narrative-driven thing happening. Jazz is a big one as well. Every now and then, l listen to theologians (I call them artist theologians), and listening to them process art or talk about their creative process give me a lot of inspiration as well.   

Anything new on the horizon? 

A lot of research and writing. There is a program at SWBTS called the Master of Theology, which is a one-year research focused degree. I would love to stay here an extra year to research as well as work on my writing.  One thing that has come to my attention when talking to other artists who are believers is their challenge of learning about their faith and doing their art… in how important it is to be mature in your faith or have a strong, theological foundation and how that lends itself when you write songs or do anything. I love singing and performing but also talking about how important it is for this generation to see the intersections between our art – what we do and what we believe. I believe it encourages creativity among artists.  

How has the pandemic affected you over the last year? 

Much of my focus has been with school, but it still changed a lot. I know a lot of artists whose life has been released by quarantine. Having social media has helped them focus more on that platform, and that has been a huge help. During the summer, I had a lot of free time which inspired my recent cover of “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon. The desire to record this song came from my whole pandemic experience and was a friendly nod to my go-to band from my high school days.  

Where can the public find your music? 

I keep people posted on my Facebook page for what I have coming up, and my music can also be found on Spotify. 

Finally, what’s one thing you’re loving these days? 

I had my first dim sum, which is traditional Cantonese breakfast and lunch. It was by far the best way to bring in the new year, and I keep thinking about going back! 

Gretta Hendricks is a multidisciplinary creative who has been a chocolatier, baker, birth-doula, performance artist, and freelance writer, although her favorite job to-date has been becoming a first-time mama to her beautiful rainbow baby, Ofelia, born in January of 2020. Gretta has enjoyed writing for as long as she can remember and is passionately interested in the ways she can both learn and share from the art of storytelling. Alongside her husband and daughter, she loves living in and exploring Fort Worth as well as pouring into her church and local community.