Who Is DEK of Hearts? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music
Who is DEK of Hearts? The trio joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the singer-songwriters here…
DEK of Hearts // Photo credit: Linden Stackley
Quick Facts:
Full Name – DEK of Hearts (Kollin Bailey, Emily Clapp, Dylan John)
Hometown – Marshfield, Missouri; Terre Haute, Indiana; Munroe Falls, Ohio
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical influences – Rhonda Vincent, Lady A, Randy Travis, Miley Cyrus, JP Saxe, Lauren Watkins, Yebba
Latest Release – “Crazy Lady” (as of date of article: 07/13/2026)
The Beginning:
Today’s spotlight artist prove that sometimes the best things happen when three different paths come together. We got a chance to chat with the trio that makes up DEK of Hearts. Kollin Bailey, Emily Clapp, and Dylan John joined Country Swag to talk about their upbringings, how the band came to be, and of course, new music. Keep reading to find out more!
Before forming the trio, the threesome each found music in their own way. Growing up in Southern Missouri, Kollin was surrounded by traditional bluegrass and country music from an early age. “My grandma was in a bluegrass band and kind of created this love of music,” shared the artist.
For Emily, music started in church. Her parents traveled performing Christian music when she was young, introducing her to harmony-driven artists like Point of Grace, Avalon, and DC Talk, influences that would later help shape the trio’s sound.
Meanwhile, Dylan was growing up in Akron, Ohio, where he watched his dad sing in Christian quartet competitions before eventually joining worship bands himself. “Very early on, my mom and dad noticed that I just loved singing,” he shared.
Although their backgrounds looked different, music eventually brought all three of them to Nashville. Kollin moved during his junior year of college, Emily relocated during COVID with her now-husband after feeling called to Music City, and Dylan eventually made the move after attending Trevecca Nazarene University.
Looking back, the trio can’t help but laugh at how connected their stories really were. “I just think it’s so funny how the Lord put us around each other,” Dylan shared.
The Turning Point:
While the three musicians became friends in college, they never planned on starting a band together initially, but as faith and God would have it, things changed for the better.
Everything changed when Kollin asked Emily and Dylan to sing harmonies during his senior recital. Together, they performed Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You,” and the response immediately caught them by surprise. “I was blown away by people’s response to specifically that song,” Kollin recalled.
Even then, forming a band wasn’t an easy decision. “We’ve heard of friends making bands and then they aren’t friends by the end of it,” Kollin shared. Instead of rushing into anything, the three took their time. After traveling together on worship teams and realizing how naturally they worked together, they officially formed the trio, DEK of Hearts in April 2024.
From there, things moved quickly. Shortly after forming, they opened for Grammy Award-winning bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent before winning the Tennessee Songwriters Week Competition, earning the chance to perform at the Bluebird Cafe. Eventually, another unexpected opportunity happened.
“One night we were all hanging out at my apartment,” Emily shared. “Dylan found an ad on Instagram for The Voice.” The trio submitted a 30-second clip of themselves singing “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” without expecting much to come from it. “We kind of did it as a joke, honestly,” Emily admitted. DEK of Hearts received a callback almost immediately.
That one spontaneous decision eventually led the trio all the way to the Season 28 finale of The Voice, where they finished in third place under coach Niall Horan. “The whole experience was unbelievable,” Emily shared. “It was just full of memorable moments and learning experiences.”
Today:
Flash forward to today, and the trio is building on that momentum with new music and some of the biggest milestones of their career so far.
Most recently, the group released “Dear Ole Whiskey,” one of the first songs they ever wrote together. Co-written with Callie Twisselman, the song approaches alcoholism from a different perspective, writing directly to whiskey itself rather than placing blame on those struggling with addiction. “We didn’t want to talk about the addict or make anybody feel bad,” Kollin shared. “We just wanted to say a couple things to whiskey.”
The response has been one of the most meaningful parts of releasing the song. “When you can write a song that speaks to people in their most vulnerable moments, you know you’ve completed the job,” Kollin shared.
The trio also recently released “Crazy Lady,” an upbeat track that started almost as a joke before becoming one of their favorite songs to perform live. The song is another incredible track that showcases DEK of Hearts’ one-of-a-kind talent.
Looking ahead, fans can expect plenty more music. Fresh off making their Grand Ole Opry debut, the trio plans to release a new single every six to eight weeks while continuing to tour throughout the country. “We’re definitely releasing a ton of new music this year,” Emily shared. “We’re super excited about that.”
With new music, more touring, and plenty of momentum following their breakout run on The Voice, it’s safe to say this trio is just getting started.
Connect:
Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future DEK of Hearts releases.
To keep up with DEK of Hearts, follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.
DEK of Hearts’ music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.
