Rhiannon Giddens, the founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and recent Eric Church collaborator, has joined the cast of CMT’s Nashville.

The 39-year-old Giddens does not have a significant acting resume, but she's set to play Hanna Lee "Hallie" Jordan, a social worker who is later discovered to have "the voice of an angel." CMT reports that her role will be reoccurring. It's not clear which existing plot line she'll be inserted into.

Many heard of Giddens for the first time when they noticed her name as the featured artist on Church's new single "Kill a Word." She is, in fact, a Grammy winning vocalist and successful solo artist. The Carolina Chocolate Drops are an old-time music band that have recorded seven projects, most recently Leaving Eden in 2012. Giddens remains the only active original member of the group.

On Twitter, Giddens gushed on one of her Nashville co-stars:

She's the first new character announced for Season 5, which begins Jan. 5. Leaving the show are actors Will Chase and Aubrey Peebles. One of the show's primary stars, Connie Britton, is reportedly not confirmed for every episode of Season 5. The rest of the cast is in tact.

When Season 5 begins, every episode will be available the next day on Hulu.

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