Zoe Speaks

Zoe Speaks

Zoe Speaks consists of Kentuckians Mitch Barrett and Carla Gover, their daughter, fiddler/bassist/vocalist Zoey Barrett, and her multi-instrumentalist husband Arlo Barnette, who draw on their deep roots in the region to put their own spin on everything from traditional ballads to finely-crafted originals. Close family harmonies are a defining feature of their sound, and while their music is drenched in the flavor of the mountain music they grew up with, they skirt the cutting edge of tradition. Their music follows in the tracks of socially conscious Kentucky writers like Jean Ritchie and John Prine, with a distinctly progressive bent. A veritable songwriting powerhouse, their song contest wins include the Telluride Troubador Contest, Merlefest's Chris Austin Contest, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, and Kerrville New Folk, among others. A staple on the Kentucky music scene for over a decade with three successful CDs under their belt, they are newly back together with a brand-new album called Wings. They accompany themselves on guitar, claw hammer banjo, upright bass, and sometimes dulcimer and clogging feet.

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