Zoe Speaks

Zoe Speaks consists of Kentuckians Mitch Barrett and Carla Gover, joined by their daughter, fiddler/vocalist/bassist Zoey Barrett, and her multi-instrumentalist husband, Arlo Barnette. After life events sidelined the band for a stretch, they've returned with a renewed dedication to touring. The band draws on its deep roots in the region to put its 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 songwriting follows in the tracks of socially conscious writers like Jean Ritchie and John Prine, with a distinctly progressive bent — and a commitment to telling the true, complicated story of Appalachia rather than the flattened version too often peddled by mainstream media.

A veritable songwriting powerhouse, their contest wins include the Telluride Troubadour Contest, Merlefest's Chris Austin Contest, the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, and Kerrville New Folk, among others.

A staple on the Kentucky music scene for thirty years with four successful albums under their belt, their catalog includes the most recent Wings, which debuted at #1 on the Folk DJ chart. They accompany themselves on guitar, clawhammer banjo, upright bass, and sometimes dulcimer and clogging feet.