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.
“A composite of what's best about Southern Music today!”
— Sing Out!
We are proud to feature the students from the Kentucky Center Governor's School for the Arts in our first music video, for the song "Wings of a Dove"! Please let us know what you think, and share it with your friends who might like our music! The video was produced by Oaxacan artist Edus Herdezoje.
We are thrilled to announce that Zoe Speaks was just selected by South Arts to participate in its Performing Arts Discovery Program, for which we'll be traveling to Florida this fall to perform for international presenters from venues in Australia, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Ireland and the UK, sharing some of the history, context, and culture that make our region’s music so rich. Onward and upward! Thanks to the Kentucky Arts Council for nominating us and to all of our friends for supporting us! We can't wait to represent Kentucky overseas!
Hear some of our fave Kentucky tunes along with our new single, Bluebird, on Spotify!
We had a great time filming our first video with Edus Herdezoje! The new music video will be out at the beginning of August....stayed tuned!
We always love performing for Kentucky students, and we fell in love with this little school in Louisville, tucked into a pocket of trees and filled with art, music, and conscious children and teachers! We danced, sang, and heard a few Jack Tales from Mitch!
