Zoe Speaks - Wings (2018)

Zoe Speaks is a group from the mountains of Kentucky with something to say, and an original way of saying it. To create their southern singer-songwriter sound, they have worked with some of the powerhouses in the folk, Americana, and old-time worlds, with previous albums produced by Mark Schatz, Bruce Molsky, and Dirk Powell. Mitch Barrett, Owen Reynolds, and Carla Gover form the core of the band, and for larger stages they add Mitch and Carla's multi-instrumentalist daughter, Zoey Barrett, and her guitar-wizard fiancé, Arlo Barnette. Their music is rooted in the Appalachian sounds they grew up playing, but freely draws on a variety of rhythms and styles from smooth folk-pop to blues and calypso. (Think The Duhks or Tim O'Brien). Currently, they are set to release a new recording of original music entitled Wings, produced by musician/engineer Jesse Wells, who currently tours with Tyler Childers.

It also doesn't hurt that two members of the group are award-winning songwriters, with wins from Merlefest's Christ Austin Songwriting Contest (two times!), the Kerrville New Folk Award (two times!), The Telluride Troubador Contest, The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriting Contest, and Kerrville's Music To Life Contest between them. Zoe Speaks has performed at venues like Merlefest, The Kennedy Center, The Kerrville Folk Festival, and Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, to name a few.
This is a band with big heart, and it radiates from their performances and recordings.

Known for both their originals and their unique spins on the mountain tunes that they cut their musical teeth on, their songs are socially conscious and spiritual, with themes ranging from the environment to family to addiction to interracial relationships, and populated by tricksters, angels, addicts, truck-stop waitresses, fools, mules, heroes, and werewolves. The band toured for a decade and appeared all over the United States before taking a hiatus to work on solo careers. Their fans were overjoyed to hear last year that they'd be reuniting, and their voices and songwriting chops are stronger than ever. Once you hear their music, you'll come to love this trio from the heart of the Appalachians in whom mountain twang meets contemporary folk. It's fresh, awake, catchy, and steeped in rural sensibility!

Tracklist:
1/13. Zoe Speaks - Wings of a Dove
2/13. Zoe Speaks - Black Feather
3/13. Zoe Speaks - Cheat the Blues
4/13. Zoe Speaks - Hey, Josephine
5/13. Zoe Speaks - That’s What Dreamers Do
6/13. Zoe Speaks - Bluebird
7/13. Zoe Speaks - One Foot
8/13. Zoe Speaks - Lay Down
9/13. Zoe Speaks - Give Me Some Sugar
10/13. Zoe Speaks - The Earth Has Had Enough
11/13. Zoe Speaks - There’s a Hole Where Your Soul’s Supposed to Be
12/13. Zoe Speaks - You’re Not So Alone
13/13. Zoe Speaks - Paper of Pins