Pride of Place

The music of Appalachian roots band Zoe Speaks is firmly grounded in the mountains. Music was always woven into the fabric of everyday life.

“At all of our family gatherings, any kind of work we were doing – breaking beans or picking peppers – there was always singing,” said Mitch Barrett, a folk singer born and raised in Eastern Kentucky. “In the stripping room when tobacco time came, it was just stories and singing.”

Carla Gover agreed. “It was similar for me. I’m from down in coal country, and my mother is from Clay County,” she added. “We sang a lot in church and sang when we were working. I grew up with roots in the traditional music of Appalachia.”

Both Barrett and Gover have strong opinions about what it means to be Appalachian. They agree that stereotypes about Appalachia sell. People are rewarded for pedaling the narrative that stories about oxycontin abuse and violence are the only stories worth telling about the region.

“One of my missions became to give a more accurate and dignified portrayal of what Appalachian music is beyond stereotypes,” said Gover who moved to Central Kentucky for college. “It was a time I really began to see my identity as an Appalachian. I had to examine some of the stereotypes that we all deal with, and the ways in which I had internalized a lot of the stigma. It made me have a determination to reclaim, with pride, my heritage, instead of feeling like it was a liability.”

Barrett echoed that sentiment as a native Appalachian growing up under the weighty shadows of stereotypes. He recalled the first time he felt pride about being from the region when he attended summer camp at Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Camp AJ.

“We were just three kids in the holler,” he said. “With both parents working, the CAP camp came along and was a lifesaver for my parents. It really influenced my music, and it influenced my outlook upon the world. I could see a bit bigger picture. Father Beiting had already established this respect for Appalachian people, so CAP counselors showed us respect. They respected us for being Appalachian – we weren’t just poor kids to them.”

Both musicians are working to create a more accurate portrayal of Appalachia through their work in local schools. Barrett was traveling the country giving presentations and showcasing Appalachian folk music in places as far away as California, when he realized that there were children just like he had been that needed to know their own roots.

“I realized that if there’s any place we need to educate people, children especially, about being from Appalachia, and instilling some pride about our culture, it would be back in Appalachia,” he said. Barrett contacted The Kentucky Arts Council and started to focus his work in Eastern Kentucky. “I base my teaching on instilling self-esteem in the students and helping them to be proud of being from Appalachia. I point out that these things you hear, the stereotypes that you hear, and these people who get famous for writing books and movies about it, that’s not your culture. There are drug problems and alcohol problems all over the world, not just in Appalachia. The things you should be proud of are our stories, our songs, our dances, and our family values.”

Gover explained why teaching children to write their own music is also important to both of them. Some venues “treat roots music as if it is static, or a museum piece. My mother would make up her own verses, or change the song if she wanted to. I think when you have ownership of something, you feel like it’s your own to change. I think it’s important to write in order to show that music is evolving. As music evolves it crosses boundaries. I believe that we have to be respectful in that process, but it should happen.”

Zoe Speaks has also evolved over the years. Once married, Barrett and Gover toured for a decade together and later pursued solo careers. After a reunion concert, they found themselves making music together again. A fan told them, “I love you and Mitch. I followed your solo careers and loved you both, but there’s just something about when you two sing together.” They agree. Although divorce is always difficult, they have worked together to create a loving and creative relationship as band mates. They emphasize that divorced families, blended families, and step families can get along. Gover explains “The fact is that no matter how insular your community, you are going to know divorced people, and we just want to model that lots of kinds of families are okay.”

The blending of their family has included the addition of their daughter Zoey’s fiancée Arlo to the band. The two of them met at a music camp where Gover was teaching and soon began dating. “It’s like the music’s coming full circle,” Gover said. “The new generation has embraced it. Zoey’s been around the masters of Kentucky fiddling since she’s been born, so it’s kind of beautiful to see her step into that and come on stage with us.”

FIND OUT MORE www.zoespeaksmusic.com

Members of the band Zoe Speaks: Zoey Barrett, Arlo Barnette, Mitch Barrett, Owen Reynolds, and Carla Gover.

(above) Both Gover and Barrett spend time in Appalachian schools teaching students about their musical heritage.