School is out, temperatures are rising…summer is here! And do we have just the artist for this month’s Soundpost Session. Zoe Berman is a Denver-based singer-songwriter. “With a voice equally as strong as her poetic lyricism” (303 Magazine), she accompanies her sultry vocals on the piano and guitar. 

Zoe graciously took some time out of her busy touring schedule to answer some questions we had about her art and career. Read on to learn more about Zoe and get excited for this Saturday’s show!

Buy Tickets

SPS: What got you started in music?

ZB: I started taking piano lessons as a young child and developed an early interest in songwriting. As a freshman in high school, I attended a magnet school for classical piano. The program was a bit too stringent for my liking and failed to nurture my creative inclinations, so I opted to leave that school and subsequently took piano lessons with a teacher from the school’s jazz program. This shift was incredibly influential in my development as a musician, as I learned a lot about jazz music/improvisation and was encouraged to further explore songwriting and performing endeavors. I also began teaching myself guitar in high school, which provided a new modality for musical expression and songwriting. I have dabbled in other instruments over the years, but these two have been the most significant in my musical development. I’m still learning and expanding as time goes on.

SPS: Who are your most significant musical influences? What is it about each artist that inspires you the most?

ZB: I grew up on a healthy mix of soul and Americana music, which I think has noticeably shaped my sonic palette. My mom exposed me to a lot of funk and soul, with artists like Stevie Wonder and Earth Wind and Fire. My dad was a Billy Joel fanatic and seeing him in concert as a kid, playing the piano with such mastery, blew my mind. Both of my parents are big James Taylor fans. In more recent years I’ve become exceedingly enamored and profoundly inspired by powerful female vocalists like Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse, as well as more current neo-soul artists like Lianne La Havas, Sammy Rae, Eloise and Olivia Dean.

SPS: What is your songwriting process like? 

ZB: I typically write lyrics first, which seems to be an anomaly in the songwriting sphere. Song ideas often come to me while I’m in motion, on walks around Denver, on trails, on long road trips… Many of my initial conceptions for songs take place in the absence of an instrument and I rework and retrofit the lyrics and melody outlines to chords/instrumentation upon returning home to my little music nook.

SPS: Is there a primary message or theme you strive to communicate with your music? If so, can you elaborate?

ZB: The vast majority of my songwriting is autobiographical in nature. I often utilize it as a tool for processing and externalizing my internal world and experiences. That being said, I strive to write songs that are lyrically relatable, convey a rich sensorial narrative and leave listeners with some feeling of catharsis over a shared experience.

SPS: You recorded with Octave Records in DSD for a number of their compilation records last year. What was that experience like? 

ZB: That was a pretty neat experience. My band spent a day in the beautiful Lyons foothills laying down a handful of tracks. Their team is very knowledgeable and welcoming and we all left that experience feeling artistically nourished and excited about the existence of projects/missions like theirs.

SPS: What’s the best thing about being an artist based in Denver? What’s the most challenging thing about it?

ZB: I think there’s an immensity of talent in the Denver music scene. It’s not such a well-established music city that you can’t find performance opportunities or have to deal with all the obstacles that accompany pursuing music in LA, New York, Nashville, etc., but it’s big enough to have its own characteristic identity and opportunities for gradual advancement. I’ve been enjoying delving further into the local music community since lockdown restrictions have been loosened, as I moved from Fort Collins to Denver just a few months before the pandemic took speed. I think our scene is rapidly burgeoning and a lot of its present challenges are being met with innovative solutions, so I’m excited to see how it progresses over the next few years.

SPS: How have your Connecticut roots shaped your artistry, if at all? 

ZB: I don’t think the state of Connecticut really shaped my artistry too significantly. Not to bash good old CT – it’s very quaint and green and I enjoyed growing up surrounded by its expansive forests and fields, but I can’t really pinpoint aspects of my musical identity that derived from this place of origin.

SPS: Is there anything you miss about your hometown of Simsbury, Connecticut?

ZB: Definitely the greenery I alluded to. I love Colorado, but it’s incredibly dry and I often miss the lushness (and lack of wildfires) out east. Most of all, though, I miss my family and friends who live on the east coast. Living so far from family has presented a number of challenges over the years, especially during the pandemic, but I love going back to Simsbury to visit when I can.

SPS: What’s your favorite listening room concert that you have played? What was the venue? What did you love most about that experience?

ZB: One of my favorite shows of all time took place this past March at Globe Hall. It was a full-band show celebrating my November EP release (a belated celebration postponed due to Covid spikes). The turn-out exceeded my expectations and I was honored to be sharing the stage with the incredibly talented female artists on the bill for that evening (including Megan Burtt, Wellington Bullings & Carolyn Hunter), all of whom I greatly admire.

SPS: What’s your favorite listening room concert that you have attended as a listener? What was the venue and who was the artist? In what ways, if any, did the artist/band make the experience magical?

ZB: As far as quintessential listening room experiences go, I would have to say The Lowest Pair at Cloverlick Banjo Shop up in Fort Collins. It was incredibly cozy, the audience was respectful and engaged all throughout, and the band put on a phenomenal performance. In terms of larger standing venue concerts, I recently saw Jacob Collier perform at The Gothic and my brain was smeared all over the wall. The talent on that stage was unmatched by anything I’ve ever witnessed and I left feeling inspired and deeply grateful for the return of live music.

SPS: What can our audience expect from your upcoming Soundpost Session? What would you tell new fans who haven’t seen you play live before? Will you be playing new music or new arrangements of older songs that existing fans should get excited about?

ZB: Don’t be surprised if you are met with dad jokes during tuning silences, a bit of lighthearted, sarcastic banter and of course, some soul-fueled, folksy tunes. I will be joined by a very talented cellist for a portion of the set, which is a fairly new development to look forward to! I’ll also pepper in a handful of new tunes with stripped down arrangements.

Buy Tickets

SPS: Anything else you’d like to share with our readers, any upcoming releases or big shows you’re excited about in 2022?

ZB: I’ll have a number of solo, duo and full band shows coming up this summer, including the Underground Music Showcase in July and the Evenings Al Fresco Series at the Botanic Gardens in August, to name a few. The best way to keep tabs on my upcoming shows/releases is to follow me on social media and/or join my email list! 

Be sure to follow Zoe on socials and streaming platforms:

Buy Tickets