Carla Gover is an eighth-generation Kentuckian who hails from the small coal town of Whitesburg in Eastern Kentucky, and her rural sensibilities permeate the work that she does and the music that she plays. A veteran of the folk scene, she has performed and recorded with such artists as Jean Ritchie, Mark Schatz, Dudley Connell, Stuart Duncan, Dirk Powell, Jesse Wells, Bruce Molsky, and many more. 

Her three most recent albums ("Kentucky Queen," "Wings" & "Fresh Picked Kentucky Music") have all reached #1 on the Folk Music DJ Charts. The Old-Time Herald says, "Carla's music contains the best elements of traditional Appalachian Music, including purity, intensity, integrity, and vivid imagery."

An award-winning singer-songwriter, she has won numerous national awards including the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest and the Kerrville New Folk Award. Her original songs have been covered by major artists and featured in film and documentary soundtracks. She was selected as a Master Artist in both Traditional Flatfoot Dancing as well as Appalachian Music by the Kentucky Arts Council.

Onstage, she sings, plays guitar, and showcases the rhythms of Appalachia through flatfooting and clawhammer banjo. She has toured for nearly three decades, performing at such prestigious venues as the Glasgow Royal Hall, MerleFest, and The Kennedy Center. She performs with various ensembles including the traditional Kentucky CornMaiz String Band and the bilingual Folk Opera Cornbread & Tortillas. 

Beyond performing, Carla is the founder of the groundbreaking online Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging Academy, which recently won the "Appy" for Best Dance Educator from the Appalachian Arts & Entertainment Awards. She is the Artistic Director of the Cornbread & Tortillas Artist Collective, whose mission is to build community by sharing art, music, dance, and cultural heritage. She also hosts the "What Dreamers Do" podcast and shares her passion with hundreds of students each year in schools throughout Kentucky, teaching Appalachian music and dance.