
Pickathon Presents
Zoé Basha
Fri, 20 Feb, 8:00 PM PST
Doors open
7:00 PM PST
Showdown Saloon
1195 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97202
Description
Zoé Basha is a musician, carpenter, and feminist. With her signature sound of playful, syncopated guitar, country fiddle, electric organ, drums, and a booming voice reminiscent of some old jazz record you can’t quite put your finger on… this, here, is a particular kind of americana– brewed in Dublin.
Event Information
Age Limit
21+

Folk Jazz
Zoé Basha
Zoé Basha
Folk Jazz
Zoé Basha is a Dublin-based musician, carpenter, and feminist. Her original pieces and traditional songs blend the pulse of American ragtime, the sway of Appalachian mountain songs, and the fervour and solemn ornamentation of Irish traditional songs. With her signature sound of playful, syncopated guitar, country fiddle, electric organ, drums, and a booming voice reminiscent of some old jazz record you can’t quite put your finger on… this, here, is a particular kind of americana– brewed in Dublin.
Her debut album ‘Gamble’ - self-released in April 2025 - was awarded ‘Folk Album of The Month’ by The Guardian, and Basha was named one of the ‘Five Greatest New Folk Acts of 2025’ by FarOut Magazine. Basha’s debut album and title track were shortlisted for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in two categories: Best Folk Album, and Best American Roots Performance.
Traveling by thumb, freight trains, and rust-bucket vans, Zoé Basha played music in the streets for years to sustain the journey. Of French & American origins but with some pretty persistent traveling shoes, she’s been between Ireland and the traveling life for the last decade.‘Gamble’ tells the stories of her roamings, through adventures and musings of intimacy, sorrow, celebrating the fleeting, and questioning the whole lot. The album is an intimate exploration of identity, grief, the deconstructing of societal norms, and the complexities of human connection, all delivered with a mesmerising voice that echoes the vulnerability and depth of her diverse influences. Inspired by the greats of times passed, such as Billie Holiday, The Mills Brothers, Texas Gladden, Edith Piaf and The Steve Miller Band– as well as her peers in Irish folk music- Zoé Basha savours the sounds of golden eras with contemporary nuance and shameless honesty.