Charles Wesley Godwin

Ticket Information

Tickets available locally at Smith Rock Records & Higher Elevation Smokers Gallery (Brooks St.)

Artist Bio

For a while there, Charles Wesley Godwin was in something of a funk. A typically prolific writer, and one who over his first two critically acclaimed albums had proven himself to be a reflective and soulful songwriter and singer—a storyteller in the vein of his heroes like Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen—Godwin found himself in a state of stasis last year. To hear him tell it, he was frozen in place, unable to find the words to what he hoped would become his new songs and under a level of pressure he'd never previously experienced.

Inspiration from Family

And yet, what would ultimately inspire the man was right in front of him all along: family. "I had to get back to the basics," says the introspective, self-aware artist of what finally set him and his new songs free. "I decided I was going to write about my life and my family. It's where my heart was guiding me: to be super personal and dig right into the weeds of my life."

New Album: Family Ties

The resulting LP, Family Ties—Godwin's forthcoming third album, set for release on September 22 via Big Loud Records—is a truly stunning achievement and the culmination of years of hard work to arrive at this point. Demoed on a Tascam 4-track (thanks to his love for Springsteen's seminal "Nebraska") and then recorded with his bandmate and longtime producer, Al Torrence, at one of his dream studios, Echo Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina, Family Ties is a portrait of home, of relationships, of lessons learned and lived.

Musical Evolution

Perhaps most excitingly, the 19-track release showcases a tunesmith at the peak of his powers, melding melody with memories, workmanship with wisdom. "All it was was just a matter of time and continued grinding," Godwin says without hesitation of what he believes has now allowed him to meet this moment, ready to unveil his most intensely personal and accomplished material yet, all while continually playing to some of the biggest crowds of his career.

Personal Tracks

The songs that comprise Family Ties are themselves portals into Godwin's life—tuneful tales of the native West Virginian's friends, family, and foundation. Yes, Family Ties is an intensely intimate affair, images set to tune, so many of them specifically created for his own family members.

• "Miner Imperfections" penned for his father
• "The Flood" for his mother
• "Gabriel" for his son
• "Dance in Rain" for his daughter
• "Willing and Able" for his wife

Recent Changes

As for how his life has changed in recent times? Godwin says if anything it's just become ever more fulfilling. "There's a lot more people at my shows and they're a lot more excited than ever before," he says with a sense of satisfaction.

Event Rules

• No cameras, audio or video.
• No crowdsurfing/moshing.
• Opening acts subject to change.
• No refunds.