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Charles Wesley Godwin

presented as part of 2025 OHIO Music Industry Summit

Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 8 PM
Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

Tickets:
First 10 Rows - $125
Remainder of Floor - $75
Balcony - $45

Tickets On-Sale January 10th at 10 AM

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 鈥� a storyteller in the vein of his heroes like Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen鈥� Godwin found himself in a state of stasis last year. To hear him tell it, he was frozen in place 鈥� unable to find the words to what he hoped would become his new songs and under a level of pressure he鈥檇 never previously experienced.

And yet, what would ultimately inspire the man was right in front of him all along: family.

鈥淚 had to get back to the basics,鈥� says the introspective, self-aware artist of what finally set him and his new songs free. 鈥淚 decided I was going to write about my life and my family. It鈥檚 where my heart was guiding me: to be super personal and dig right into the weeds of my life.鈥� The resulting LP, Family Ties 鈥擥odwin鈥檚 forthcoming third album, set for release on September 22 via Big Loud Records 鈥� is a truly stunning achievement, and the culmination of years of hard work to arrive at this point.

Demo鈥檈d on a Tascam 4-track (thanks to his love for Springsteen鈥檚 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. Perhaps most excitingly, the 19-track release showcases a tunesmith at the peak of his powers 鈥� melding melody with memories, workmanship with wisdom.

鈥淎ll it was was just a matter of time and continued grinding,鈥� Godwin says without hesitation of what he believes has now allowed him to meet this moment 鈥� ready to unveil his most intensely personal and accomplished material yet, all while continually playing to some of the biggest crowds of his career.

The songs that comprise Family Ties are themselves portals into Godwin鈥檚 life 鈥� tuneful tales of the native West Virginian鈥檚 friends, family and foundation. Yes, Family Ties is an intensely intimate affair 鈥� images set to tune, so many of them specifically created for his own family members. There鈥檚 the unflinching 鈥淢iner Imperfections,鈥� penned for his father; the mournful and contemplative 鈥淭he Flood鈥� for his mother; the beatific 鈥淕abriel鈥� for his son (鈥淚 guess what I am saying/is I am here to stick with you/if I could I鈥檇 never utter a single word that isn鈥檛 true鈥�); the mournful yet hopeful 鈥淒ance in Rain鈥� for his daughter; and the love letter that is the slow-rolling 鈥淲illing and Able鈥� for his wife.

鈥淚t feels like I鈥檓 exactly where I鈥檓 supposed to be,鈥� Godwin declares of the fortunate place he and his musical journey have taken him. There鈥檚 confidence behind this statement, to be sure, but Godwin can readily admit it was hardly a given he鈥檇 ever make it here. Having not taken up the guitar until roughly age 20, and only performing for others when his friends encouraged him one night to do so while studying abroad in Estonia, building his career has been a steady 鈥� albeit highly fruitful 鈥� climb. He started gigging intensely in the mid-2010s and independently released his stunning debut album, Seneca, in 2019. Like so many musicians however, the pandemic would put a wrinkle in his plans: Godwin explains how he was unable to properly tour behind Seneca and, in turn, couldn鈥檛 build up the momentum and fanbase he鈥檇 hoped for.

Thankfully, hard work and dedication rarely go unnoticed: when musicians were able to return to the stage, Godwin and his longtime band, the Allegheny High, hit the road behind his second album, 2021鈥檚 How The Mighty Fall, and pounded the pavement in a major way. They rarely took breaks from the road, performing every night 鈥渁s if we were at Madison Square Garden鈥� even when the crowds weren鈥檛 always massive. It helped that he had the support of his bandmates: Godwin鈥檚 affection for Allegheny High is palpable. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e my ride-or-dies,鈥� he says of the Allegheny High. 鈥淭hey believed in me enough to go out on the road with me even when I couldn鈥檛 afford to pay a band. Other people aren鈥檛 willing to do that.鈥�

鈥淭o me, the live show has been the great equalizer,鈥� Godwin continues. 鈥淎fter COVID, we went out there and just played our asses off everywhere all the time, every week. The tour never stopped. And we just built it ear by ear. We were just making this thing grow organically by putting on such a good show with so much heart. Eventually, I got momentum back on my side and just kept on going.鈥�

This trend 鈥� building up his fanbase in a grassroots manner and letting the music and live show speak for itself 鈥攃ontinues to this day: whether he鈥檚 headlining his own rowdy, raucous gigs, or opening for close friend and musical comrade, Zach Bryan, Godwin says his live performances have never been more rewarding. Or lively, for that matter. Perhaps it鈥檚 because, as he proudly says, the brand of music he traffics in 鈥� namely story songs with a head full of heart and history 鈥� seems to be having a true moment. 鈥淢y shows will range from like 18-year-olds to 80-year-olds,鈥� Godwin notes with a smile of his diverse, highly-enthusiastic and ever-growing fanbase. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a pretty unique thing.鈥�

As for how his life has changed in recent times? Godwin says if anything it鈥檚 just become ever even more fulfilling. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more people at my shows and they鈥檙e a lot more excited than ever before,鈥� he says with a sense of satisfaction. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like a fish out of water anymore. I had fun when it was just 100 people back in 2021. Now that it鈥檚 10 or 20 times that, it鈥檚 just even better.鈥� 

Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 8 PM
Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

Tickets:
First 10 Rows - $125
Remainder of Floor - $75
Balcony - $45

Tickets On-Sale January 10th at 10 AM

SIGNED MERCH BUNDLE & EARLY ENTRY: $110 - Admission not included. Includes 30-minute early entry + exclusive signed show poster, hat, and tote bag.