We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cole Goodwin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cole, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I believe listening and studying all types of music and song structure through my childhood really shaped me as a songwriter. I spent the first few years of my journey writing alone with no cowriters. I think this helped me shape who I am as a writer first and really helped me focus on my craft. My belief is that every songwriter should be able to write a good song by themselves. I still make time to write by myself and continue to hone in on my craft as a songwriter. Looking back on how I have progressed over the years, I think time has been essential to my success. Crafting a skill takes time and work, and I think that combination has really played a big role in my progression as a songwriter. I also think being open to learn and grow is necessary for self-development in this business. On a different note, finding myself as an “artist” has been essential to me. It is important to know what you want to look and sound like from the outside looking in, and I think it is essential to be secure in that before anything else. As far as obstacles along the way, I try to look at them as challenges to get better. I have been fortunate throughout my journey and haven’t really had to navigate many obstacles, and I think that is a due to the great support system I have had since I started.

Cole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Cole Goodwin, and I grew up in the town of Pooler, GA, which is right outside of Savannah, GA. I was raised in a household that always had music playing. My mom and dad were always playing music in the car and around the house, so I was exposed to it from an early age. I remember going to watch my mom sing at local venues and bars when I was just a young boy, and I still love getting to hear her sing when I am home. She and her sisters also sang gospel music together in the Middle Georgia area, so I grew up watching them perform as well.

In middle and high school, I would spend hours and hours on the computer or television watching old live performances of artists like Hank Williams Jr, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Keith Whitley, Mark Chesnutt, and Waylon Jennings. I spent a great deal of time exposing myself to all sorts of music, but I always loved the older, more traditional country stuff and the country music from the 80’s and 90’s. I taught myself to play the keyboard in middle school and enjoyed it, but later wanted to also play the guitar. When I was a freshman in high school, I taught myself to play guitar and quickly became obsessed with it. Once I got comfortable and confident enough to play in public, I began sitting in and just playing guitar for my mom and the musicians she was gigging with during my high school days. Mom overheard me singing one day, and said she thought I had a great voice. She encouraged me to sing one one night at a private party we were playing, and I was instantly hooked on singing and performing.

During college, I began really focusing on writing my own songs and singing more in public. I began booking my own acoustic gigs around Pooler, Statesboro and Savannah, and that quickly spread to other places around Georgia and then eventually the Southeast. My hometown has been really supportive, and I have had the best fans from the start. I formed my band in 2022, and put out an EP of five of my originals in the Spring 2023. The band and I have been playing all over the Southeast since. We have played clubs, honkytonks, festivals, fairs, and have opened for big touring acts. We are continuing to grow the crowds and stages slowly and steadily and remain focused on building a solid fan base. I think one of the turning points that gave my career a boost in the right direction and moved the needle a little is when I wrote a song with my buddy, Will Moseley, called When You Get Home. I put it out on social media and it garnered a lot of attention and opened a lot of doors for me. I am continuing to write songs independently, but now write with other Nashville songwriters as well. I have been releasing new songs continually and have been touring more and expanding the areas in which I play. I am very blessed and excited to be going out as support on the Zach Top tour early next year.

What I want fans to know about me is that the success I have seen so far is not just my doing. First and foremost, God has blessed me immensely, and I give Him the glory. In addition, it definitely takes a support system to help in this journey. I am so lucky to have a family and friends that support me and encourage me, and that is one thing I try not to take for granted. I always talk about important things in life being all about the “Fs” – faith, family, friends, fans and fun ( and hunting and fishing are a big part of my fun)! Last, I want people to know what you see is the real me and I want my music to reflect that. I am a singer, songwriter, and performer, and I am so grateful and thankful that I get to do this for a living.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me personally, seeing people smiling and singing along in the crowd does it for me. First of all, the fact that they took time out of their day to come out and support me means so much to me. My goal is to make them forget about any negativity in their life for however long I am on stage, and just have fun. If I can leave them with a smile and a happy memory, I have done my job. Another one of my favorite aspects of this is meeting people along the way. I make it a point to interact with the crowd after shows and meet the people that are coming out to support me. A smile and a handshake goes a long way, and I strive to be that positive interaction somebody has when they are out and about, especially if they are out supporting me.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In today’s world, the industry is so social media driven, most of the stuff that really moves the needle for artists is directly tied to social media engagement. Liking, commenting, sharing content, as well as streaming the music is free for the fans to do and well appreciated by us artists. On a different note, supporting live shows and merchandise sales is extremely beneficial to an artist. Attending live shows allows for the fans to make a more intimate connection with the artist they are supporting, and merchandise sales helps assist with touring costs for an artist, which is extremely important.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/colegoodwin.music
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colegoodwinmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColeGoodwinMusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColeGoodwinMusic/featured?sub_confirmation=1

Image Credits

Ike Everard
Austin Tramell