Country Next: Cole Goodwin

At just 24 years old, Cole Goodwin is carving out a name for himself in country music with his throwback sound, raw vocal power, and heartfelt songwriting. 

Hailing from Pooler, Georgia, the rising artist turned heads in 2023 with his self-produced EP Soon Enough, followed by a string of fan-favorite tracks like “When You Get Home” and “Catchin’ On.” 

After spending the past year touring the Southeast and opening for acts like Zach Top and Billy Currington, Goodwin was recently named Savannah’s Best Country Artist two years in a row and officially signed with Big Machine Records. 

With his label debut, “Girlfriend’s Got A Boyfriend,” already making waves and the brand-new track “Dust On The Dancefloor” available today, Cole Goodwin continues to show fans exactly what he’s made of.

On the heels of his latest release, Goodwin is hitting the road for a run of shows on Luke Bryan’s Country Song Came On Tour, with several festival dates lined up through the end of the year.

We caught up with him to talk new music, his small-town roots, and what fans can expect next.

You grew up in a musical family. When did you decide to make a career out of music?

I have always been obsessed with music – even before I started playing instruments. When I got to college, I had been playing guitar for a few years and started to focus on becoming a better writer. That’s when things started to become more serious to me. Once I started playing shows and writing my own music, I began to treat it more as a business or dream as opposed to a hobby.

There’s something special about Georgia when it comes to country music—so many iconic artists have come from there. Has that influenced your creative process at all, and in what ways has your hometown shaped you as an artist or songwriter?

I think my hometown, and especially the people in it, have shaped me into exactly who I am as an artist and writer. It’s easy to find inspiration from the things and the people you love. That’s one of the reasons I still live in Georgia. I think I’d find it harder to write about country concepts if I was spending most of my time in the big city. 

When was your first ever performance? Can you share what was going through your mind at the time?

My first solo performance was in my hometown at a restaurant bar. I had sat in playing guitar with people before but never done my own gig. To be honest, it started as an absolute train wreck. The sound system completely cut out, and I ended up having to rig up one speaker cranked as loud as it would go to get through it. Overall, it was great though. The entire place was full of people that came out to support me, and I’ll never forget that.

You’ve gone through a lot of growth recently with signing a publishing deal with Concord and a record deal with Big Machine Records. Have you received any advice from other artists that have helped you enter this new phase?

This year has been crazy so far with the new opportunities that come with a publishing deal and a record deal on top of balancing all the shows on the road. I’ve been blessed to become friends with a few folks in the industry who have really helped me. Zach Top has been one of the “big brother” figures for me in my journey, and he always has time for me if I have a question about something. I’m grateful for his friendship and the advice he has given me.

Though you’re still in the early stages of your career, what would you consider to be your most significant accomplishment or highlight thus far?

I think for me, playing the Ryman Auditorium is the most significant or special thing I have done so far. The energy in that place is like no other, and it was really special to be able to soak in the history all day and into the show.

What music artists have inspired you?

I grew up listening to everything, and I still do listen to a variety of music, but a couple artists that really inspired me early on were guys like Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, and Merle Haggard.

Your song “Girlfriend’s Got A Boyfriend” is your first release under Big Machine Records. Was there anything different about how you approached the release of that song compared to when you were releasing music independently? 

I didn’t do a whole lot different on my end with this release, as we had planned on releasing music the rest of this year whether I was affiliated with a label or not. The main difference for me with this one is seeing all the support and promotion put into it that I was missing out on as an independent artist. I can’t wait to see where Big Machine takes this new music we have coming out.

What would a dream collaboration or tour look like for you?

I haven’t thought too much about collaborations, but it’s always been a dream of mine to work with somebody like Eric Church or Ashley McBryde. I have so much respect for both of them as artists.

You’ve been very busy on the road recently. What is your favorite part about touring? Do you have a favorite city or venue you’ve played? Or any bucketlist venues? 

My favorite part about touring is seeing all the different regions of the country and learning how different we are, but also how similar we are as people. I have met some wonderful people over the past couple years on the road. I think my hometown will always be my favorite city to play. It’s always a treat to be able to come back home and play for the people that supported me from the start. A major bucket list venue for me is the Grand Ole Opry.

Speaking of touring, do you have a favorite song on your setlist? 

My favorite song we do in the set is “Women Want Me, Fish Fear Me.” It’s so fun to play and I love hearing the crowd sing it back.

What can fans expect from you next?

We’ve got so many cool things happening right now. We’re touring all over the country every weekend, I’m writing more songs than ever before, and we’ve got plenty of new music in the pipeline for the rest of this year and the top of next year. Come out and catch a show if you get the chance and be on the lookout for all the updates on the socials.

Fans can keep up with Cole Goodwin on Instagram.