Charles Wesley Godwin Gives Fans A Look At Life Beyond The Stage In New Documentary ‘Headwaters’

Charles Wesley Godwin continues to gift his fans with beautiful pieces of art.

It’s been almost two years since the West Virginia native released his highly regarded Family Ties album. Some might call that his “breakout record,” some might say How The Mighty Fall was his big break, but here at Whiskey Riff, he’s captured our hearts ever since Seneca dropped in 2019. Did his 2023 album help him become more of a household name in country music? Sure, but he had already introduced himself to the music world – and put himself on the map – long before that.

That was all achieved through hard work and dedication to his craft. Godwin has been a stellar songwriter from the very beginning, and even after Family Ties was released and met with praise, the “All Again” singer continued to put his head down and write. He estimates that he wrote close to 30 songs in 2024 alone, and that’s how Lonely Mountain Town found itself a home as an EP that was released back in February of this year.

And now, fans of the “Hardwood Floors” singer are getting a full-fledged documentary about Charles Wesley Godwin called Headwaters. The film, directed by Natalie Rhea, debuted on June 27th and offered an inside look at the West Virginian’s life both on and off the road.

The documentary meets Godwin in a moment where he’s feeling somewhat bound by his career, and the time he has to dedicate to it. He only feels that way because he knows that the more time he spends in music, the less time he can spend with his family. And in what is probably the most shocking revelation from the revealing documentary, Charles Wesley Godwin explains that while he loves making music, performing live is something that he really has to psych himself up for:

“I always have to step outside of myself on tour. The real me is very introverted. I’m a home body. I’m grateful to be doing it, but I’ve got to step outside of myself each time.”

You’d never know that from his energetic, head-banging concert performances.

Though it all makes sense when you see the joy that Godwin gets fly fishing, spending time in the woods, and simply hanging out with his family. The film explores Godwin and his wife, Samantha, trying to find a healthy balance between music career and home life. Being present as a family when CWG is off the road is critically important, and the time spent outdoors is more than therapeutic for the country singer:

“Being outside… if I get enough of that each year, then that gets me through these stretches where we’re out for months at a time and hardly having a day or two at home. Without it, I’d probably go crazy.”

All of that being said, Godwin mentions multiple times throughout the documentary that he’s overwhelmingly thankful for the gift that music has given him. Though he has to be away from his family while on tour, he’s able to solely focus on spending time with the people he loves most when he’s not on the road.

“Anytime I’ve had a week off or more, there are multiple times in that first show back where I’m thinking to myself, ‘I cannot believe this is what I do.'”

There are multiple themes throughout the film: Godwin being introverted, how much family means to him, and… fly fishing. That’s in it a lot (and it’s awesome to see CWG in his element). But the one thing that comes to the surface of the documentary over and over again is the thing that we all can take for granted: time.

As an artist, Charles Wesley Godwin knows that his career both offers up and takes away his time. That’s the monster he wrestles with throughout the documentary, and it’s very commendable that he offered that more vulnerable side up to his fanbase.

All in all, it’s a touching look into Charles Wesley Godwin’s life as touring artist, and more importantly, a husband and a father. I’ll admit that I didn’t expect to get a documentary about CWG, but I’m now grateful that I got to learn more about one of the best artists in the business. Headwaters is a full-on introspective on Charles, and it’s well worth your time.

Check it out:

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