Just a good ol’ boy from Georgia is making quite the splash in the pond of country music, joining honky tonkers like Jake Worthington and Zach Top. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: they’re saving country music!
On June 26, 2026, Cole Goodwin released his new EP titled Howdy. It’s a four song tracklist of pure country gold: “Howdy,” “Girl That’s How,” “Keep On Rainin’,” and “Where She’s Coming From.”
The title track, “Howdy,” was written by some real good ol’ boys and true up and comers in the songwriting scene. Penned by Justin Dukes, Davis Loose, Carson Peters, and Ethan Phillips, this is one of those songs where, as a songwriter, you stop and say to yourself, “Damn! Why didn’t I think of that?”
I heard this song at a writers round a while back, and I immediately knew it needed to find its true home and that’s exactly what it did. It’s just brilliant conversational songwriting. The chorus goes:
“Howdy, do you come here often, mind if I sit down?
How’d you slip out the back door of heaven? Does the good Lord know you got out?
Honey, you’re out of my league, but we’d make a good team far as I’m concerned.
How do I make the whole town wonder howdy wind up with her?”
I mean… hot damn, that’s good.
It’s just a chicken pickin’, steel guitar moanin’, honky tonkin’ tune! But wait! There’s more. While this is the title track of the EP and one of my personal favorites from Goodwin’s catalog, the other three tracks are just as good.
“Girl That’s How,” written by Kevin Denney, Tom Botkin, and Mike Rogers, is as classic ‘90s country as it gets. A true boy meets girl song. Driving down a dirt road and makin’ a little love in the moonlight kind of thing. Hell, I’m in!
The third track: “Keep On Rainin’,” written by Jessi Alexander, Jonathan Singleton, and Cole Goodwin himself, is an up tempo, bluegrass hollerin’ tune. Country music can always use another song about the rain! This is one you’re gonna have stuck in your head for a while, so you might as well add it to that playlist.
Track four, “Where She’s Coming From,” written by Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin, and Goodwin himself, is a slow burning, lonesome country song. Another tune that stops you in your tracks, and by the second listen, you’re already singing along.
I love this whole project, and I’ve been a fan of Cole Goodwin for a while now, so this is quite literally music to my ears. He’s another rising star to keep an eye on. While he’s starting to gain some real traction in the scene now, he’s been at it for quite a while.
Originally from Pooler, Georgia, Goodwin attended Georgia Southern University, where he began songwriting and performing regularly while finishing school. Before ever signing a record deal, he worked in his hometown while focusing on building his music career.
In 2023, he released his debut EP, Soon Enough, and began touring throughout the United States, playing festivals, honky tonks, and fairs. In 2024, he continued releasing music while staying busy on the road and in the writing room. Then, in 2025, Goodwin signed a record deal with Big Machine Records in Nashville. That led to him opening for bigger artists like Luke Bryan, Billy Currington, and Zach Top. Moving into 2026, he’s set to play even more fairs, festivals, and theaters across the U.S.
I personally had the opportunity to play a writers round right before Cole a year or two back, and let me just say that what you see on stage is exactly who you get in person: a kind, genuine music lover who just enjoys classic country music like the rest of us.
So jump on the Cole Goodwin train now because it’s picking up steam, and it’s gonna be one hell of a ride!