Charisma

Andy Wood magnifies his voice through the guitar. Communicating raw emotion right from the fretboard, his riffs, bends, and solos practically evoke words. The North Carolina-born guitarist, mandolinist, and producer has performed alongside everyone from Rascal Flatts to Jelly Roll and Gary Allan. On social media, he regularly engages an audience of 100,000-plus with popular livestreams and lessons. He also serves as the Musical Director on Shiprocked! and headlines, hosts, and curates his own annual Woodshed Guitar Experience, welcoming other top-tier six-string big guns a la Joe Bonamassa, Tosin Abasi, Eric Johnson, and more to participate. Amid the Global Pandemic, life hit him fast and hard. A year after the loss of his grandfather, Andy’s dad passed away. He dealt with the grief the only way he knew how by locking himself in the studio and plugging in… “It’s still the worst pain ever, but I’d go downstairs and let whatever melody that was rolling through my head out,” he admits. “I’m not great at putting my emotions into words, but this music was therapeutic. One day, I woke up and realized I had 54 demos. I decided to choose the ten strongest and make a record.” Now, he introduces Charisma with a stirring, soulful, and striking instrumental cover of Alice In Chains classic “Rooster.” He channels Layne Staley’s iconic vocal through sixties-style fuzz while he tunes into the mood with bluesy nuance and a fret-scorching solo. He initially played it during an The Instagram lesson became a live staple—even inducing an unforgettable singalong on Shiprocked!