Charles Wesley Godwin announced from the Stagecoach stage Saturday night that a new studio album is on the way, with the first single, a track called “Better That Way” featuring Luke Combs, due out Friday, May 15th.
Godwin made the announcement mid-set, telling the crowd, “It’s been two and a half years since our last album. I know that’s too long. But this has been a labor of love and we turned a new one in in the wintertime.” He also told the audience that the studio version of “Better That Way” may be audible around the festival grounds this weekend.
The last full-length from the West Virginia singer-songwriter was Family Ties, released in September 2023 via Big Loud Records. The critically acclaimed 17-track album was his major label debut and his most commercially successful release to date, with the standout single “All Again” going gold. In February 2025, Godwin released the seven-song EP Lonely Mountain Town, a quieter, more road-worn collection that did not constitute a formal studio album.
The Combs collaboration marks a notable pairing. Godwin opened stadium dates on Combs’ 2024 “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” tour alongside The Avett Brothers, the same run that yielded his friendship and recording partnership with Scott Avett, who appeared on Lonely Mountain Town.
No album title or release date was announced thus-far. “Better That Way” is out May 15th.
