Charles Wesley Godwin’s fourth studio album ‘Christian Name’ arrives July 24th via Big Loud Records, and first single “Better That Way” featuring Luke Combs is out now. The album was written through one of the most difficult periods of Godwin’s life, and every song on it reflects that directly.
In 2024, Godwin and his wife Samantha lost their third child, Samuel, to stillbirth. “To put it simply, my heart was broken,” Godwin says. “It took me a few months to get myself back up off the ground, so to speak, and get back into the game and to write songs again.” Rather than pulling him away from his faith, the loss deepened it. “Coming out of that, I recommitted to my faith in God more so than I have at any point in my life. It really changed me.”
‘Christian Name’ documents that journey across 13 tracks, opening with a sermon and moving through grief, redemption, and reaffirmation. The album title and cover art draw direct inspiration from Godwin’s late grandfather, Charles Godwin, a Methodist preacher, grounding the project in family and legacy as much as personal faith.
Alongside “Better That Way” with Combs, the album features “Hey There, Son” with Wyatt Flores, and contributions from some of country music’s most respected songwriters: Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, Travis Meadows, Scooter Carusoe, Stephen Wilson Jr., Aaron Raitiere, and Tom Douglas. Godwin is clear about the role they played. “I had a lot of help with this album. They brought a lot of the hope and the light and the lighter moments. The album needed that.”
Producer Al Torrence, Godwin’s Alleghany High bandmate and decade-long collaborator, shaped the record across sessions in Nashville, New York City, and Torrence’s Music Garden Studios in Pennsylvania. “He’s world-class,” Godwin says. “Al knew exactly what I was going through throughout this process.”
Godwin tours extensively behind the album, including a co-headline run with Dylan Gossett this summer and a fall stretch joining Kacey Musgraves on her Middle of Nowhere Tour.
‘Christian Name’ Track Listing:
Sermon
Try Again
“Better That Way” (feat. Luke Combs)
Hallelujah High
“Hey There, Son” (feat. Wyatt Flores)
I Caught the Sunrise
Place I Know
Street Advice
Every Once in a While
Christian Name
God’s Been Good to Me
Gospel of the South
Brand New