KATIE LYNN GODOWNS

‘Moving Mountains’ Through Music

story by LINDSEY LENOIR
photos by PAUL NURNBERG

 

Tune in Beaufort because exciting things are happening for one soulful, southern songstress in our midst. Katie Lynn Godowns is currently recording her first album. Hers is a sound only to be described as a perfect fusion of Martina McBride’s effortless power, blended with a hint of Carrie Underwood’s angelic tonality. This debut album will be what she describes as a version of modern country, “I have also been told that it could be classified as an Americana genre. I see it as a mixture of country and gospel. It is all in interpretation though!”

“I’m like a firefly but you won’t catch me in a jar…in a world so dark I’m gonna glow…”

The album, which will most likely be coined “Moving Mountains,” is inspired by many of Katie’s life experiences. She says, “One of the songs on the album mentions strong women in my life, women that were not just tough physically, but spiritually. Women that, when a young girl looks at them, cause her to think, ‘that woman is fierce’. Which, is what I hope and pray my children think of me someday.”

To Katie, it is a testimony of tackling her own dreams as well. She also encounters people who are faced with tremendous adversity everyday, “I teach people weekly to set goals and to not to let life’s circumstances or barriers get in their way. Who would I be to not practice what I teach?” Katie also admits, “I draw my inspiration for creating a song from life. I either hear something, witness something, or experience something and think, man that is good stuff! I aim to tell a story and I want someone to hear it and feel what I felt while writing it.”

“Fire in my soul and a smile on my face, a good kinda bad….I’ve got grit with my grace”

Katie Lynn Godowns has put her heart and soul into this debut album, devoting every extra hour that she has to writing and recording. However, she still hasn’t ‘quit her day job.’ Katie has been working for Beaufort County for almost 8 ½ years. Touting a Masters’ degree in Human Services, emphasis in Marriage and Family Counseling, “I work as a Certified Senior Prevention Specialist for the Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department. I teach life skills to people all over Beaufort, from schools to businesses, the detention center to the senior citizen homes.” To a musician, inspiration is everywhere. Katie shares, “For instance, the female inmate population I work with, ask me all of the time about making music. Deep down I know I was called to help people in some way, shape or form. Helping others brings joy to my life! I absolutely love my job. I get to meet all kinds of people and sometimes the people I meet are searching for an ounce of hope to cling to. That is how I know I am doing what I was called to do.”

“She’s Soulful, She’s a fighter.. She’s a tiger and a dove…
She’s a Knock down, drag out hurricane with a big heart filled with love”

Balancing her home-life, work and music has been no easy feat for Katie. She admits she could not do it all without the support of her husband and children, “First and foremost, my husband and children have been my biggest support. They are the ones making sacrifices right now to help make my dreams come true. They are the ones that listen to my music to and from school and work everyday.”

The former Katie Lynn Caulder started dating her husband, Andrew Godowns during high school. Having grown up a military brat, Katie was fortunate to have spent the majority of that time right here in Beaufort. Her family moved here when she was in the first grade and ended up staying. She would go on to graduate from Battery Creek where she was the captain of the high school soccer team her senior year. She had many offers to play college soccer, but her plans quickly changed during one Sunday morning church service. “New Vision, a contemporary Christian ensemble from Charleston Southern University, sang at my church and I was in awe. This band was amazing and spent their entire college careers singing around the state. So, I auditioned. A few weeks later I was offered a scholarship to sing for New Vision and continued to do so for four years of college. Our group traveled around the state every weekend and did two summer tours, one up the east coast, and one in Mexico City, Mexico.” Right before the conclusion of her senior year, and the last performance with the group at her home church, her boyfriend, Andrew, (who also happened to be her best friend and neighbor since the age of eleven), “Got on stage, gave his testimony and proposed to me!” The couple has been married for 8 years now and have two beautiful children, Auston, age 5 and Hampton, age 4.

Katie admits that she is, like most, mesmerized by the marsh, saltwater, scenery and boating here in Beaufort. However, what she loves more than anything about living here is the fact that it is a military town. “I absolutely love seeing, ‘The Noise You Hear is the Sound of Freedom’ sign at the Air Station gate. I love hearing the planes fly over my house, and seeing the new Marines and their families at lunch after their graduations. I remember playing sports on base and when the National Anthem would come across the loud speakers, an entire team of kids would stop what they were doing to stand still while their parents stood at attention in the bleachers, that picture will always be ingrained in my mind.”

“I have always dreamed of being a singer”

Being a Singer/Songwriter is a gift given to certain people who have a story to tell. For most, the opportunity to share that story never arises. However, for Katie, it did in the form of Joe Taylor. “I have always sung, but I recently had a producer approach me and asked, “Katie, why haven’t you recorded yet?” To Katie that was an easy answer, because….life! “I work full time, I have too much going on, my kids are too small right now, I don’t have the money etc..” Then my husband said to me, ”If you don’t do it now, you’ll never do it,” then he said “What a testimony it will be to those you work with. Here you are telling them to set goals and work towards them. Katie, whether you make it big or you simply have a recorded album to listen to, you were successful!” So, then it was no longer a matter of “why not” but how.” With the support of her family and friends Katie is funding this project. Taking a leap of faith, she signed with Joe and Salt Creek Recording in February. Having just spent time raising almost $30,000 through Dancing With Our Stars, an event sponsored by CAPA (The Child Abuse Prevention Association), Katie feels ready to tackle raising the funds necessary to see this album to completion. “Beaufort alone is such a great support system. It’s like when one hurts, we all hurt. When one has a dream, we all strive to support them and make it happen.” She is aiming for an album release date some time near the end of August of this year.

Katie’s plan is to make her release party more of an album release performance, partnering with sponsors and hopefully a non-profit, “I would love to use my voice to inspire and help raise money for an organization that is close to my heart. My thought behind a show is to allow my work to reach as many people as possible and possibly change someone’s life. If this is my one and only time to showcase my songs, I want to do it the way I’ve always dreamed of, on stage, in front of my hometown.”

“I realize now that there are little eyes watching me, and I want them to know that Mama strived to reach the goals and dreams that she had while she had the chance. I just really want to tell a story and I will keep writing and singing until I have nothing further to say.”

Stay tuned and make sure you get a ticket. In the mean-time, you can show your support for Katie by following her on social media to stay up-to-date! She would love to take you along the journey with her!