Katie Martin: My New Favorite Blues Artist

Soho Bar and Grill is a small, dark venue on the east side of Columbus, GA. It is neither trendy or a grill for that matter. There were three of us, a baby sister to my left and a cousin to my right, sitting in torn vinyl chairs at a wobbly high-top table in the front. We were there to see Debutante Massacre, a local band making a big name for themselves in our area. But we were early. That meant we would have to sit through the first show, someone we had never heard of.

Katie Martin, a tiny red-head, climbed up on the poorly lit stage alone. In her hand she held an acoustic guitar.  She looked mousy, she played alone and it was acoustic. I was sure she would sing a few whiny love songs and that I would clap unenthusiastically. I’d made up my mind, before she ever played a note, that I was not going to enjoy her performance. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong.

The way she strummed and hit the side of her guitar left the impression that it rarely left her hands. And better, she could belt out a tune. I was thoroughly impressed that her small frame could hold that big voice. The lyrics to the songs, all written by her, did not disappoint. Each song made me really feel, and over the course of her set I felt despair, peace, rebellion and even humor.

at some point I looked to my baby sister and cousin, wondering if they were enjoying this music as much as I. One was staring directly at the girl on stage, nodding her head in time, the other had her eyes closed and face slightly lifted as if she were letting the music wash over her. The bar was without the regular drunken chatter during her set. And when she was done several people asked her to play just one more.

At the end of the night I did something I had rarely done: I bought a copy of her CD, Away From Here. It has been in my car since and my daughter enjoys listening to it with me.

You can hear Katie Martin here.