Let us introduce you to one of our newest favorite artist – Kate Voegele! This singer-songwriter, has been taking the world by storm these last few months with her first acting experience on the CW’s “One Tree Hill” to going on the road with rock band, Hanson! Besides, you can’t tell us there’s been a time when you have signed into your MySpace.com account and have not see her name or face all over your screen. Want to know why? Because, this super talented young lady just released her debut album, Don’t Look Away on MySpace Records!
FANVASION caught up with Kate to chat a little bit about her music, “One Tree Hill”, and her tour with Hanson. Here’s your chance to get to know her a little bit better… so read on.
Fans of the TV show “One Tree Hill” got to see you perform and use your acting chops this season. Can you tell us a little bit about how you hooked up with the show?
Yeah! It was actually kind of crazy! I’ve been a singer-songwriter for about five or six years now, so you know I never considered a career in acting at all. But, last summer my manager told me about an audition that was going on for the show, you know for this female actress to play a singer-songwriter, and I thought there’s totally no way I’m going to get this role because I’m not an actor and I’ve never tried out for anything like that before and I was just like “ok?”. So, then I just tried out to humor her and you know, it was just totally an audition, a traditional casting call like anything else. And yeah it was crazy, I went in there and read lines and played a song, and the creator of the show said to me when I was finished, “Kate, I know this is your gig but, you could do this for a living too.” I kind of looked at him and I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out and be like punking me or whatever, [Laughs] because I had no idea that I could act at all. I was totally just going in there to, you know, thinking there was absolutely no way I had a chance. It was pretty cool and kind of unexpected, which I think sometimes the best things are.
How would you describe your character of “Mia”?
Mia is such a great character, they did such a good job and they wrote me such a cool part. Um, Mia starts out as pretty shy and quiet, and she’s kind of in her shell and she doesn’t really talk a whole lot. She’s pretty nervous which was funny because it’s completely the opposite of my personality so, it was kind of fun playing something that was totally different from my own personality. But, as the show goes on and her art kind of continues and her character… she starts to come out of her shell. She just has this great personality and like a really, just kind of this cool, like disposition – she’s kind of a wise guy, and she’s sarcastic and she likes to stir things up. She’s very fun-loving and a lot of that was similar to my personality, so it’s cool to fade that in as the show went along. You know?
Your character shared a bond with “Peyton” and “Haley”; you know Joy is also a talented musician whose music has been a big part of OTH. How was the chemistry off set? Did you guys ever do some jam sessions?
Yes! Well, we didn’t really have much time to do jam sessions, but yeah Joy and I talked a lot about, you know, the music business and I heard her play some of her stuff. She’s great! She’s got a really great voice and she’s always singing on set. She’s such a sweet girl, and Hilarie Burton is too. Both! I mean, everyone… the whole cast is, but those were the two girls I worked with the most. It was cool and I enjoyed hearing her take on the whole business, her experience in it and stuff. It was pretty cool.
Unlike a lot of musicians who kind of switch gears a little bit and move onto acting, you did both on One Tree Hill. Another unique thing about it is that you performed all your original songs from your album.
Yeah, absolutely.
What was that like for you as an artist to use both of your talents on such a hugely popular show?
Oh, it was unbelievable because any kind of exposure – getting your name in front of people, and your face in front of people – no matter what it is your doing, you know, if you’re a musician it’s going to get you attention. But, getting your name in front of people and your face in front of people while playing your music and it’s something that’s totally relevant to your record – it’s unbelievable! I couldn’t think of any better way to get my music out there and let alone through a character that’s very loveable and you know, relatable. Because, you know they could’ve written me a part of a girl who was not very cool. You know, it’s easy to write characters that are not likeable because it stirs things up on these TV shows. I mean, they’ve been so good to me and like, so incredibly helpful and so it was unbelievable being able to combine those two things and put them in front of people, and it’s created just such an incredible response. I’m so grateful for the opportunity.
Out of every new cast member on the series, I think your role took such a strong presence. The fans are drawn to “Mia”, they’ve fallen in love with your music and they want to know more about Kate. I’m sure it’s exciting now, but was there any pressure going into the show with such an opinionated and dedicated fan base?
Yeah! I mean, I was not sure how “Mia” was going to be received because, you know, like you said Joy played a lot of music on the show and the fans absolutely love Joy, so I was not sure if they would be welcoming of a new musician, but they were just… I mean, they’re amazing. It was so cool that everybody is drawn to her character and that they enjoy her scenes and kind of her whole personality so much because that’s just the best possible scenario and so yeah, I didn’t know what to expect going in but it’s all just been amazing, like it’s so much better than I could have even imagined! You know, I had really high expectations going in it just totally exceeded that – like, I knew it was going to be amazing but, I didn’t know it was going to be like this. [Laughs] It’s ridiculous.
The music of One Tree Hill is just as significant as the stories the show tells. That scene alone in the library where Joy, Lee, Sophia, Hilarie and Michaela all sing along to “Wish You Were” was so emotional. Why do you think it’s so special for this particular show?
You know, I think it’s so cool! I know that Mark Schwahn, the creator of the show is a big music fan and I think that’s so great, and a lot of the executive producers are big music fans also and I think what’s awesome about that is that they really know what they want for their show and what will work for their show. I think that you’re right, the fact that they combine these emotional scenes with these emotional songs; it’s a very symbiotic relationship like the song makes the scene more emotional and the scene makes the song more emotional, and so it allows fans to connect to both the music and the show more than if the two weren’t combined. I think that they do such a good job of marrying the correct song with the correct scene, and that’s why I think it’s what really separates “One Tree Hill” from other shows.
There are a bunch of things about it that are really unique and make it such a strong show, you know I think that’s one of the bigger ones because it’s a tough thing to do, it’s very much an art and I was so flattered to be apart of that. And to be chosen to have my music kind of be that paired element with these emotional scenes because it’s pretty cool, the man has a great reputation for putting good music in his show, so it’s all the more encouraging for me with my record. It was just like, WOW! They must think my record’s pretty great. They want it to be apart of these scenes that they’ve spent so much time working on and putting together. Yeah, it’s pretty unbelievable, everybody over there is just very talented and like I said I’m so happy to be able to be apart of it.
Right, I mean if you’re going to have your music showcased on any television show, “One Tree Hill” is the way to do it. The fans play such close attention to every little detail of the music on the show.
Oh yeah! Absolutely!
What was it like shooting your music video for “Only Fooling Myself”? We noticed some of your fellow cast members popping up in it!
Oh yeah-yeah-yeah! The video for “Only Fooling Myself”, that video is Mia’s video for the song. We actually just released my video… [Kate trails off for a moment] Oh, sorry! We’re grocery shopping with our band for our tour bus. Because we always run out of stuff, so this is a fun little family outing. [Laughs] I’m sorry. The video where the fellow cast members appear in is Mia’s video for “One Tree Hill”.
I know it sounds confusing, but it was awesome! Shooting that was really fun. Mark Schwahn directed it and did an amazing job, and it was cool – it’s kind of a fun little concept and a cool little story, and really, everybody was so awesome. They were willing to just come in and work on it, and the cast members were willing to hang out all day and be in the video, which is so awesome! Um, so that was great and I think it was really cool for fans to see, like ‘oh, here’s Mia’s music video! But, then Kate Voegele has an entirely different music video for “Only Fooling Myself”.’ And that actually just dropped yesterday on TRL, and so I’m really excited for people to see that because it’s more representational of me, whereas the video you see on CWTV.com or on YouTube for Mia is very “Mia”. I think it keeps fans knowing that Mia is a character… she and I are not the same person, so that’s why I think it’s cool we have two videos for this song because it’s still the art of the show and art imitates life, so it’s cool to have them separate. Both experiences were awesome! Um, shooting a video is a really pretty cool thing and it’s kind of a combo of the acting and the music. It was kind of an in-between of the two things I’ve spent the last year doing, so it was fun to be able to do it twice.
You’re debut album was released on MySpace records, you know… every time you log into MySpace.com, there you are! Do your friends and family ever call you up and go “dude, you’re all over my profile!”
[Laughs] Oh yeah! All the time and it’s really, really funny. It’s so awesome because MySpace, they’ve very much pioneered this new way of marketing… anything but, especially music. It’s so exciting to be apart of that too, I just feel so lucky to be involved with so many people who are using these innovative ways to break music – like “One Tree Hill”. You know, it was not always… TV has not always broken artist and “One Tree Hill” found a way to do it. The internet hasn’t always been around, obviously, but up until now not necessarily been as effective at breaking musicians and so it’s really a cool thing. I just think the combination of those two things have just totally been killer. It’s…. it’s unbelievable. Sometimes I just look around and I’m like ‘Oh my God’ [Laughs]. I don’t even know I’m very, very lucky… I have some very amazing people. I’m definitely not taking it for granted.
What direction did you take when recording your album, Don’t Look Away? How would you describe your sound to potential fans?
You know, I think that my record is…. What I wanted to do with my record was I wanted to make a mainstream record. It’s definitely a pop record, we’re going to Top 40 radio with it and I couldn’t be more excited about that because I love pop music and I love radio. I don’t know, it’s really hearing a song that’s infectious in a good way, and you know melodically just has a great hook. My favorite kind of pop music is music that has all of that but, it’s also sincere and poetic.
I wanted to make a record that was artistic, but mainstream and you know some of my idols that I grew up listening to were Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morriesette… women that I saw doing well in music when I was fourteen – fifteen years old and started playing guitar. That’s exactly what they do, they put music out there that is on the radio, it’s all over the place and you can’t get it out of your head. It’s also incredibly sincere, it’s very artistic, sophisticated and intellectual… and I think that’s just awesome. That’s totally what I wanna do… I think that’s what I tried to do with this record. I see that working when we go to radio and I hear it on the radio, they’re spinning it all week and then I hear people say they relate to the music, and then I know the words are speaking to people. It’s not just a bubble-gum pop song that’s working because it’s catchy. So, I think having a balance of those things is like a creative challenge for me so, as an artist I really enjoy kind of aspiring to achieve that.
You’re a talented, female musician who writes and plays her own music. The album is all on you, would you say that’s nerve-wracking when writing and composing?
Yeah, I think I never want songwriting to be something that puts pressure on me because the minute you start trying to write it or to make it something that’s going to make people happy or something that’s going to make you money or whatever… I think that’s when you stop writing anything that has any substance. You know, I always want to just make music that comes from a place that’s very personal and so it’s believable to people and that when they hear it, it can be inspirational to them and it can speak to them. It’s one of those things where I write at the most inconvenient times and I think that’s the best way to do it! Is just to write when the inspiration strikes and write whatever you write… don’t try and write a certain way at all. That’s usually when you whined up with; I think your best material. My single, “Only Fooling Myself”, I wrote when I was fifteen in health class when I was bored, I had no predeposition of ‘Oh, I gotta write a hit for radio!’, or anything like that so I think it’s kind of what I’m trying to stick to. I mean it’s definitely tough because you’ve got pressure all the time coming from all angles… like, ‘Oh, write a hit song!” But, you have to remember why you do it and keep doing it for those reasons.
We’re addicted to your song, “It’s Only Life” and fans from all over have emailed us telling us it’s changed their lives. What is your personal message behind it that you tried to get across?
You know, I think that’s the coolest thing for me in the world, is to hear somebody say that your song has that kind of affect on them is unbelievable. That song is basically… I named the record Don’t Look Away because it’s a lyric from that song… I think that it really is probably the most representational of just my views on life in general out of the entire record. I think that I wanted to put a song on the record that was kind of my outlook, because your record is something you use to tell people how you feel and that you have something to say. “It’s Only Life” is about… in life everybody goes through so much stuff, it’s a never-ending ride no matter who you are or where you are. So, the song is basically about… I think a lot of people put pressure on themselves and try to control things and they beat themselves up and they’re hard on themselves if things don’t go exactly as they planned or how they wanted. It’s about not trying to run away, not giving up… it sounds cheesy. [Laughs] It’s hard to explain it in way that’s not totally, ‘Oh, everybody has said that before!’ It really comes from the place that I think I’ve learned that the best way to deal with things that aren’t going exactly as you wanted them too, it’s learning not to be afraid… kind of just step up to it.
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There’s so much pressure in this business, in every business, in everyone’s life. There’s so much pressure to be a certain way or to act a certain way or do something, or be somebody that you’re not. “It’s Only Life” is saying that it’s okay … take the pressure off yourself. The lyrics are “Don’t look away, don’t run away…” It’s about facing up to the things that kind of make you feel vulnerable, and make you feel nervous with an attitude that says it’s okay; it’s not a big deal. It’s only life! [Laughs] Everybody’s in this together, everybody’s dealing with it… it’s not the end of the world, it’s only life and you’re going to be fine no matter what happens, things will work out the way they’re supposed to. I think of it as a really comforting thing to think about for anyone, no matter who you are. I see these girls who friend me on Facebook who are fans and they have these quotes on their profile that are ‘Everything happens for a reason’ and stuff like that, and I really do believe that is true and it kind of just allows you to sort of relax and do the best work that you can when you don’t put pressure on yourself – and that’s basically what I think “It’s Only Life” is about.
Yeah! It’s just… chill… take a breather. Tomorrow is a new day.
Yeah!! It’s only life! You know, everything is going to work out the way it’s supposed to, and you’ll end up where you’re supposed to be. And once you kind of get into that mindset, I think it’s so much easier to do things that you’re really dead-set on doing. I achieved things that I want to, and I put on the best shows and write the best songs when I’m in that mindset. Whether or not that’s just me or if it works for other people then I think that’s why I wanted that song to be on the record.
Well, look at your life! The last few months, you’ve just kind of blown up all over the place! Have you had the time to just enjoy everything that’s happening?
It’s definitely been overwhelming, a whirl-wind but in the best way. It’s just getting back to that place its what lets me enjoy it. It’s very easy in this business, or in any business, or I think in any situation of your life where things are going great – it’s very easy to get caught up in this nervousness of, ‘I have to keep it this way,’ or ‘What if it goes wrong? What if I lose it tomorrow?’ You know, all of that stuff! If you love where you’re at, you’re always going to have this nervousness… like, ‘What if I’m back where I was five years ago?’ You just kind of have to… I think it’s the whole ‘seize the day’ kind of thing, really enjoy it while you’re in it and realize that even if you only have it for one more day and it’s never there again – whatever – or maybe it’s good forever and it never goes away, but whatever it is… you kind of have to take it a day at a time and just be happy with day.
Honestly I think this business is unpredictable, but everything in life is unpredictable! It’s ridiculous! Stuff changes in like a flip second. So, yeah I just try to just be in it, enjoy it and anytime I feel myself getting frustrated or tired or upset – I just stop and remember again, why you do it and back when you didn’t have it, how badly you wanted it and why you wanted it. I assess the situation and see where I’m at now… you know, here I am and this is so great… I’m so lucky and I have so many great things in my life. I’m really focused on appreciating it and that kind of puts in into perspective, I think that’s one of the most important things in life is just getting it into perspective, because once you lose that then you start doing things for all the wrong reasons and you forget why you got into it in the first place.
And right now, you’re on tour with one of my favorite bands… Hanson.
Yeaaaah… Hanson! It’s totally crazy.
Yeah! As well as Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers…
They rock! They totally rock.
I think is a perfect line-up and I saw you guys last night! But, how did that come about?
Oh awesome! Very cool! Well, I mean when you start putting your team together as a musician, a booking agent is a big part of your team and they find bands and book the shows. So, my booking agent was like ‘Hey! What would you think about going on tour with Hanson?’, and I was like sold! [Laughs] I was like listening to their cassette tape at in-door recess when I was nine years old and I had their poster on my wall and their CD was always in my giant stereo that now looks like its archaic. But, I was thrilled and it’s so funny because, you know everyone who hears I’m on tour with Hanson is always, of course ‘Oh, MMMBbop…’ blah, blah blah and stuff, but man these guys are talented and they don’t get enough credit because they were like… ‘child stars’, they were teenyboppers and they had that hit. Man, they are great songwriters! They are just incredible performers, really talented and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met… and not even in the music business, just in general. They’re just really genuine guys which is like so refreshing when there’s all these fake people, and they’re so the opposite of that… so, that’s pretty cool.
Yeah, that’s what I say. When I tell people I’m a Hanson fan and they’re all ‘Oh, MMMBop’.,. I’m just like ‘Give their music a chance, your entire perspective will change.’
Yeah! That’s so true. I mean they’re really, really pretty great at what they do. It was really an honor to just tour with them.
You know, I recently chatted with Taylor about you being on the tour and he talked about how they really like to have “cool” musicians, “cool” artist be apart of their live show. You know someone who they think their fans will take to, like they take to Hanson’s music. I just thought I would share that with you and let you know that Hanson really thinks you rock and I couldn’t agree with him more.
That’s so great! It’s so flattering that they kind of put me in that category and that they want to take me out on tour because for somebody who has been a fan of their music for ten years, it’s a pretty cool thing. You know, if you had told me when I was in fourth grade that I would be writing music someday that the Hanson brothers thought was good enough to take me on tour with them… I mean, I would’ve stopped breathing. So, it’s a pretty cool thing! It’s awesome and it’s very flattering and it’s encouraging… and that’s one of the coolest things about this, you know when people who you really look up to and who you really respect artistically, respect what you do also. It’s very, very cool to be in that place. I never ever pictured myself here.
Well, I think you rocked last night! But, you know you went into another project that comes with another strongly dedicated fan base. How has the response from their fans been?
Thank you! It’s been awesome though, I mean yeah, Hanson fans are like hardcore Hanson fans. I didn’t know people would be like, ‘All I want is Hanson! Who are you?’ But, they’re really, really great and they’re music lovers more than anything and I think they’re incredibly dedicated to the music that they love. That’s been something that I’ve really loved about this tour because the fans are just so responsive and they’re so excited! It’s the best thing. You know, sometimes you get audiences that are pumped to see you play but, they’re really timid and kind of don’t know how to deal with the whole aspect of a live show. But, seeing these fans are like seasoned pros! [Laughs] They’re like cheering and going crazy all of the time and it’s awesome because they really know how to be a great audience. It makes the show, it’s half of the show… half of it is having a great band and half of it is having a great audience, and they have definitely been that. I’ve been having an awesome experience on this tour.
What I see in your music is a lot of what I see in Hanson’s and that is, they do teach the fans to be real music lovers with not only the music, but with their lyrics. It was great speaking with you today!
Yeah, you too Courtney! Absolutely… thanks so much!
FOR MORE ON KATE VOEGELE CHECK OUT:
· Official Site
· MySpace
“DON’T LOOK AWAY”
IN STORES NOW!
Photos: MySpace/Interscope