When you hear the name Kate Voegele, you might associate it with her very well known multi-guest appearances on the CW’s hit show One Tree Hill as the character Mia. But what a lot of people don’t know is that she’s a musical sensation. She has shared stages with artists such as Dave Matthews Band, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Natasha Bedingfield and The Veronicas. And most recently on Sept. 27, her headlining “Back 2 School” tour stopped at Toad’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut. On Thursday, Oct. 2, I was fortunate enough to have had a phone interview with Kate and she had a lot to say about music, acting, touring and success. Take a look:
QUC: WHEN AND HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST GOT INVOLVED WITH MUSIC?
KV: I’ve been around music all my life. When I was 15-years-old and in high school, my dad taught me how to play guitar on vacation. At first it just started out as a hobby until I was interested in writing.
QUC: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG ON “DON’T LOOK AWAY” AND WHY?
KV: “Wish You Were” is my favorite song. The album was written over a long period of time; over 5 years. I think that it’s a song that hits a lot of people and they can relate. You go through events, it’s an artist’s job to make sense of things and you want people to relate. I think “Wish You Were” has a universal statement. It’s about still being in love with the person you thought they were.
QUC: HOW DID THE SONG “LIFT ME UP” AND THE AT&T TEAM USA CD COME ABOUT?
KV: It was random. Last summer around 11pm, my manager called me and told me that there was an album that I should write for. The song was due the next morning. It sounded so cool and I was really excited to do it. The Olympics is something that everyone watches. And I wanted to put 100% into the song, so I stayed up all night writing it.
QUC: YOU HAVE GONE ON TOUR WITH MANY AWESOME BANDS AND ARTISTS, WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE AND WHY?
KV: Natasha Bedingfield was my favorite. She is an inspiration and puts on an entertaining show. Her band’s very tight. She’s genuine, down-to-earth and so cool to hangout with. She gave good advice about how to remain grounded. It was a great opportunity to share a stage with someone who I respect.
QUC: THE “BACK 2 SCHOOL” TOUR WAS YOUR FIRST HEADLINING TOUR, HOW DOES IT FEEL?
KV: It’s awesome! It’s an amazing tour. It was the first official tour and it exceeded my expectations. I felt an ownership of the tour. The band is finally right, all set and great. It’s fun being up there. I can’t believe it’s over! It’s been a great tour with great sponsors and taking classes online.
QUC: WHAT PLACE HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE STOP SO FAR ON THE TOUR AND WHY?
KV: It’s been a roller-coaster tour. In San Francisco, my guitarist Sam was hit by a car and broke his ankle in two places. He had to get surgery and he played the tour that night on morphine. My band stepped it up and we laugh about it now. The theatre we played at there was cool.
QUC: HOW DID THE IDEA OF MYSPACE AND UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX SPONSORING YOU COME ABOUT?
KV: Myspace and University of Phoenix do things together. They came up with the idea and it worked out. It’s awesome.
QUC: SO FAR YOU HAVE BEEN SPONSORED BY VERIZON, MYSPACE AND UNIVERISTY OF PHOENIX, WHO ELSE WOULD YOU WANT TO SPONSOR YOU?
KV: Maybe Steve Madden. I want to keep my options open. I’m open to whatever. Sponsorships are a great thing. They’re creative and companies are open to possibilities.
QUC: OK, SO I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR APPEARANCES ON OTH. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, MIA?
KV: Mia’s fun. Guest stars are cool characters. I can relate to her and it’s so amazing how people responded to her. It was a good way to get music out and it built up a fan base. It was very unexpected. I just went in and didn’t think that I was going to get it.
QUC: SO, WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS?
KV: Oh, I don’t know; definitely more One Tree Hill stuff before Christmas. I’ll be recording a new song on the One Tree Hill Deluxe Album. It will be a fresh digital update of the album. In November, I might go on the road. I always wanted to tour Canada or Europe. Possibly audition for more shows. There will be a new single out before the years over. Next year, I’ll be doing writing and recording for album number two.
QUC: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING ARTISTS AND ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
KV: Not everyone is going to understand you. Don’t be discouraged! If one group of people don’t understand you then keep pushing yourself. Keep doing what you do and then someone will understand. It’s like the saying “Don’t change for people”.
