Behind The Scenes with Kate Voegele: The Interview.

After seeing Kate Voegele & Green River Ordinance at the Norva earlier this month, I had the pleasure of interviewing both Kate, and Jamey Ice from GRO. See  my previous post for my interview with Jamey. I interviewed Kate over the phone the next morning while she was on the bus heading to the next city. For the full story check out my article here on Examiner.com!

The vivacious Voegele is not simply a singer. She is also an actress. She plays the part of Mia, a musician, on the popular show One Tree Hill and is able perform her own music on almost every episode. As if full time musician and part time actress isn't enough, that isn't all Kate is. She's also a college student, enrolled in The University of Phoenix's program, taking online classes while she's on the road sharing her tunes. Her latest album, A Fine Mess, features the emotionally gritty song "99 times" and the soothing "Sweet Silver Lining". 

Cherylyn: How old were you when you started singing and playing the guitar?

Kate Voegele: "I've been singing for my whole life. I've always enjoyed it. I really started writing songs and playing guitar when I was 15. My freshman year of highschool."

C: Did you know then that you wanted to play music for a living?

KV: "I never thought then I'd be doing what I'm doing now. At my highschool, being on the girls soccer time was the cool thing to do, but that was definitely never going to happen for me. So I played music, not because everyone thought it was awesome, but for the love of it. It was a release, a way of dealing with life because everything's a big deal when you're 15. School, clothes, boys. So I channeled all these things into writing and singing. I kind of realized then that this is what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life."

C: If you weren't pursuing your musical career what do you think you'd be doing?

KV:  "I'm in the back lounge of my bus now and I have a couple of canvases I'm working on. I went to college for two years for fine arts, so I think I would be doing something artistic if I wasn't singing or acting. Everything I do comes from my artistic background."

C: What inspires you?

KV: "Everything inspires me, Everyday life. Touring, traveling and meeting people. Touring is not always glamorous. It's so cool, you're not always playing in big cities and a lot of times you're in these hole in the wall places. The every day adventures are inspiring, not just the crazy, earth shattering ones."

C: How do you balance life as a musician, an actress, and a college student?

KV: "It wasn't easy to manage at first. I like to challenge myself. It's not that I would get bored, if I wasn't doing all these things, but there are just so many things that I'm curious about. It's cool to have 3, 4, 5 things you love that are in your life."

C: What degree are you working on right now?

KV: "I'm working on my psychology degree right now with the University of Phoenix. Psychology is perfect. I'm studying the same things I write about as a song writer, human emotions and behavior. University of Phoenix has been so supportive. I've been taking one class at a time, slowly working on it. We help each other out. I tell their story and in turn they sponsor my tours. Things are crazy and I'm so busy, but I'm still able to manage taking classes. That's what the University of Phoenix is for!"

C: Do you enjoy the songwriting/recording process or the touring and performing live more than the other? 

KV: "The songwriting/recording process and performing and touring are both intriguing in different ways. Being on the road is like campout. I'm the only girl. The guys in my band are like my big brothers. It's definitely an adventure, but it can be a nomadic lifestyle. It's good to get in the studio to write songs and build the projects that you are going to tour around. Songwriting is what I love."

C: Tell me about your experience on One Tree Hill!

KV: "I never thought acting was something I would do. My manager told me that I should try out for the part of a musician. It was only supposed to be a few episodes, but the character stuck. I said, "I'll do it. I'll try anything." I think that's why I got the part. I wasn't nervous because I didn't think I had a shot. One Tree Hill is the paramount reason that I can play big crowds like I do now. They have just been amazing at exposing my music."

C: Are you friends with the rest of the cast? How do you like working with them?

KV: "The cast is so cool. I'm really lucky. All my preconceived notions were completely shattered. Nobody's too "hollywood". Everyone is friends. Everyone is really cool. I work mostly with Bethany & Hilarie at the record label. Stephen Colletti is my boyfriend on the show. He's a really great guy!"

C: Do you think One Tree Hill will lead to more acting in the future?

KV: "I would love to do more acting in the future, but I won't just take any role. If I connect with a role that I'm offered, I'd love to do more acting. I want to be in front of people no matter what the avenue, but I think primarily I'll just always be a songwriter and a musician. But who knows!"

C: Do you have any hidden talents or quirks?

KV: "Do I have any quirks? That's a good question. I can lick my elbow. I know that's supposed to be impossible, but I can do it!"

C: What is your main goal as a musician? 

KV: "My main goal as a songwriter is to make something that inspires people. To write things about my life that people can relate to. Whether it's a whole record or just one song for someone, I hope it can do that for them. Knowing that I have the ability to do that is inspiring to me!"

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