Kate Voegele

Ohio native goes from student to rising star

by Dwayne Steward
Entertainment Coordinator
The Advocate
April 3, 2008

Imagine one day dozing in an art history lecture during your sophomore year of college and the next you’re an actor in a major prime-time drama with a pop album shooting up the charts. For Cleveland native Kate Voegele, this hopeful daydream has become a striking reality.

“It was definitely a complete 180,” said Voegele, who released “Don’t Look Away” with MySpace Records earlier this year. She’ll be making an appearance at The Basement in Columbus on Sunday.

Voegele dropped out of Miami University in Oxford, where she was an Art Education major, in 2006, signed with MySpace, took her notebook filled with songs she’d written and went on tour. The risk paid off when her album flew from No. 62 to No. 27 on Billboard’s Top 200 earlier last month.

Though new to most Americans’ iPods, Voegele has been singing since she was 10 — when she joined her church choir — and writing since she was 15.

“That age is when you start to really become aware of the stuff you’re going through,” Voegele said. “There are a lot of small things that really wear on your emotions; I needed an outlet so I starting writing.”

She claims her musical tastes are “all over the map,” citing the likes of Carly Simon, James Taylor and Patti Griffin among her musical influences.

The breakout pop-rock singer also landed a spot on season five of The CW’s “One Tree Hill” as Mia, a young artist discovered by Peyton, one of the main characters who happens to own a record label.

“I didn’t really know I could act,” said Voegele, who went to the audition on the suggestion of her agent, never expecting to get the role. “But I enjoy anything that’s a creative challenge.”

Stalled by the writer’s strike, Voegele said she’ll be heading to Los Angeles to shoot more episodes in the next few weeks.

Still on a humbled high from the last year, Voegele quickly rattled off her next conquests.

“Right now this record is totally where I’m at,” she said. Her plans also include riding out this season of “One Tree Hill,” heading out on tour with Hanson throughout the spring and picking up the opening spot on Natasha Bedingfield’s summer tour.

“I get to do what I love,” she said. “It feels like I’m on vacation all the time.”

Voegele will appear at The Basement, 391 Neil Ave., Columbus, 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10, call (614) 461-5483 or visit www.promowestlive.com. For more on Kate Voegele visit www.katevoegele.com.