Much like pop star Kate Voegele, Cleveland rocks. Even more important, Voegele knows it.After releasing her third album, Gravity Happens, in May, the Bay Village native had a small dilemma. Word got out to her fans that she wouldn't play any Ohio dates while on tour opening for Natasha Bedingfield. They did not take the news very well.
“People don’t know if you’re on Natasha’s tour, you have to go where Natasha goes,” Voegele says.
So Voegele added Ohio to the map herself. She performs at the House of Blues on June 14. The 24-year-old musician talked to us about her Cleveland roots and venturing into new waters to make Gravity Happens.
Cleveland Magazine: Are there places you like to go when you come back to Cleveland?
Kate Voegele: Yes, absolutely. I am a big fan of Coventry; it's an artistic and inspiring spot. I used to spend a lot of time there during high school. I'm also a big fan of Moosehead Saloon. It's like the best food on Earth.
Kate Voegele: Yes, absolutely. I am a big fan of Coventry; it's an artistic and inspiring spot. I used to spend a lot of time there during high school. I'm also a big fan of Moosehead Saloon. It's like the best food on Earth.
CM: How is this album different from your first and your second?
KV: This album is definitely an evolution for me from the other ones. It's not a stark contrast in that I didn't go out there and make a hip-hop record, but it's more rootsy, more honest. It's much closer to who I really think I am as an artist.
CM: Is there anything different you wanted to do or try out with Gravity Happens that you hadn’t done with your previous albums?
KV: I think that what I wanted to do with this album is, in the lighter areas, go lighter, and in the darker areas, go darker. There's some fun, happy songs on this album, and I haven't really done as much of that as I'd like to in my first two albums. But then in the darker areas there are songs like "Burning the Harbor" and "Gravity Happens" that are really about the heavy things in life. I wanted to be more honest, vulnerable, and to make a record that was as human as I could possibly come up with.
CM: What is your favorite song to perform off of this album?
KV: "Sandcastles." It has this classic, rootsy feel and it's fun to sing, but it's probably one of the most honest songs on the album. The line in the chorus is, "I'd rather be making sandcastles instead of these wide-world decisions." It's something I hope a lot of people can relate to.
KV: "Sandcastles." It has this classic, rootsy feel and it's fun to sing, but it's probably one of the most honest songs on the album. The line in the chorus is, "I'd rather be making sandcastles instead of these wide-world decisions." It's something I hope a lot of people can relate to.
CM: How has your appearance on [The CW’s TV show] One Tree Hill and your character Mia helped you develop as a musician, singer and songwriter?
KV: I think that OTH has been a pretty cool piece of the puzzle for me. And getting in front of a camera as an actor taught me certain things about performing, being comfortable with myself and how to become more poised as a performer.
KV: I think that OTH has been a pretty cool piece of the puzzle for me. And getting in front of a camera as an actor taught me certain things about performing, being comfortable with myself and how to become more poised as a performer.
CM: Do you have any big plans for the near future?
KV: Later this summer I'll be releasing a signature pair of sunglasses that I designed with my sponsor, Oakley’s. What’s cool about these sunglasses is that they're tied to my new record. The artwork that's on the sunglasses is the same artwork that's on the CD cover. If you buy the sunglasses, you get a download card for the album, so you basically get the album for free.
