15 minutes with One Tree Hill’s Kate Voegele

Kate Voegele seems to be living the charmed life.

Her role on the popular TV show “One Tree Hill” continues to grow. Her sophomore album, “A Fine Mess,” is the No.3 download on Amazon.com. And she is playing sold-out shows, including one at The Social on Friday night in Orlando.

Not so fast. Life as an actor/singer is hectic to say the least, not to mention sharing a tour bus with nine stinky boys.

Voegele took 15 minutes prior to her fantastic Friday night show to answer a few questions about her music, One Tree Hill and life as a role model:

So, how excited are you to be back on tour?I am very excited. It’s been a great week, releasing a record on Monday and it’s been a great start so far. More than I could ever ask for. Playing a sold out show (at the Social) tonight, iti should be really fun.

Do you enjoy the intimate setting of a place like The Social?I love playing venues like this, it is so much more personal. I am from Cleveland, I am totally informal and a pretty casual person. Getting up on stages where you are really far removed from the audience and all like celebrity on a pedestal, I am uncomfortable with that. I kind of dig the vibe of this, it kind of feels like we are hanging in someone’s basement.

How crazy has your life been with juggling TV and music?It’s pretty crazy, it’s definitely been pretty nuts. The new album is called “A Fine Mess” because the beauty is in the chaos. I like having my hands in a bunch of different things and I have really enjoyed the ride and the journey. All the opportunities that have come with that travel and meeting new people, I absolute love it. I am very busy and don’t have a lot of down time, but I write my best songs in those situations. I enjoy my life the most when I have a bunch of things going on at the same time.

Songwriting, how important?Really important. I consider myself a songwriter before anything else. The fact that I have been able to write both of my records and establishing myself as a songwriter is super important to me. It is probably hard to get up there to tell a story if it isn’t your own. Some people have that gift, where they can take on anything and make people believe it. For me, it is definitely something that I like to do a song from personal experience, at least I have a hand in the creative process of a song.

How has fame changed you?AS a person , I don’t think I have changed at all. I just have been so thankful for all of these opportunities that have come along. I am definitely still the same kid that I was picking up the guitar at 15. But, I have definitely learned to be more flexible and roll with the punches. It’s such an unpredictable business to be in and it’s insane how things change so last minute, you have to be ready at a drop of a hat to say “Ok, you have to be L.A. tomorrow to do a re-shoot because such-and-such didn’t work out. Or this person wants to meet you.” The only way I can respond is, “OK, alright, I am on a plane.” Things are insane. Our bus broke down at the beginning of this tour, we had to hop on a new bus. That’s why this sophomore record has been named “A Fine Mess,” I’ve learned to smile and laugh at the messiness of it, you can’t avoid it.

Do things going wrong make it right?At first, it is frustrating. But, I think everyone’s life is like that. You start off trying to fight it or control it, once you realize you can’t, you end up seeing the great things about that. It makes life interesting, it is the roller coaster.

Acting, is it your love now?Acting has been wonderful. It has been a cool, creative experience and I never pictured myself getting into it until I auditioned for the One Tree Hill roll and got it. I think music will always be my first love. Especially with the new album. The acting has been something very, very cool. It has been something I have enjoyed. I think it is all about the right role. If I come across another role down the road, with a character that I connected with as much as Mia (Catalano on One Tree Hill), I’d definitely like to do that.

One Tree Hill ended on Monday, what’s up with next season?Seventh season is coming, but I no ideas on story lines. The writers are working their magic to come up with something awesome. No idea what that will be. It is exciting. The season finale was great because it was very positive. It ended on a happy note, which was great for me because I released my record that night. I was hoping they wouldn’t kill anyone off because I didn’t want anyone in a bad mood. People would have been sad and wouldn’t have wanted to buy the record.

Are you signed on for next season?I go episode by episode. If they want Mia back, I’ll be back.

How do you fit everything together?I can only be in one place at a time, but it is really cool. One Tree Hill has been so flexible (with my schedule). When I was making my record I had to be out in L.A. with Mike Elizondo, because he is a busy guy. And he did a great job of clearing things out as well. But, One Tree Hill would say, “OK, Kate needs to make a record, so we will not write her into these three episodes.” They go out of their way to accommodate me. The touring is the toughest part. If I am touring in the Fall for someone much bigger, I can’t exactly ask them to move their tour dates around. That’s when it gets tough. It just involves lots of planes, red-eye flights, lost baggage. At the end of the day, it is an adventure.

Signed on with anyone to tour in the Fall?Hoping to. There are a lot of great tours out there, so we hope to catch on with one of them. Touring is so last minute, especially finding an open slot. Hoping to go out there with somebody who has a bigger audience, or a different audience. Get the music out to some more people. So many great acts out there.

Who would you want to pair with for a duet? Dead or alive…One of the biggest influences on my career has been Patti Griffin, she is unbelievably talented as a singer/songwriter. I am in love with everything she does. Her music is definitely less mainstream than what I am putting out there, but I would love to emulate her career and be where she is at.

Being from Cleveland, do you follow the NBA?I am a big Cavs fan.

Then you know you are in enemy territory?Oh yeah, I did a couple of radio interviews today and I just kept my mouth shut. I was hoping we’d kill you guys, so I could come down here and say, “Cavs, what’s up!!” But, that’s not the case, so I have to keep my mouth shut.

So, you are going onstage during the game?Yes, very well aware of that. I am debating on whether to ask for updates from the fans. But, if we lose, that will be bad news and put us all in a bad mood. I’ll be pissed off, the band will be all weird. We are all big Cavs fans. I think we may just ignore it and act like there is no game.

Being a role model, how much pressure does that put on you?There is a lot of pressure on the younger girls, like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, they get ripped apart for everything they do. That’s not fair. They are just kids. They are straight-laced girls. I hate to see the media come up with things about them. I think when you are in the public eye, you know the young girls are listening, it is your responsibility to be aware of the fact that whatever choices you make is going to affect how your fans view you and how they view themselves. I think whatever people decide to do with those choices is up to them. For me, I have never been a super rebellious kid, pretty much everything has been in moderation. I am 22, I’ll have a drink with my band, but I am a singer and have never smoked a cigarette. I am very laid back. I let people do their thing. I know I am in a position where I have underage kids coming to my shows, so I am not going to go onstage and promote underage drinking. It’s not who I am. But I am not going to tell others who to be or how to act. It is a fine line between forcing your beliefs on people and just being yourself.

Anything people don’t know about you? Makes you unique?My music has never been about some crazy story, or some gimmick. I am just a kid from Cleveland that played music, loved high school and my family and friends. I definitely don’t have some “I grew up in the subways” sob story to tell. I think, for me, I want to be out there representing the everyday high school kid. That’s who I was, and still who I am. There are so many girls out there who can relate to what I have been through. I was just like any other kid in America. I want people to know that I didn’t know anyone famous, my dad didn’t produce Fleetwood Mac, I definitely have somehow been blessed enough to end up where I am. I’m just a regular kid. Hopefully that translates on stage and with my fans. Some people become robots, and I don’t want to be that person.

20 seconds to talk to your fans, what would you tell them?Bottom line is, they are the ones that make it happen. They are the reason why I am able to support myself on tour and make records. I am eternally grateful for that. There is something really powerful about writing songs that people connect to. You instantly have a relationship with a total stranger.

So, you and nine boys on a bus. How does that work?My biggest accomplishment is just to get them to shower. I can hang with the boys, but I am definitely a girl’s girl. Any chance to get a manicure, I am there. So, yeah, I can hang with the boys, but it’s interesting. We have a great time together, it’s like having a bunch of brothers.