Kate Voegele

On May 17, 2011 ATO Records will release Gravity Happens, the strongest album yet from the acclaimed and multi-talented singer-songwriter and actress Kate Voegele. A critical favorite since her 2007 debut Don’t Look Away, Voegele has refined her stellar songwriting skills to craft an album that shines with uncompromising honesty. That same day, the Ohio native will premiere her new song “Heart in Chains,” as performed by her character Mia, for the season finale of the hit television series One Tree Hill.

Gravity Happens bursts with songs that marry Voegele’s heartland roots with her youthful, modern attitude. It reflects an impressive level of maturity for the 24-year-old singer whose lyrics often elevate the personal to the universal. “I want my music to be your favorite pair of blue jeans,” she explains. Though writing, touring and acting at a quicksilver pace has kept her busy, Voegele’s feet have remained firmly planted on the ground where her small town, all-American roots have been a constant source of inspiration ever since she first picked up the guitar at the age of 15.

Since then, Voegele has shared stages with the likes of Neil Young, Natasha Bedingfield, Grace Potter and Patty Griffin. She has also received a bounty of praise for her powerhouse vocals and “serious charisma” (Entertainment Weekly). That same voice and charisma landed her a role on the television series One Tree Hill in 2007. Creator Mark Schwahn tapped the budding songstress for the show after hearing her debut album. Voegele continues to perform her original songs on the show as the enchanting vocal artist Mia Catalano, a character whose storyline is dictated by Voegele’s music.

The soulful, raw songs on Gravity Happens are not only a testament to Voegele’s evolution as an artist, but as a person coming into her own. “As you get older, you realize that the world can be more cruel and scary than you ever imagined…I just hope these songs can take a tiny bit of weight off.” The album embodies a year of transition and growth for Kate, and a number of eye-opening experiences, that have both informed and strengthened her work.