Kate Voegele doesn't sing sob stories

Myspace.com offered the singer/songwriter a fan base and a record deal.

By Kelsey Whipple

Published Sept. 28, 2007

Songbird Kate Voegele is an old soul, but at 20, she can't drink, and she doesn't.

The singer/songwriter is attractive, but she's no pop tart.

In a world socially dominated by MySpace.com, Voegele has almost three million plays and a "bazillion" friends, in her own words. But don't call her the anti-Avril.

Back in 2006, when it was time for Voegele to shop for a record label, representatives weren't sure the "good girl" image still worked. Voegele wasn't sure she cared.

"A large part of my audience is young, teenage girls trying to figure out who they are," Voegele said. "I didn't grow up on the streets with drug-addict parents, and I'm not going to rehab or jail. I don't want my life to be a sob story and a bad example for those girls."

A chance to escape the singer/songwriter stereotype led Voegele to MySpace Records, a risky label she was the first artist to sign with.

"I didn't know what to expect, but they're such a unique label in their approach to artistic freedom," Voegele said. "You don't even get that at all at a lot of labels. I didn't want people to tell me who to be."

Voegele, who was influenced by her father, a musician, has been writing her own music since she was 15 years old.

The college sophomore has won several songwriting contests and landed opening spots at huge music festivals, including South by Southwest.

Her schedule keeps her busy. This is a 20-year-old who had 20 minutes to give to the interview, and during her answers, the sound of water was audible.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm a total girl. My hair is drying weirdly, and I need to re-wet it. I don't want it to look bad."

That perspective only goes so far with Voegele, though.

On her debut album, Don't Look Away, she straps on a Fender Telecaster and sings in the "dark brown voice" The Kinks blessed "Lola" with. But it's her face people are talking about.

"I don't know how to feel about that," Voegele said. "Some artists, their success and stuff, it seems to come only from their looks. I just want people to see that there's a talent here. With the male singer/songwriters, there's a double standard. They can be quirky instead of just a 'pretty face,' and it's harder for us girls."

Voegele's speaking voice sounds youthful to begin with, and when she gets excited, it gets even higher. But her singing voice is another story. On the song "Wish You Were Here," Voegele sings, "So here I am a utopian citizen/Still convinced/There's no such thing as idealism." They're bold words for someone her age, and she's unapologetic.

"That's probably my favorite song on the record, because I get the most responses from people about it," Voegele said. "That line is about being in a relationship and finding out the other person is not who you think you are, and not in a good way. It's an I'm-in-love-with-the-person-I-wish-you-were feeling, and it's not a good one."

Voegele, now on tour with Matt Nathanson, still has time to check her MySpace page.

"My favorite thing is talking to people on MySpace or after shows," she said. "I like having a semblance of normal life. I'm really more of a normal kid."

Sure, a lot of artists say it, but Voegele means it.