Today, I am so excited to share my new interview with singer and One Tree Hill actress, Kate Voegele. I remember when Kate first joined the cast of One Tree Hill, one of my personal favorite shows. With tonight being the Season 6 Finale of the show and the release date of Kate’s new album, A Fine Mess, I wanted to share this interview with you today to get you pumped for both! So make you sure you buy the new album and watch One Tree Hill tonight on The CW at 9pm EST.

So starting off with One Tree Hill…Chase seems like just about the perfect guy for Mia, but how would you describe yourself when it comes to relationships?
That’s a good question. Yeah, Chase & Mia have been so cute this season! This has been a cool arc for both characters. For me, it’s definitely all about communication in a relationship and being with someone who you can be totally yourself with, totally comfortable around and honest with. I travel a lot so in a relationship I have to be able to trust someone and they have to be able to trust me, otherwise it is pretty pointless.

If Mia was not with Chase and had to be with any of the other Tree Hill guys, from the current season or past seasons, who would you think she would be with?
(laughs) I do not know. You would have to ask the writers on that one. That’s a good question. Mia is so wrapped up in Chase who has inspired her with the new record that she is not thinking about anyone else. If she did, she would probably be on somebody’s hit list since everyone is pretty much paired up.

When you auditioned for the role on OTH did you expect for your music to have such a big part in the show?
I knew that it would be an amazing experience but I never knew how unbelievable the fans would respond to the music. The writers have done such a good job of weaving the songs in the story lines and really connect the fans to the music.

Can we expect a recorded duet with yourself and Bethany Joy in the near future?
I don’t know but that would definitely be cool. Joy is so talented. She has a beautiful voice. She is such a great writer and such a great artist. That would definitely be something I would love to do so you never know what is down the road.

Aside from OTH, are there any other shows that you enjoy and would love to appear on?
There are so many great TV shows. A lot of people in the cast love Mad Men. I love The Office. Steve Carell is one of the funniest people around. I am obsessed with The Office.

I love The Office. Do you have a favorite moment?
There are so many favorites hmmm… I loved when Michael bought a condo. He was showing off the condo and then realized that his condo was across the street. That show is so well written and Steve Carell’s character is just brilliant. His relationship with Dwight is hilarious. Rainn Wilson is so funny.

Have you caught the UK version?
I have not yet! I am really excited to get into it because I hear it is brilliant.

Would you ever consider publishing a collection of songs that never made it to past albums or publishing a collection of your artwork?
Yes, absolutely. That is something that I would love to do at some point. I have so much material and only about 12 or so songs to put on a record so I am sure that is something I will end up doing. Also, I am very inspired by visual art so I would love to do that along the road.

Did you take writing or music electives in high school?
I took a Creative Writing elective when I was a freshman. I think that inspired me to start writing a bit. I was in choir all through middle school and high school. My music teacher was also so supportive and excited for me. The music program at my high school was great.

Have you been back to your high school to play for them?
Yes, I have been to my high school a few times since I have graduated. I had a lot of support from the principal, school teachers, and the whole school system when I was there because I had to miss quite a bit of school, especially senior year. They were all very understanding so it was nice to go back and say thanks. I have a younger sister who is graduating this year, so that has also encouraged me to come back and visit. I love it. It will always be home.

Now when putting together your album artwork, specifically the cover, how involved were you in the process?
It is great! I have a call with the stylist before the shoot and we talk about what kind of clothes I want to wear. They never ask me to do anything that I am not comfortable with which is really cool. It is great to know that my opinion matters so I never feel like anybody is trying to make me into something that I am not so that is always awesome. It is great as an artist to have some creative control over packaging and not just the music.

Now can the fans expect a European tour in the near future?
Yes, I am pretty sure we are going to Europe this fall. It is so exciting because I have never been to Europe before and there are a lot of European fans who will be so pleased to hear these songs live.

Do you ever get writer’s block and if so what do you do?
Yeah, you can definitely get writer’s block…if you do well with one record, you find the pressure to find another hit song. I will usually do something that is another creative outlet, like acting. I can engage in another creative process that will then inspire me to write for the right reasons rather than writing with a certain mindset or give the label something they are looking for. If I go off and paint for a couple of hours, it totally gets me in the mindset to create good music.

Is the song on your new album, “Forever and Almost Always” a play on Haley & Peyton’s catchphrase “Always & Forever?”
No, not necessarily. I did not write the song with that in mind. It is really about how forever and almost always is not enough. It is about being in a relationship where you feel like somebody is devoted to you 95% of the time and the other 5% of there time they are unsure or do not care as much as you like them to. The beginning of the song, the narrator is trying to make it work but by the end of the song she realizes that it just isn’t enough.

When did you write the song, “Angel?”
I wrote that song when we were filming an episode where myself and a few other characters were stuck in the library. We shot from 5pm – 5am. We were block shooting it so I spent a lot of time in my trailer and ended up writing this song on set. So it was really cool a few weeks ago to see the song that I wrote on set of One Tree Hill actually be apart of One Tree Hill.

I know you are 22 but where and how did you spend your 21st birthday?
That’s a great question. I was on tour when I turned 21. I was playing in Austin, Texas which is pretty much the greatest city to turn 21 in. It is so cool because it is the live music capital of the world and a lot of the guys I was on tour with took me out and we had a great time. The next day was my actual birthday, which was the 100th episode party of One Tree Hill. So I got to fly to Wilmington and spend the day with my friends from the show.

Kate’s new album, A Fine Mess is in stores today.