Kate Vogel
Singer/songwriter Kate Vogel unveils debut single titled "Reasons to Stay".
After going through a severe untreated PTSD, Vogel found her voice again and decided to make the record she never got to release when she was a teenager. "Reasons to Stay" showcases an honest and poignant message reflecting on Vogel’s personal story.
"I moved to Nashville when I was 16 to be an artist/songwriter almost 10 years ago. Things went very very badly, so badly that I stopped singing for 9 years. I'm pretty open about being sexually assaulted because others before me being open helped me heal, and I've seen my openness bring healing to others," says Vogel.
With this first single, Vogel introduces herself as an empowering artist.
"Reasons to Stay" is now available on major streaming platforms.
Photo credit: Angelina Oliva
Introduce yourself - where are you from?
I’m from a little all over, but Nashville is home for the last 10 years. I grew up on the West Coast, the Midwest, and the South. I have California tattooed on my arm because it is the only place that ever felt like home.
What's your story?
I moved to Nashville when I was 16 to be a musician and was in the industry for a year, and it went very poorly. So poorly that I stopped singing for 9 years. The women who came before me in the MeToo Movement were pivotal in my journey to finding my voice again. But in the meantime I got a degree in Economics so now I work in cancer research during the day and am working on my debut album at night.
How would you describe yourself today?
I just feel like a very lucky person. Some really bad things have happened, but once I finally started talking about it, people stepped up and helped me heal along the way. I am very lucky to have so many amazing friends and family supporting me. I’m just working towards trying to figure out my place in the world and how I can best help others and pay it forward.
"Reasons to Stay" is your debut single - how does it feel like to release your first single ever?
Haha well I gave up on this ever happening a long, long time ago. I stopped singing for 9 years. I just accepted I would never release music, and that I would never be someone I’m proud of, which is one of the lyrics in this song. But now, to have a song cemented in digital history, that means when I die one day, the song will live on. A piece of myself that I suppressed for the last 10 years has come to the surface again. I don’t have words for that feeling. I think I feel complete now.
What's the story behind this song?
I suffered from severe untreated complex PTSD and one of the symptoms is being very suicidal. One night I googled “Reasons to stay”. I wanted a song like this to show up so I wrote it. I needed a song to say that even though you’re confused, it’s okay, the beauty will outweigh the pain and you will find your place in the world one day. Just hang on.
What did you feel when writing this song?
When I finished this song, I cried my eyes out in the shower listening back to my voice memo on the counter because I knew it was the first song I couldn’t keep to myself. It had to be recorded. So I faced my fears and set out to find a way to record it. I know a song has the power to change a life, and I want nothing more than for this song to find its way to someone who needs it.
Who helped you create this particular song?
· Songwriter: Me
· Producer/Mixer: Chase Coy
· Keys: Jeff Carl
What made you want to release "Reasons to Stay" as your first single?
I knew after 10 years, the first song had to be some type of explanation, “what happened, why didn’t you ever put out music? You moved to Nashville 10 years ago.” Well shit girl it’s cuz I wanted to die haha. I think this song encompasses me as a whole, just get it all out there, this is exactly how I feel and who I am, and nothing is hidden, unlike all the secrets I had to hide for so many years. I wanted it to be stripped down, just me and the piano, the production to match the vulnerability and rawness of talking about suicide. I hope it comes across that way.
What message do you want to convey through this song?
The beauty will outweigh the pain. There’s so many reasons to stay. I hope someone can hear this and realize you’re just doing the best you can, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you didn’t meet some imaginary deadline of when you’re supposed to have your life all figured out. We’ll all find a purpose one day. Also, it’s never too late to be who you might’ve been and you can insist on a different ending to your story.
What appeals you the most about songwriting?
I love that feeling when you hear a song for the first time and it just stops you in your tracks with how beautiful it is, breathtaking, gives you chills. Songs are powerful and tap into subconscious feelings, they let you feel things you aren’t allowed to say out loud otherwise. Some things are not really socially acceptable to talk about but you can say it in a song.
What do you want to accomplish as a human being?
Oh gosh, I just want to leave the world a better place. I want to inspire healing and show that healing is possible and that you deserve it. I put off healing and treatment for so long because I always said that other people have it worse. Other people do have it worse, but you still deserve healing. I thought that admitting I needed healing meant accepting there was something wrong with me. And if something was wrong with me, then that meant I was “crazy” or “weak” like how I viewed the people who did bad things to me. The last thing you want to admit when you’ve been wounded is that you are wounded. You want to be strong and resilient. But being resilient takes grieving and deep healing. Trauma can take so much from you, and make you feel you’re not worthy of healing or that it’s not possible, but that’s not true. Trauma also takes away so much productive time from you, so take it back. Time to shine baby.
What are you the most proud of?
When I get messages saying I’ve inspired someone to seek healing after abuse, to stand up for something inappropriate, to demand respect, to realize they did nothing wrong, or especially from veterans who suffer PTSD... Nothing is more special than knowing I could be that person that inspires them to seek justice or healing when someone else was that person for me.
What advices do you want to give to women around the world?
Demand to be treated with respect. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Support other women!
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Equality and knowledge would make the world a better place. The more people know about the injustices that are happening, whether gender-based or race-based violence etc, the world would be a better place with more understanding of how to fix inequality and how to stop it. I think a lot of people with good hearts just don’t have the knowledge and understanding of how things really are for other people that are different from them.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
I think the biggest life lesson I’ve learned so far is that nothing matters except the love you give and the humans you connect with. Like my favorite poet Rupi Kaur says, your degree, your job, the money, nothing matters except how well you love.
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