At the ripe old age of 24, singer-songwriter Kate Voegele already has three albums under her belt.
The Bay Village native’s latest release, “Gravity Happens,” came out last month. And it’s nearest and dearest to her.
“I’m more excited about this one than I have been about anything I’ve put out so far,” Voegele said by phone from Boston, where she kicked off a tour last week. She’ll perform Tuesday night at Cleveland’s House of Blues, in the Cambridge Room.
Openhearted musings on love and life are her specialty, delivered via an inviting blend of rock, pop and folk.
Voegele described “Gravity Happens” as more “rootsy” than her previous efforts, “Don’t Look Away” (2007) and “A Fine Mess” (2009).
“There were instances in the past when people wanted to take my songs and make them super-slick pop, because they’re catchy,” she said. “This album definitely is more of a representation of what my songs are at heart. It feels the most like me.”
PREVIEW
Kate Voegele
When: 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 14.
Where: House of Blues (in Cambridge Room), East Fourth Street and Euclid Avenue, Cleveland.
Tickets: $15 at the box office, or charge by phone, 1-800-745-3000.
If you detect more twang than usual on “Say You’re Mine,” the first track on “Gravity Happens,” it’s not your imagination.
“This record was influenced by a lot of different things,” she said.
“From the beginning, at the heart of what inspires me has been rootsy music — and definitely some country.
“This record isn’t a honky-tonk record, but I hope there’s some crossover potential there. The country-music world has been fascinating me so much, especially in the past few years with artists like the Zac Brown Band and Lady Antebellum coming up. The songs aren’t all about pickup trucks. They almost have this James Taylor kind of vibe.
“I see my music taking that direction a bit.”
Voegele even took up the mandolin recently.
“I’ve made some progress in the past couple of weeks,” she said.
“I’m going to play it a little bit during the show and try to do it justice. It’s such a beautiful instrument. It’s got such a great sound. I love the timbre that it adds to a song.”
Her new album takes its title from the closing track, a pretty, piano-powered ballad.
“It’s essentially about life throwing us curveballs,” Voegele said.
“Stuff’s going to happen that’s scary. Stuff’s going to happen that sucks. At the end of the day, how do we deal with it? Who helps you do that? What helps you do that?
“For me, it’s my family and friends and music.”
She started playing guitar and writing songs when she was 15. After graduating in 2005 from Bay High School, Voegele went to Miami University to study art. She dropped out after her sophomore year to focus on music, although she continues to express herself as a visual artist, too.
“I have drawings and paintings strewn all over,” she said. “It really helps me get in the zone as a writer, to interpret my inspiration visually and musically at the same time.”
She’s also a savvy cross-promoter. Her signature pair of Oakley sunglasses is set to go on sale in the fall, with embellishments inspired by the “Gravity Happens” artwork.
Voegele also has a regular role on the teen-drama television series “One Tree Hill.” It’s not much of a stretch: She plays a young musician named Mia Catalano.
“I never really set out to be an actor, but I’m really grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to cut my teeth on that show,” Voegele said.
“I’m a musician, first and foremost. It’s my first language and my first love, but I’d like to do more acting in the future.”
On last month’s season finale of “One Tree Hill,” Voegele debuted “Heart in Chains,” her latest single.
“It’s about the kind of love that is so addicting that it’s not good for you,” she said.
“You cant concentrate on anything else, which is a great feeling, but it’s unhealthy. I wanted to illustrate what that can be like, so the verses are dark and moody and the chorus is this big rush, because that’s what that kind of love feels like.
“Earlier in my life, I was prone to falling into those types of relationships. That was definitely something that happened to me once or twice, and inspired the song. As I’ve grown up — and I still have a lot of growing up to do — I’ve found a way to make a relationship work, but not have it be what I base my happiness around. That will get you some good songs, but it also ultimately will inhibit your ability to be happy.”
When she’s not on the road, Voegele enjoys soaking up the sights of Los Angeles. She moved there in 2009.
“I was hardly ever there until last year, when I was writing the new record,” she said.
“I would drive to the boardwalk and watch people or drive up the Pacific Coast Highway toward Malibu, just to get inspired. It’s a cool place. It’s almost otherworldly, some of the topography.
“The move inspired a lot of things on this record, songs that are about changes in your life. It was definitely an adjustment for me. But it’s beautiful, you know?
“It’s a big contrast from growing up in Ohio, which is still very much home for me. I love Cleveland, and I always will.”
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Tags: Gravity Happens, Happens, Kate Voegele