“The Cycle” and “Reasons to Stay” by Kate Vogel

     The songs of Kate Vogel are confessional, revealing both past vulnerability and current resolve. That description is particularly accurate for “The Cycle” and “Reasons to Stay.”

     "The Cycle" reveals her story of childhood abuse and identifies the sadly unfortunate tendency for abusiveness to be passed from one generation to the next. But “The Cycle” ends with skillful melodic punctuation - “This cycle ends with me.” Turning to “Reasons to Stay,” the verses introspectively revisit Vogel’s thoughts that pushed her to an attempted suicide, while the chorus describes reasons to stay. As in “The Cycle,” the last line is masterful, when Vogel adjusts the sentence in order to invite the listener into her resolution – “We all have a reason to stay.” 

     While each song from Kate Vogel carries its individual qualities, her music is characterized by sparse yet emotionally effective instrumental support and choruses in a higher range than the verses. “The Cycle” does become more instrumentally elaborate and textured just before its two-minute mark, but returns to its acoustic guitar roots for the quietly powerful conclusion. In comparison, “Reasons to Stay” is piano that assists the lyrical message without stepping on or distracting from the vocal beauty. Interestingly, Vogel's song “Rain” uses a slide guitar approach to emphasizing the emotion of a magically poetic description of struggle.

       Although the verses of her songs leave no doubt that she is a soprano, it is during the choruses that Kate Vogel exhibits her ability to beautifully command upper octaves. Vogel is from Los Angeles, but relocated to Nashville at the age of 16.

      “The Cycle” by Kate Vogel 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katevogel8

Website: https://katelvogel.com/

     “Reasons to Stay” by Kate Vogel

Lyrics of “Reasons to Stay” by Kate

I've been driving around
Here in this town

Know it like the back of my hand

I've been dreaming of ways, ways to get out

Put myself in a box

That I'd never be

Someone I'm proud of you see

Here I am on this bridge facing defeat

I'm just doing the best I can

I'm just living the life I have

I'm confused but I'm fine with that

The beauty will outweigh the pain

From the chill of the autumn wind

And the laugh of your sister's kid

To the first snow when it sets in

The beauty will outweigh the pain

We'll all find a purpose one day

There's so many reasons to stay

No I don't wanna die

Just don't wanna live

Why can't I reach out for help

You would do anything to get me through this

I'm so used to alone

Don't know what it's like

To let someone into my mind

But I'd do anything just to survive

I'm just doing the best I can

I'm just living the life I have

I'm confused but I'm fine with that

The beauty will outweigh the pain

From the chill of the autumn wind

And the laugh of your sister's kid

To the first snow when it sets in

The beauty will outweigh the pain

We'll all find a purpose one day

There's so many reasons to stay

I'm just doing the best I can

I'm just living the life I have

I'm confused but I'm fine with that

The beauty will outweigh the pain

We'll all find a purpose one day

We all have a reason to stay