Singer Kate Vogel Releases New Single After Trauma: 'I Wanted to Take My Own Life' (Exclusive)

Nashville singer-songwriter Kate Vogel has navigated deep emotional turmoil and profound loss, experiences that are intricately woven into her new single, "Light at the End of the Tunnel."

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Vogel, 30, shared how the song mirrors her journey from heartbreak and grief to ultimate healing.

As a teenager, Vogel endured sexual assault, abuse, and harassment. “It felt like it never ended. Being sexually assaulted started young, and I felt like it was my fault. I moved around a lot as a kid, and that also makes you a little vulnerable because you don’t have an army of people that will defend you,” she revealed. Vogel began struggling with suicidal thoughts.

In 2016, while studying economics at Vanderbilt University, her best friend Kyra died in a car accident. “She was my best friend, and I found myself in the back of my economics classes, writing songs about her instead of focusing on the material. I was failing the class, but I couldn’t stop writing,” the songwriter recalled.

Three months after Kyra's passing, Vogel lost another close friend to suicide. “I was at her funeral,” she reflected. “I wanted to take my own life, too.”

Despite her deep love for music, the overwhelming pain from these losses, coupled with other traumas, led Vogel to bury her passion and pursue a career in finance, hoping it would protect her from further heartbreak. 

“I graduated college and still never told anyone I did music. I just went into corporate finance because I knew you could make money,” she explained.

The singer "hit rock bottom" and attempted suicide in 2019. "I woke up, and I was angry. Why did I just try to take my life when all the people who hurt me, committed crimes against me, are living happy lives? Why can't I be happy? Why can't I be the person I want to be?" she questioned.

A turning point in her journey came with the rise of the #MeToo movement. "When the #MeToo movement happened, it just blew my world open," she reflected.

Vogel found inspiration in the resilience and empowerment stories of Taylor Swift, Kesha, and Gabrielle Union. Their journeys helped her rediscover her voice and gave her the courage to pursue her passion, despite the challenges she faced.

When the pandemic hit, she moved in with her parents in Nashville, while juggling multiple jobs. 

Not long after, she relocated to Los Angeles and began working at Mattel, but the call of music proved impossible to resist. “I found myself going to the bathroom and recording voice notes of songs. When we were working from home, I would just write on my lunch break,” she shared.

This renewed sense of purpose led her to write “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” a follow-up to her first single “Reasons to Stay,” that was released in 2019. 

The new track captures her journey from despair to hope. “‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’ is a letter to my younger self, ”says Vogel. “It starts with, ‘If I could go back and tell myself then, that I’d make it out. I’m breathing again.’”

The new track will be featured on her upcoming record, soft, set to be released on Sept. 20. “Soft is about the constant struggle to remain soft and vulnerable and open to love and good things again after being hurt,” explained the singer.

When Vogel isn't making music, she's dedicated to raising awareness and helping those in need. As a board member for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), she has even represented the organization on Capitol Hill, advocating for LGBTQI+ youth, mental health services for students, the 988 crisis text line, veterans, and equitable access to care.

“There is life at the end of the tunnel. You will not only survive, but you can thrive, and all the best days are ahead of you,” she affirms.