When Kate Voegele and Michael Grubbs were introduced to the world via The CW’s television drama, One Tree Hill, so was their musical catalogs. Their original music naturally took on a more traditional pop sound as it was featured on the show, but this time around they’ve decided to join forces and embrace their indie roots for the duo Your Future Ghost.

Closer to the beginning of the global pandemic, Voegele and Grubbs were catching up via video call when they decided to write a song together. They had maybe written together once before, but they’ve never lived in the same city so the opportunity just never came up. Since they currently had a seemingly endless amount of free time, they wrote another one soon after. The song naturally became a duet, and made them question, “is this a band?”

“We didn’t set out at all to start a band, but it was almost like we never had the chance to creatively see how our voices meshed until we stumbled into it,” Voegele said.

As the band organically took shape, so did their sound. It went from sounding like solo Kate Voegele music featuring Michael Grubbs to Wakey Wakey music featuring Kate Voegele before it suddenly clicked. They both leaned on their admiration for indie bands and it was as if the final piece to the puzzle was placed.

”It’s really true that sometimes you can be really good friends with somebody and you can both be really talented in your own ways but you just don’t creatively vibe sometimes,” Voegele said. “Just because a friendship chemistry exists does not always equal a creativity chemistry, but this was a case where we both realized we get along as friends really well but we also really work well together. [Grubbs] is just the type of artist and collaborator that really holds space and creates space for the other people collaborating to be real and honest and put forward ideas without feeling afraid of being vulnerable. That is harder to find than you think.”

Early albums from Arcade Fire and Yeah Yeah Yeahs served as inspiration for their upcoming album, slated for an early 2025 release. Their first single, “We’ve Got Places”, felt like the best place to start as the song feels like a bridge between the music fans know them for and the music fans are being introduced to.

“We felt like it would be a good idea to lead with something that maybe had echoes of some of what people are used to hearing from us even though it was really different,” Voegele said.

Prior to the release of “We’ve Got Places”, Voegele and Grubbs actually sat on the music for years. It felt incredibly vulnerable to share something drastically different than what their fans knew them for. It got to the point where they had such a strong selection of songs that truly represented where they were in life, and it would be a shame if no one ever heard them.

The timing was perfect when Voegele was invited as a guest on the Drama Queens podcast, a rewatch of One Tree Hill, but could not discuss the show per guidelines of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Instead she got to share the news of Your Future Ghost with the people that helped introduce them.

One Tree Hill fans were also the first to see Your Future Ghost perform live. Events honoring the show are hosted in Wilmington, N.C. every year where fans can meet the actors and tour the places they filmed. Voegele and Grubbs spent days rehearsing and had planned to bring a full production alongside their performance. Unfortunately, delayed flights and damaged instruments nearly derailed the show.

“It was one of those situations where everything goes to shit so much that you almost have to laugh and just rise to the occasion,” Voegele said. “The fans were so cool and supportive about it, and it actually ended up being this really special badass, grassroots, dive bar, indie band experience because it was just raw guitar and vocals. We just had to deal with it and figure it out, which is really the punk rock spirit of all indie rock music, so it was perfect.”

Their latest single, “I’m Like Money”, was one they knew they wanted a music video to accompany it. With a shoestring budget and an amazing group of collaborators, they set out to the desert to film a story about two hustlers who lure people into thinking they’re going to make money from a desert monster. The end product was something they were very proud of despite a mishap that involved Voegele being hospitalized for dehydration. Thankfully it was not anything too serious, and with the talent of director Teck Sokic, they were able to put together something exceptional.

For Your Future Ghost, taking a DIY approach to the music involves finding a perfect balance between everything else going on in their lives. Voegele said it’s part of the magic of the band - it may feel as though they are stumbling their way through it but there is something genuine in that. They have given themselves over to this art, and fans can feel that.

“I think there’s something really liberating and fun about being able to completely start from scratch,” she said. “In many ways this music is what got me out of a creative rut. I was really struggling with what I wanted to say next as an artist and I feel like now I’m more inspired than ever about what I wanted to say eventually with my solo stuff. I was able to go over here and explore this side of my artistry with [Grubbs] so it’s been really fun.”

Taking inspiration from their experiences in the spotlight and the community they’ve formed, Your Future Ghost plans on sharing a debut album that is full of everything they love about some of their favorite artists: big guitars, thunderous drums and striking synths. Trying something new in their artistry has sparked a fresh wave of creativity, and they plan to ride that wave as long as they can.