Kate Voegele Hearts Patty Griffin

If you’ve watched One Tree Hill recently, the long running prime time soap opera on the CW network, you’re already familiar with singer-songwriter Kate Voegele, who plays an up-and-coming musician on the show. Or maybe you heard her on the radio; Voegele’s second studio album, A Fine Mess, produced by superstar producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor), came out on MySpace/Interscope Records in May.

In a new interview posted on her YouTube channel, Voegele, who has referred to Diane Warren as her hero, discusses the art of songwriting and gives props to Patti Griffin.

“Songwriting is really about experiencing emotion,” she says, “and sort of putting into words what you’re going through, or what somebody else is going through. I’m just very inspired by what goes on in my life.”

“Growing up, I listened to a lot of Carole King and James Taylor, because my parents love those artists, but mainly Patty Griffin influenced me a lot. Her first record, Living With Ghosts, is just unbelievable, and the songwriting is so raw. The record is just her and a guitar, the entire time. And that’s what I love about it. She can go live with a band and rock it out, but they almost don’t need it, because its already there.

Voegele also admits to letting her studies slip in pursuit of the pefrect rhyme. “I write on the plane, I write in the middle of the night. I used to write in Math class in high school, so the process is really pretty scatterbrained.”

The 22-year old artist also discusses her lucky set up on the show. “One Tree Hill has been great for me because my character Mia’s whole storyline is focused around music, and Mia music is my music. So it’s pretty awesome that the writers have taken it upon themselves to make me a storyline primarily about the music. And since music is my main love and is my main focus right now, it’s helpful, and I’m sure in season 7 we’ll be doing a lot more of that.”

Watch the video here.