Leave the love songs to others, declares Caitlin Crosby. This Los Angeles singer/songwriter has more important issues to write about. “You need to have a couple of love songs, but I’m not passionate about writing them,” she says. “The only thing I’m passionate about is saying something that means something, makes people think, and not in a preachy way. I don’t have all the answers, but I like being that person that starts the conversation.” And start it she does on her self-titled debut. With her throaty vocals, thought-provoking lyrics and edgy, pop melodies, Crosby provides a fresh, new voice that demands to be heard as she tackles issues like homelessness (“The Same Inside”) and peer pressure (“Generation”). As the only daughter of a talent manager and a model, Crosby had a front-row seat to Hollywood and its illusions. “It 100% informed my songwriting,” she says. “Sometimes people who seem to have it all are the most empty people.” She also bore witness to the ways Hollywood thrives on making people, especially young girls, feel that they are never pretty or thin enough, addressing the topic on the uplifting “Imperfect is the New Perfect.” “My biggest passion is body image issues with women. Everyone struggles in that area, I struggle with it too,” she says. “Let’s try to support each other and encourage each other instead of tear each other down.” To that end, Crosby launched www.loveyourflawz.com, a website that highlights men and women, including Crosby, showing off their natural beauty. On the lighter side, the CD’s first single, “Still Have My Heart,” recalls fellow songsmith Colbie Caillat in its sweet, uncomplicated look at a relationship (remember, Crosby said you have to have a few love songs). But even then she gives it a twist. The song’s video is a campy, impish look at affection featuring a number of Crosby’s friends as potential suitors, including Zachary Levi (“Chuck”), Jesse Spencer (“House”), Robert Hoffman (“Step Up 2 the Streets”) and Ryan Hanson (“Veronica Mars”). Crosby penned her first song when she was 17 (“It was called ‘Tangled,’ about my first boyfriend. It was awful,” she laughs). She continued to pursue her songwriting dream, supporting herself by acting (“Malcolm in the Middle,” “That ‘70s Show,” “7th Heaven”). She also had a brief stint in a female band, Foxy Nova, and quickly learned that was not her path. “My character got so tested because I had to stand up for things I didn’t feel comfortable saying or wearing,” she says. “So now I want to be reflective of what I really am instead of trying to fit into some image or machine.” As Crosby firmly believes, every challenging experience provides an opportunity. Through Foxy Nova, she worked with superstar producer Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. “I learned so much with him,” she says. “He’s such a brilliant songwriter. He taught me to think how can I say something in a way that no one else has said it.” Following that time with Babyface, Crosby focused on finding and nurturing her own voice as a singer and as a songwriter. “My favorite songs have come out when I’m going through something in the moment. I’m usually by myself. I’ve had a million co-writing sessions. I can do it, but it’s more like math to me because I feel like we’re trying to fit certain things into a place and I’m not necessarily feeling what we’re writing about.” Her influences, not surprisingly, are other acts whose music emphasizes substance over style such as Lifehouse, whose members she’s known for years. “I really liked that they were writing about issues and topics that could mean different things to different people,” she says. “They got me into that.” She also cites Sheryl Crow, Switchfoot, Robin Thicke and Kendall Payne among her favorites. When she’s not talking to high school students about body image, working on her music or on the road opening for the likes of William Fitzsimmons, Crosby frequently takes the stage at the Hotel Café, the most influential, taste-making club for singer/songwriters in Los Angeles. “I’m not the kind of person that likes to perform; my worst nightmare is karaoke,” she says, “so performing was really nerve racking when I first started. I’d forget all the words. But now, I realize that if I want to write songs, and want people to hear them, I need to do that. My favorite thing in the world is talking to people and getting to know people, so playing live and seeing people get affected or giving me my feedback-- that means everything to me. That makes it all worthwhile. I’m so grateful that I’ve gone through what I’ve gone through to get to this point.”