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It's no surprise that Natasha Bedingfield's June 23 show at the 300-seat State Room is sold out.
The intimate club doesn't offer nearly enough room for a singer-songwriter who had a Top 5 pop album and single as recently as 2008 with "Pocketful of Sunshine." She earned a following thanks to her 2005 single "Unwritten," a massively popular radio hit that also served as the theme song for the hit MTV show "The Hills."
Bedingfield, 29, has the kind of name-brand star power perfectly sized for arenas. But that's not the point of what she's calling her "Less Is More Tour."
"In pop music, sometimes we think more is more, and blowing people's heads off," said the blond British daughter of New Zealand natives in a phone interview. "I've been sick of the way pop music has been going. It's more about packaging and less about music."
That's why the Grammy-nominated Bedingfield released "Strip Me" last year, in a conscious decision to create more intimate songs. She co-wrote all 13 tracks, providing a glimpse of who the singer is behind all of that pop star glitter, showcasing the talent that prompts Utah native David Archuleta to name Bedingfield as one of his chief influences.
"The theme of the album was less is more," Bedingfield said. "As humans, we are so diverse, but when you strip everything away, we're all the same and have the same desires and fears."
Salt Lake City audiences will see a back-to-basics, largely acoustic show that's not just a marketing gimmick. "When I started out, I wanted to be more like Alicia Keys," she said.
It explains why Bedingfield's two biggest hits, "These Words" and "Unwritten," are essentially about writer's block. And why Bedingfield, an undeniably attractive woman, hasn't fallen to the sexpot-driven scrutiny that fellow pop stars such as Christian Aguilera and Britney Spears have willingly submitted to. "I'm a little bit shyer," said Bedingfield, adding that she admires the understated presence of Coldplay's Chris Martin.
Bedingfield will be accompanied by opening acts Andy Grammer and Kate Voegele. Voegele, 24, is another female songwriter who has resisted the impulse to sell herself as a sexualized flavor of the moment.
She shared the stage with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, James McMurtry and Wilco at 2005's Farm Aid, and considers folk and gospel musician Patty Griffin — whom she has toured with — as her guiding light.
She named Grace Potter, whom she has opened shows for, as another artist she looks up to. Recently, the two were on the same bill in a Cleveland venue when the power went out. Potter used the opportunity to create a "campfire vibe" that Voegele described as "the coolest thing I've ever seen."
Besides appearing as a character on "One Tree Hill," the Ohio native continues to write personal, introspective songs. Her album "Gravity Happens" was released in May. Many of the songs were written during a tough year when Voegele saw her aunt battle cancer, as well as seeing a friend become paralyzed in an accident — and then his wife left him.
"Life throws you curve balls," she said. "It likes to throw you for a loop." The key is learning how to take on challenges and not let them bring you down.
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Less Is More
Natasha Bedingfield performs, with Kate Voegele and Andy Grammer opening.
When • Thursday, June 23, at 8 p.m.
Where • The State Room, 638 S. State St., Salt Lake City
Tickets • Sold out