Young star Delaney Ann brings authentic country flair to the Fairgrounds for refurbished Castroville Artichoke Fest.

“I don’t know what love is,” says 14-year-old Delaney Ann. “But it’s fun to write about.”

Her work shows she’s serious about that fun. Her songs are mostly about love, break-ups and cheating, maybe because she grew up listening to the likes of John Denver, Patsy Cline and Kris Kristofferson. Her brightly upbeat “I’m Bad With Names” is about a crush on a boy she sat next to in science class.

The teenage singer-songwriter’s vocal delivery – with traces of a Texas accent in the distance – is effortless, like a seasoned Nashville session musician who’s been at it for decades. The difference here: Ann’s bubbly personality is frontwoman material, ala Taylor Swift, to be seen and not just heard on a recording.

Heartbreak has empowered Ann to pen some of her best work yet, like the Miranda Lambert-style kiss-off, “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” from Ann’s debut EP Fingers Crossed.

“[Songwriting] sorts out all my freshman girl irrational emotions,” Ann says with a tone of authority beyond her years.

Songwriting has been a cathartic and self-affirming outlet for Ann since she found her dad’s guitar and book of chords when she was 10. The inquisitive girl taught herself how to play a few chords and wrote her first tune, “Just Wouldn’t Be the Same,” that night. Four short years later, Ann has written more than 100 originals, scored an endorsement from Daisy Rock Guitars and received top-notch guidance through Blueprint Artist Development in Nashville.

She’s also performed solo-acoustic sets at Pacific Grove’s Good Old Days, Quail Motorcycle Gathering and Barnyard Food and Wine Celebration. On Saturday at 6pm, Ann’s Artichoke Festival performance at the Fairgrounds marks her first time playing live with a backing band, South of Sunday.

That makes it another chance to venture into new territory, which she loves.

“I want to go to college, but if music takes me somewhere else, it’s meant to be,” she says. “This is just the start.”

On top of the up-and-coming country talent, the two-day love letter to Castroville’s pride and joy features local bluesman John “Broadway” Tucker (11:30am Saturday), The Boys of Summer: An Eagles Tribute (5:30pm Saturday), Santana cover group Caravanserai (5pm Sunday), Monterey favorite Red Beans & Rice (11:30am Sunday) and soul outfit Nu-Horizon (2pm Sunday).

THE ARTICHOKE FESTIVAL happens 10am-9pm Saturday, May 31; 11am-7pm Sunday, June 1, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey. $10/adults; $5/active military, seniors and children (4-12); free/children 3 and under. 633-2465.