Moving from a small town in Texas to Seattle, Washington could be a major culture shock for some people. Rocky Votolato, who will perform with Minus the Bear at the Library on Mar. 5, used it as a launching pad for his career as a musician, like many others to come out of the thriving Northwestern music scene.

Votolato’s latest album, “Makers,” has garnered enough attention to have the first single “White Daisy Passing” featured on the Feb. 9 episode of FOX’s “The O.C.”

“It’s a real platform for new artists to get out there a little bit more,” Votolato said in a telephone interview. “It’s the most exposure I’ve had from any record.”

However, Votolato is no new artist. He formed the band Waxwing with his brother Cody Votolato in 1996 and, after they broke up in 2003, released “Suicide Medicine” which was recorded with Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla.

“Makers” is Votolato’s fourth solo album and first on his new label, Barsuk Records.

“I wanted to experiment more with simplistic types of arrangements,” Votolato said. “The new record is pretty stripped-down.”

The 28-year-old credits his influences according to where he grew up. In Texas he was exposed to a lot of folk and country with influences such as Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. In Seattle, he listened to punk bands such as Fugazi and Jawbreaker, which he now says he considers a “10-year phase.”

“I definitely feel like I’ve gotten further away from those influences and back to the songwriters, like early (Bob) Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel,” Votolato said.

Votolato didn’t start writing songs until he was in high school in Seattle, but in Texas, his uncle played Bob Dylan and Beatles songs on his guitar at parties that his parents would throw and that was an early inspiration for him.

However, Votolato said that growing up in Seattle has pushed him to be a better musician that he wouldn’t have had if he’d stayed and “grown up in the vacuum” in Texas.

Votolato said that he wrote two records worth of material when writing songs for “Makers” and that he’d like to do that every time. He said he wrote the songs one at a time as they came to him over the course of a year and a half.

“I wanted it to be done right and I want to be able to look at it many years from now and be happy with what was there,” Votolato said.

Votolato said that while the Internet is changing the way people get music, from MP3 players to iTunes, people would understand his music and songwriting better if they were to listen to the album in its entirety, which is why he really tries to make a complete record “without a lot of filler.”

“I like the way a turn of a phrase can have a powerful effect on people,” Votolato said.

To listen to a sample of Rocky Votolato click here.

The concert will take place at the Library Eats and Drinks on Folsom Blvd. on Sunday March 5.

Frank Miller can be reached at [email protected].