Lena Dunham writes Girls when she's listening to Taylor Swift.

The writer and star of the huge HBO drama always puts her friend's records - famous for their tracks lamenting lost loves - when she's thinking of ideas for the show.

"She writes her own destiny in a way which is very unusual, especially for a young woman in the world of pop music. I wrote half of the first season of Girls listening to her Speak Now album and wrote much of the third season listening to Red," Lena said.

Lena, 27, is proud to call Taylor, 24, a friend and says she is always asking her for advice because she is very wise: "Taylor is a good friend of mine. I call her and text her all time. She helps me be stronger and make better decisions. She has amazing creative instincts. She's really a proponent of not feeling pressure from anybody else and recognizing that you have a better connection to what your 'brand' is than anybody else."