COLBIE CAILLAT WRITTEN INTERVIEW

THE last few years have seen a huge rise in the number of MySpace breakthrough acts - from Artic Monkeys to Lily Allen and then Kate Nash. It has undoubtedly been the year of the social networking music phenomenon.  The latest act to step-up-to-the- plate is Colbie Caillat, the 22-year-old singer songwriter may on first appearances seem no different to any of the thousands of MySpace artists out there.  But scratch beneath the surface and her story is quite different.  Her rise to fame was unpredictable and rapid to say the least. Like many musicians Colbie put her music on her MySpace and for the first few months nothing happened, but after she wrote Bubbly (her first single released in the UK) the number of hits on her page rose at a phenomenal rate. Before she knew it she was the number one unsigned artist on MySpace a ricochet effect occurred - and in the following four months her music gathered a massive ten million plays. Consequently and rather unsurprisingly Universal Republic snapped her up in seconds. On the day of her first UK performance at Bush Hall in central London, SMHTP’S Olivia Classey caught up with Colbie Caillat for an exclusive chat.

We discovered how the Malibu born star feels flattered when she is compared to singer Jack Johnson, as well as what inspires her to write one of her soul warming songs. If that’s not enough - being the music detectives that we are - SMHTP also unintentionally informed Colbie that she would be singing in front of George Bush at the “Christmas in Washington” concert.  “I know I’m going to be playing at the Whitehouse, but I don’t know if he’s going to be there,” she added.  However on 9th December Colbie stood on stage with George Bush as well as a host of other stars and sung Hark, the Herald Angels Sing and also joined American singer Ne-Yo for a duet of Silent Night. So it seems we were right!

When was the first time you felt like you really made it?

“When I was on TRL, because I used to watch TRL on MTV all the time when I was younger. My music video was in the top ten, I got to be on the show, play live and be interviewed. I couldn’t believe it; it was just unreal to be there.”

Is it true that you’re going performing in front of George Bush at Christmas?

"I don’t know if that’s true. I know I’m going to be playing at the Whitehouse with an orchestra and a bunch of other singers. But I don’t know what it’s for? It’s a TV special so it will be cool.”

Are there any UK artists that you particularly admire?

"I love James Morrison, Natasha Bedingfield, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay and Keane.”

You’re often described as a female Jack Johnson. Do you admire his music?

"It’s great I love his music and how career is portrayed; so I find it a really great compliment.”

Is there anyone in particular you would like to collaborate with?

"John Mayer. I think it could happen someday but I think I have to build my career up a little bit more to rock out with that. But that would be great though.”

Did you ever foresee such rapid success?

"Not so quickly. It’s all happened so fast, it’s shocking and overwhelming but it’s also so exciting. I don’t have too many expectations because I don’t want to get my hopes up. Its better just not to expect anything and then when something good happens it is a surprise.”

MySpace has played a great part in your rise to fame. Do you think it has changed the music industry?

It has in a good way. For me I put my songs up on MySpace and grew a fan base on my own. My fans let me know which songs they liked most and because I had my own base the label came knocking at my door. I had the bonus of showing them that I already had my own fan base and they can’t really change that because it’s already liked for what it is. It’s good to involve your listeners from the beginning I think.”

Did your MySpace fans have a big influence on what tracks went on to your album?

Definitely, they would write me messages saying which songs they liked and what each song meant to them. Everyone one of the 12 songs that went on the album were the one’s that got the most response on MySpace. It was because of them that I actually got the confidence to put the album out. When you write your own album you never know if they are actually as good as people say they are – that confidence booster from them was great.”

You were signed by Universal Republic, was it important for you to retain complete creative freedom?

"For me I want to sing the songs I write, it’s my music and that’s what I should be promoting. If I would have let them change it from the start then that pattern would just continue forever on. A lot of people become unhappy that way and get in a situation that they don’t want to be in.”

How important was album consistency for you?

"I’ve always wanted to make one of those albums like Fleetwood Mac and John Mayer where you can listen to it the whole way through. You also can’t plan when you are writing, for me I just have to keep writing good songs. I have lots of songs that I don’t finish. The songs that I complete I put all my creative abilities into. But because of the MySpace fans I knew which songs would make the album complete.”

Your Dad co-produced Fleetwood Mac’s albums Rumours and Tusk. Did he have a strong musical influence on you as you were growing up?

"My parents listened to their classical rock and my sister raised me on reggae so I had all of those influences. I wanted to be a singer since I was 11-years-old my parents told me, ‘You have to learn how to play an instrument and write your own songs.’Because I was given this advice from such a young age, that’s what got me to where I am now.”

Did your Dad help you to produce your album?           

“It was my Dad, Jason Reeves and I in the studio. We were all had our own input. It was good because we all have different styles, Jason is a folk writer and my Dad produced classic rock back in the 70’s and 80’s. So he knew about all these old techniques that none of us had a clue about. Taking my songs to them and letting them work their magic on them just made the album what it is.”

Which track on your album do you like to play live most?

“Battle, it’s fun because for my band and I because it’s towards the end of the set. We’re all really comfortable and we just let go and rock out. We’re just really in that song and I just love singing it.”

It has been widely reported that you are quite naturally shy. Have you had to overcome this to break into the music industry?

“It is still something that I’m overcoming. When I got into this business I was really terrified but I’m learning as I go. So it’s definitely a learning experience and a process but it’s getting easier everyday.”

Have you played in front of a UK audience yet?“

Not yet we did a Universal Showcase but this will be the first show tonight.”

What inspires you when you are writing?

“Whatever I’m feeling at the time. I usually let things build up inside of me. I don’t express my feelings that often, when I do I usually feel more comfortable putting it in a song because I can do it without anyone listening. That way I can express whatever I feel like saying and capture it in a song and it’s not really directed towards anyone.

It’s a complete release that’s what it is.”

Do you ever get writers block?

“Totally, it’s happened a lot recently. I was writing a lot before we went on tour and for the first three or four months I couldn’t write a song. I tried at least a few times a week. I wouldn’t go out, I would sit in my room but it would come out all wrong.So I had to realise that it just wasn’t time and let it go. When the time came last month I wrote a song and it’s starting to get better.”

How long does it take you to write a song?

“It depends. Battle I wrote in a couple of hours, Feelings Show took me over three months and I still needed help from Jason. So it depends on when I have the release. I usually release all my feelings in the first verse and then I struggle in the second verse because I’ve already explained everything.”

Are you a bit of a perfectionist then?

“I am I’m terrible. When I’m performing live I never think I do well because whenever I mess up or skip a line I think the whole thing is just a bad performance. But then my band always reminds me that people always mess up, that’s beauty of a live performance.” 

“Everyone one of the 12 songs that went on the album were the one’s that got the most response on MySpace. It was because of them that I actually got the confidence to put the album out.”