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By Paul John Caña, Contributor
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Colbie
Caillat combines
singer-songwriter aesthetics
with ingénue charm |
If you haven’t heard the song “Bubbly”
yet, then you probably don’t know what a computer is either. When
the relatively unknown Colbie Caillat (rhymes with “ballet”)
posted the song on MySpace.com, it was played some ten million times
by people from all over the globe.
Not surprisingly, there was a deluge of
recording offers for the 22-year-old Jennifer Aniston-lookalike. The
statuesque Californian singer-songwriter fulfilled a lifelong dream
with the release of her debut album Coco under MCA-Universal.
Her father, who co-produced Fleetwood Mac’s
seminal albums Rumours and Tusk, no doubt offered some help. But the
sweet-faced charmer has her own unique blend of simple and sunny pop
ditties that resonate with people choking on too much of the
manufactured crap we hear on radio these days. In town recently for
a promo tour, Caillat talked about her ideal guy, what her favorite
body part is and how far she got when she tried out for American
Idol.
MT: How instrumental were Lauryn Hill songs to
your career?
When I was 11 years old, I heard her version of
“Killing Me Softly” [originally by Roberta Flack] and I was
inspired by her voice and her technique. And I sang that song in
sixth grade and I wanted to be a singer ever since.
MT: Were you always aware that you had the
talent for singing and writing songs?
I didn’t know that I could write songs. But I
always loved singing. And that’s what I always wanted to do
growing up; I wanted to be a singer. But it wasn’t till I played
the guitar that I wrote a song and realized that, oh my Gosh, I can
do this.
MT: You recently collaborated on a song with
Jason Mraz…
Yeah. He sent me an email congratulating me and
saying he really loved my music. And that’s amazing because I’m
a huge fan of his. He said he had a song idea that he thought we
should work on together. We finished writing it together and when he
was finishing recording his album in London, I was over there doing
promo, we went to the studio, recorded his vocals, and now I can’t
wait for it to come out.
MT: What’s the song about?
The song is called “Lucky.” It’s a guy and
a girl singing back to each other. And they’re far from each other
but they have a strong love and they can hear each other from miles
away and see each other in their dreams. And they’re just missing
each other. It’s cute.
MT: What’s the most challenging part about
writing your music?
I guess the most challenging part is [finding
the] time. When I have stuff going on all day, that takes me away
from music. It’s hard to say because when I write music, it’s a
relief; I express my emotions. But when I have stressful, busy days,
I guess I express all my emotions with that, and when I come home, I
have nothing to write a song with. That’s the hardest part.
MT: What do you look for in a guy?
First of all, he has to be taller than me.
[Laughs] But, when I get to know him, I want him to make me laugh. I
want him to have motivations and goals for a good career and a good
future. And if ever I’m dating a guy that’s kind of lazy in that
department, I lose attraction for him. Because I want a family
someday and my dad did everything for my family.
MT: What’s your favorite body part?
[Laughs] I don’t know. Maybe my legs. Because
my mom, she used to be a model and she was really tall and beautiful
and had these really long legs. I think I love legs.
MT: Which artist would you love to work with?
John Mayer. I love his music. His voice. I would
love to write a song with him.
MT: What song do you wish you had written?
Probably a Beatles song. “Imagine,” maybe.
Natasha Bedingfield. Amy Winehouse. One
Republic. Sean Kingston. Bob Marley. And John Mayer.
MT: How do you stay fit?
I try to eat healthy. I don’t eat bread. I
don’t like food that makes me feel weighed down. I eat salads,
chicken, vegetables. And I work out when I get a chance, when I’m
on tour.
MT: If you ever found yourself on American Idol,
what song would you sing?
Actually I did audition for AI. Twice. I think
two years ago, I sang “Bubbly.” Then the first one was two years
before that when I sang “Eyes of a Sparrow,” the song on Sister
Act Two.
MT: How did you fare?
I didn’t even get past the first round! I was
super shy. I just stood there and, I dunno, I got nervous. When I
was singing Bubbly, I think I messed up the lyrics. I didn’t even
meet [the judges]. I was only up till the producers and stuff.
MT: What did you know about the Philippines when
you got here?
I have a friend who came here and he wanted to
buy property. He told me that it was beautiful. And he had friends
who lived here and so I just knew that it was going to be gorgeous.
MT: What do you hope to be doing three years
from now?
Maybe coming out with a new album. Touring
again. I want to write songs for other people. And hopefully by then
I’ll be better at playing the guitar.
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