Colbie Caillat To Mentor Artists In Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter Contest!

Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter is on the hunt for America’s next new talent! Aspiring, unsigned artists from around the country have the chance to enter to win recording an E.P with Grammy Award-winning producer Don Was, perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, take home new gear and $25,000 cash. Colbie Caillat, a new addition to the contest, will be mentoring the artists along the journey.

We caught up with Callait to get her thoughts on being involved in this project!

How did you get involved with the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter program?

Not only have I worked with Guitar Center in the past – I appeared on Guitar Center Sessions and recently shot a commercial with them – but I’ve always admired their commitment to supporting musicians. Most of the employees at Guitar Center are musicians themselves, so it’s a company that shares my belief that playing music is the greatest feeling on earth. I’m honored to be able to work with them to help share that joy with the world.

Why do you think it’s advantageous to have a nation-wide search for new talent?

You can find new talent everyday. People grow up and develop their talents, people also are constantly improving themselves by practicing and learning their crafts everyday.

What are some of your favorite aspects of the mentoring process?

I like to give advice to people that I wish was given to me when I was starting out as a young musician/business woman. Hopefully [this] help[s] their process & career flow as smooth as possible.

In your opinion, what makes a good song?

Honest, relatable lyrics. Memorable lyrics as well, catchy melodies. Either gorgeous or fun, genuine vocals, quality recordings and amazing musicians.

What are you most looking forward to about being a mentor?

Helping someone strengthen their talents and develop a career with longevity.

What are some of the challenges in transferring a song out of an artist’s head and into the studio? How do you overcome them?

The hardest part is finding the right production for the song. You also have to factor in if that style represents the artist appropriately and if the sound is current to where people will instantly wanna keep listening to it. Sometimes you have to record a song multiple times, with different producers and musicians, in different keys and tempos, possibly different genres, to find the perfect sound for that 1 song. It can take a lot of time and a lot of money.

What is your approach to addressing new artists?

Advice is always good; sometimes we can get complacent with our work and our ideas. It’s good to get input from others because it will benefit the work. It’s important to not let ego get in the way. It’s also important to know what you want so you don’t get strayed too far away from it by others. That can be the most difficult part.

What do you think the artists you mentor will learn from this experience? What will you learn from this experience?

They will learn teamwork, new techniques and work methods by working with others. They will be inspired.

I will learn to truly be a hands-on mentor, patience, and teaching skills. And I’ll also be inspired.

Beginning on September 1st through November 2nd, artists will be able to enter the contest by submitting original music videos at www.guitarcenter.com/songwriter. All submissions will be ranked on their social media engagement and fan growth. The top artists will be reviewed by Don Was who will then handpick 5 finalists to perform live at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, where one winner will be named.

Good luck, everyone!