Just your average Thursday night, when you are watching television, your cell phone rings and Colbie Caillat is on the other side of the conversation. She says, “Hi,” and that welcoming gesture never sounded so beautifully optimistic before. Oh, so this phone chat doesn’t regularly happen to you? Well, us either, but the one time interview with Colbie Caillat star struck us enough.
Ms. Caillat might have two Grammys under her belt, as well as gold and platinum albums, but this leading lady is incredibly humble about her high achievements. Not that we were surprised to discover this characteristic of hers, but most artists immersed in fame tend to let their modesty drown in the puddle of success.
Clearly, she does not have your average life tale of a woman in her 20s, but Colbie experiences the ups and downs that many girls on the borderline of womanhood undergo. Colbie makes all the celebrities who gain fame with every drug bust and jail arrest they endure seem utterly pitiable. We don’t need to namedrop here, but, umm, those Lindsay Lohan-esques, are incomparable to the Colbies of the world, whose days gleam with sun and avoid the illegal rain drops. One brief point, we are not hinting that Colbie is perfect, no one is, which I am sure you are already tired of hearing. We are simply saying the renowned artist goes through everyday life difficulties, such those involving love. She is the utmost role model for girls.
Excitement floated around our entire chat with Colbie. She was just as eager to talk about her upcoming album, All Of You, as I was thrilled to hear any of the latest news from the musician. Her album will drop July 12th and after listening to the album’s first single, “I Do,” we have set our expectations quite high. We don’t doubt she will still manage to surpass them.
Check out our interview with Colbie Caillat. We promise you will feel empowered to persist through any of your daily struggles after reading her responses.
Congratulations on your platinum, gold, grammy and songwriting success. What has been your most prized achievement since you first broke into the industry?
Well thank you! I think winning the grammy was one of them. It was just so unexpected. It came sooner than I thought. It was something I always dreamed of and I can’t believe I have it at this age. Also with my new record, I am working with Common and that is something I am really proud of because I always wanted to work with him. I finally got the opportunity to. So, I can’t wait for everyone to get to hear that song.
Sounds like it will be an awesome track! Do you think being in the music industry caused you to grow faster than if you weren’t in it?
Yah definitely. You have to keep up with everything, especially when you are your own artist. You have to know the business side as well, which makes you have to be stronger as a person and learn more about what’s going on with your contracts, the money and the deals you end up taking or passing on. You have to learn so much about it to protect yourself. It’s a business. You have to get strong. I think it did make me grow up faster than if I were to have another job per say.
You’re a role model for girls. What advice can you give girls who have not found their “voice” or purpose in the world yet?
What I like to do is tell people to try lots of different things. I had many different interests. I went to school a little bit for interior design and took photography in classes. I always loved music and I also liked painting. I just try different things that interest me and whichever one feels the best that I enjoy doing is the one I would go for. So, if anyone is stuck and doesn’t know what they want to do with their life, just try different things and see where you fit in best and where you are the happiest.
If you weren’t a successful musician, what would have been your career?
You know, I don’t know. I think it would definitely be something in the artistic world, whether it be photography, painting or design. I have ideas for clothing designs, stuff like that. Something where you’re creative, can be artistic in and have freedom to do what you want to do.
Are there any other artists or producers you hope to collaborate with in the future?
I would love to sing a song with Lauryn Hill. She has been one of my biggest influences. I am going to see her perform live in a couple of weeks, which I have never seen before. So, that would be enough for me. If someday we met and actually sang a song together that would be a dream come true.
Are there any secret or hidden themes in your songs and albums, you don’t think your fans know of?
Most of the songs are about love and relationships and the ups and downs of them. Definitely on all three of these albums, I have written about friends or family members that were going through something in their life that was affecting me or made me want to write and express it for them to listen to.
Your songs have a sweet and innocent vibe, which I am sure you get all the time. But what is the most rebellious thing you have done?
When I was 16, I ran away from home with my one friend for like half of a day. We got in trouble and came home, that was it. You know when your 15 or 16 you think everything is the end of the world? That’s where we were at, at that point.
And now some questions about your most recent album. What separates your upcoming album, All Of You, from your other two albums?
I think it is more mature. I think I have grown up a lot more and experienced new things. I allowed myself to be more open with this album and not hold back lyrically with things that could be embarrassing or things that someone may not want me to say. I think I kind of put it all in this album. The songs are more up tempo and have some funky beats to them, where as my other songs had mostly an organic feel.
Can you tell us a little about your relationship with the “you” in your album title, All Of You?
Well, I took that from the song on the album called “All Of You.” It is about wanting everyone to be completely honest, open and truthful and not hold anything back from anyone. I don’t like when it is done to me and I don’t like the way I feel when I do that to other people. I think that when you are completely yourself and not pretending to be someone else or hiding something else from someone, you are more at ease. You can be more comfortable in your own body and people respect you more. I just want to send that message out to everyone that they should be themselves completely and not hide anything.
In your single, “I Do,” are you saying “yes” to marriage or “yes” to being a part of a relationship?
It’s kind of a funny thing. It kind of tricks people to think it would be about marriage. But, it is about wanting to say “I do love you” and wanting to take your relationship to the next step with that. At the beginning of the song I say, “It’s always about me, myself and I. I thought relationships were nothing, but a waste of time.” In the past, I didn’t want to have a boyfriend; I just thought it was kind of annoying. Now, I am so happy to have my boyfriend. It is about taking your relationship to the next level and to not be afraid of going there.
Your music videos read like a story and are extremely relate able to listeners. I always enjoy your videos. How was it making the video for “I Do”?
Well, thank you! It was actually a really fun experience because my boyfriend was in it. It is about me in this apartment, showing that I am thinking about this person throughout the day. The feelings are inside me and whenever I walk around my house the stuff around me would smile and perk up. Justin was in the video, so it made it a little more comfortable to lay in bed and snuggle with someone.
Can you give fans any information about All Of You that isn’t already released?
One of my favorite songs is the next single called, “Brighter Than The Sun.” It comes out in May and I wrote that with Ryan Tedder from One Republic. It is probably one of my favorite songs so far. It is just really fun and lively. I think it is going to be a real good summer song for everyone.
by Lonnie Nemiroff
