Cool Colbie, Hot August nights

LEWISTON - After winning two Grammy Awards and selling more than six million albums and 10 million singles worldwide, there's only one thing left for singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat to conquer - her stage fright.

"There are so many times when it's so bad I want to quit," said Caillat, who will be the headlining performer Saturday at Lewiston's Hot August Nights. "But how can you when you've had a packed stadium like Madison Square Garden sing the words to 'Bubbly?' Those moments are so unforgettable."

"Bubbly," Caillat's breakthrough single that was featured in 2007 on her debut studio album, "Coco," propelled her into fame and gave her a platform to release three studio albums and one Christmas album.

The 30-year-old's latest album, "Gypsy Heart," embodies the style and roots of the music Caillat grew up listening to and is now known for producing - but it also welcomes change with open arms.

"I started out with acoustic and organic music, but I love branching out to different genres," Caillat said. "With this album, there's a little more going on production-wise."

Caillat isn't afraid of taking risks with her music, and the proof is in her most recent single, "Try."

The song encourages women to stand up against the unrealistic standards society sometimes holds against them, and Caillat made certain that message came across in her music video.

The video features Caillat, barefaced and makeup free, along with other women. It was a first for Caillat, but it was also something she knew she wanted to do from the moment she wrote the song.

"I'm involved with every video I do, but this one in particular was amazing," Caillat said. "I wanted to make sure I showed the process of hair and makeup from start to finish, to show girls all the work that goes into the final product of what they see."

The video proved to be a changing point for Caillat, who said she will now send back proofs of photos if she notices excessive Photoshopping.

Caillat said although she considers herself extremely nonconfrontational, she has never experienced issues with being "too honest" in her music.

"I'm so shy," she said. "In real life, I'll never go up to someone and tell them how I feel, but I have no problem putting it all in a song."

Caillat looks back fondly on her 8-year career and the definitive moments - like all the sold-out shows and the time she performed for President Barack Obama's family at the White House - that have shaped her into the artist, and person, she is today.

When asked what her response would be if someone told her 15 years ago that she'd be where she is now, Caillat answers with a laugh.

"I think for any career, it would be unbelievable if someone told you that you'd be able to make your dreams come true," Caillat said. "I've performed for amazing audiences and my heart loves to write . It's been incredible."