Finalists in Guitar Center’s Singer-Songwriter 5 Competition Revealed

In less than a month, one of the five amateur finalists for Guitar Center’s Singer-Songwriter 5 Competition will be recording an EP with a Grammy winning producer. Out of 14,000 applicant, five singer-songwriters were chosen to perform in front of a live audience and Ariel Rechtshaid, the program judge and aforementioned producer, on Mar. 4 at the Troubadour in L.A. for a chance to be crowned this year’s winner. The night will also conclude with a performance from City and Colour.

The five finalists for this year’s competition are:

Celestial from Los Angeles, CA

Daena Jay from Costa Mesa, CA

JC Minton from Dallas, TX

Kate Brady from Boulder, CO

Sarah Barrios from Torrington, CT

Among the prizes awarded to the winner is the opportunity to record an EP with Rechtshaid. The L.A.-born producer has worked with Usher, Diplo and HAIM, and won a Grammy as the producer of Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City. In addition, the contest winner will receive a songwriting session with City and Colour, a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, $25,000, new gear and a write up in American Songwriter.

Check out the finalists’ performance videos at www.guitarcenter.com/songwriter.