Petra Haden Coaches Contestants on 'The Sing-Off'

Indie songstress and all-around vocal powerhouse Petra Haden has been bowling over audiences for years with her uniquely skewed pipes. Now, Pitchfork is reporting that she's taking an expanded role at NBC's The Sing-Off,' a reality show based around a cappella teams from all over the country competing in a cutthroat drama for the ultimate prize: praise from lead judge Ben Folds and money.

The show, hosted by Nick Lachey, capitalizes on 'Glee' mania and recently wrapped-up its first four-episode season. For the second go-round, Haden has been present from the first wave of auditions, helping contenders craft unique vocal strategies and styles so that no one suffers any huge embarrassments on national television.

"I was really there to help with people's pitch and dynamics of the songs," said Haden in a statement. "It was challenging, but still a great experience."

According to Haden, the first season went like so: Everyday she and the other judges and coaches heard as many as 40 groups perform. After narrowing the field down, she then helped with arrangements and coached finalists on a path to potential victory. An all-female barbershop quarter called Maxx Factor was one of her main projects. They reached the top five before being voted off by viewers.

Haden's last solo effort was an a cappella take on 'The Who Sell Out' in 2005. She's currently working on another record that contains a cappella recreations of her favorite movie themes.