Alex Preston Philbrick (born May 6, 1993),[1] better known as Alex Preston, is an American singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as the third-place finalist on the thirteenth season of American Idol. His self-titled debut album was released on July 21, 2015, and his second album, A Work in Progress, was released in 2018.
Early life
Alex Preston was born and raised in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire.[1][2] He wrote his first song called "Fish Food" when he was 12. He attended Souhegan High School in Amherst, New Hampshire where he played the guitar in a jazz band, and in the percussion section in concert and a marching band.[3] He also formed a band with friends, Dustin Newhouse, Josh Brackett and Tucker Brown, called Undertow.[1] He graduated from high school in 2011,[4] and studied at the University of New Hampshire.[5]
Preston has written songs with his cousin Jo Dee Messina, the rock band Framing Hanley, and Aria Summer. His song was used in the CD "Voices for Heroes," a benefit for Sandy Hook.[6] He won the "Open For MixFest" competition organized by a radio station to open for acts such as Backstreet Boys, Gavin DeGraw and Of Monsters and Men.[6] His single "The Light Was Already Here" was released in September 2013.[7]
^Due to the judges using their one save on Sam Woolf, the top 8 remained intact for another week.
2014–2019: Alex Preston album and A Work in Progress
His debut, self-titled album was recorded in a cabin in Lone Pine, California and was released in 2015.[8] His second album, A Work in Progress, was released in 2018.[citation needed] In 2019, he won a New England Emmy Award in the Special Event Coverage category for the program NH Chronicle Presents New Hampshire Idol.[9][10]
