# Alex Preston (singer)

Alex Preston Philbrick (born May 6, 1993), 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. 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. He also formed a band with friends, Dustin Newhouse, Josh Brackett and Tucker Brown, called Undertow. He graduated from high school in 2011, and studied at the University of New Hampshire.
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. 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. His single "The Light Was Already Here" was released in September 2013.

## American Idol

| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order | Result |
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "Fairytales" (original composition) | Alex Preston | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 1 | A Capella | "Scream & Shout" | will.i.am feat. Britney Spears | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 2 | Group Performance | Not aired | Not aired | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 3 | Solo | "Fairytales" (original composition) | Alex Preston | N/A | Advanced |
| Top 31 (10 Men) | Personal Choice | "Volcano" | Damien Rice | 7 | Advanced |
| Top 13 | This Is Me | "A Beautiful Mess" | Jason Mraz | 9 | Safe |
| Top 12 | Home | "I Don't Want to Be" | Gavin DeGraw | 2 | Safe |
| Top 11 | Songs from the Cinema | "Falling Slowly" | Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová | 9 | Safe |
| Top 10 | Billboard Top 10 | "Story of My Life" | One Direction | 4 | Safe |
| Top 9 | I'm with the Band! | "Don't Speak" | No Doubt | 1 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Back to the Start | Duet "Just Give Me a Reason" with Jena Irene | Pink feat. Nate Ruess | 2 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Back to the Start | Solo "Fairytales" (original composition) | Alex Preston | 12 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Songs from the 1980s | Duet "The Girl Is Mine" with Sam Woolf | Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney | 3 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Songs from the 1980s | Solo "Every Breath You Take" | The Police | 9 | Safe |
| Top 7 | Competitors' Choice | Duet "Let Her Go" with Sam Woolf | Passenger | 3 | Safe |
| Top 7 | Competitors' Choice | Solo "The A Team" | Ed Sheeran | 7 | Safe |
| Top 6 | Rock 'n' Roll | "Animal" | Neon Trees | 4 | Safe |
| Top 6 | Country | "Always on My Mind" | Brenda Lee | 9 | Safe |
| Top 5 | America's Requests | Solo "Sweater Weather" | The Neighbourhood | 1 | Safe |
| Top 5 | America's Requests | Trio "Best Day of My Life" with Jena Irene & Sam Woolf | American Authors | 3 | Safe |
| Top 5 | America's Requests | Solo "Say Something" | A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera | 8 | Safe |
| Top 4 | Love Songs | "Too Close" | Alex Clare | 3 | Safe |
| Top 4 | Love Songs | "I'm Yours" | Jason Mraz | 8 | Safe |
| Top 4 | Love Songs | "Yellow" | Coldplay | 12 | Safe |
| Top 3 | Randy Jackson's Choice | "Pompeii" | Bastille | 2 | Eliminated |
| Top 3 | Judges' Choice | "Stay" | Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko | 5 | Eliminated |
| Top 3 | Hometown's Choice | "Story of My Life" | One Direction | 8 | Eliminated |
* ↑ 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. His second album, A Work in Progress, was released in 2018. In 2019, he won a New England Emmy Award in the Special Event Coverage category for the program NH Chronicle Presents New Hampshire Idol.

## Discography
### Albums

* Alex Preston (2015)
* "Break My Heart"
* "You"
* "Fairytales"
* "The Light Was Already Here"
* "Close to You"
* "200 Miles"
* "The Author"
* "Get Up, Get Down"
* "Love Letters"
* A Work in Progress (2018)

### Digital singles

| Year | Song | Album |
| 2013 | "The Light Was Already Here" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Story of My Life" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Don't Speak" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Fairytales" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Every Breath You Take" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "The A Team" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Animal" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Say Something" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Too Close" | Non-album single |