Lawrence Preston

Eclectic Soul may be Lawrence Preston's first widely released album, but he is no newcomer to the music scene. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay area, Preston comes from a musically gifted family. His parents once had a gospel band called The Sensational Travelers.  As a child, he joined his family in a group dubbed The Gospel Jackson Five. The multifaceted Preston is not only a talented singer, he is also a musician with a particular affinity for the bass guitar.  He began by the trombone in a jazz ensemble as a teen and by learning lead guitar at home from his dad.  As he progressed, he began to play the bass guitar, even playing bass for Dorothy Morrison's gospel band.  With Eclectic Soul, Preston tries his hand as a solo artist.  The album, says Preston, "comes from the heart."  Eclectic Soul has an R&B sound with a side of funk, but Preston's early exposure to gospel is an influence that can be heard throughout.
Preston says "What is close to me about the CD is it's a collection of some of the first songs that I wrote that I had an opportunity to evolve to this level."  Preston feels the album authentically represents him as an artist. He also was able to develop his hand as a songwriter.  "As a songwriter you want to be a story teller. I'm proud of that, that I got to tell my story and tell other stories too.  Some tracks on the album are derived from his own experiences and some are based on the experiences of others. Preston says "Driving Me Away" is autobiographical while the inspiration for "Stood Up" came from observation and talking to people. Preston likens it to hanging out at the local barber shop and hearing the stories, which he describes as a "collage of experiences."  Preston's experience of creating Eclectic Soul was a positive one.  "At this point, for me, it's becoming easier because I'm understanding more of who I am as an artist.  Musically, in that context, it helped me with the direction I want to go."
Preston says that Eclectic Soul is doing well nationally.  He's looking to start a tour and response to the album will determine where dates will be set up.  Preston can be found online at his website as well as iTunes and YouTube.  If you want to give him a shout out, he'd love to hear from you on Twitter!  You can find links below as well as the audio from the on air interview.

Live Interview on Soundcloud
Lawrence Preston Music
iTunes
YouTube Live Performance