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Van Preston

The OFFICIAL MySpace page for Van Preston

About Me


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Van Preston's debut CD is available now at i-tunes, amazon.com, msn music, yahoo music, cd baby, VanPreston.com and all Live Events!
For Van Preston's Press Kit, show booking, radio interviews or more information:
contact Van at: [email protected] or Phone 615-506-5019.
'Everything I've Never Seen" out to US Country Radio August 4, 2008.
Van and her band have been accepted into the Armed Forces Entertainment Roster of bands and they will be doing an Armed Forces Tour of up to 30 days in 2009.
Van Preston is a Country/ Americana Artist on the rise. Her music can best be described as rootsy country, with strong influences of Americana. Arriving in Nashville in July 2004, Van has had four top-20 hits in Europe since mid-2006, and three songs that have charted on U.S. Country radio in the same period, including one Top Ten for her self-written song "Forever Ago" in March 2008. (www.newmusicweekly.com). She received airplay for the song in major radio markets including Houston, St. Louis, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Tulsa, Rochester,NY; etc. Her single "Tougher Than That" went to 25 on the US Country chart in October of 2007, earning it a spot in the Top 100 Country Hits of 2007 chart, with almost 18,000 radio spins in major U.S. markets.
Her self-titled debut album, produced by Nashville hit writer Greg Crowe, was nominated for 2007 Country Album of the Year in Europe by the European CMA. Van has opened or will open for James Taylor, Melissa Ferrick, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Jack Ingram, and Martina McBride, and others during 2008; and has played and headlined many venues and festivals, including touring Europe and Australia, and has played legendary clubs including (now-defunct) CBGB's in New York. She currently has her self-written song, "Bought Myself A Toy" on Universal Records-Europe Summer 2008 and two additional songs licensed to a second European Record label, Scandinavia's Mr. Music Records. A songwriter as much as an artist, Van has scored several songwriting competition wins, including having two songs among the top nine Country songs in the prestigious 2007 John Lennon Songwriting Competition, placing in both the 2005 and 2006 Nashville Songwriting Association Annual Song Contest, and placing in the UK Songwriting Contest. In 2006, Van's song "What Goes Around" that placed in the top 15 in the 2006 CMT/NSAI Song Contest was featured on cmt.com during March and April of that year.
Van Preston grew up in a small Arkansas town, discovering her love and talent for songwriting at the age of nine. The valedictorian of her high school class, Preston earned a marketing and management Bachelor's degree in Minnesota before heading to Music City.
"Radio Stats: "Bought Myself A Toy", went to 19 in Europe AND 71 in the US. "HeartBroke For The Last Time" went to 4 in Europe. "What Goes Around, Comes Around" went to 16 in Europe. "Forever Ago" went to 10 in the US and went to 21 in Europe, "Tougher Than That" went to 9 in Europe and 25 in the US. " Everything I've Never Seen" went to 20 in Europe and is set to be released to the US in July 2008.

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PRESS REVIEWS
"VAN PRESTON: Making It on Her Own"; By PHIL SWEETLAND, New York Times Nashville Correspondent, Music and Radio
NASHVILLE – The lovely lady from Arkansas proudly describes herself as “unsigned and unrepresented.” But Van Preston left out several adjectives in that description of her music, words that apply perfectly, such as “powerful,” “catchy,” “personal,” “commercial,” and “important.” Just how important is her work? Just ask the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, which in 2007 recognized Van’s original songs not once but twice. “Toy” and “Someone Who Ain’t Me” were both cited by the prestigious Lennon panel.
Radio has also jumped on Preston’s music. Van has found other media to get her music heard. MySpace, for instance, has become one of the fastest-growing sources of music in the wired world, and Preston has become a MySpace favorite. (Last year, she was) rated the Top Unsigned Americana Music on MySpace. European fans, so often ahead of their American brethren on groundbreaking music, have fallen in love with Van: She’s the No. 4 indy artist over there and has racked up four Top 20 hits in Europe in the last 18 months.
Preston is a quiet person at first, but still waters run deep. She happily is making a lot of noise on the road and at Radio with a sound that is both hauntingly familiar and utterly new. -----------------------
"Performing Songwriter" Reviewed by Mare Wakefield. Every so often you'll hear a singer with so much unbridled joy in her voice, you can't help but smile. Van Preston will hit you this way with well-crafted lyrics to match her sassy soprano. Preston's self-titled release has a decidedly classic country flavor along the lines of Dwight Yoakum or Loretta Lynn. Sweet fiddle and pedal steel add just enough sparkle without detracting from the lyrics.Highlights include "What Goes Around Comes Around" and the fast-paced "HeartBroke for The Last Time". But the cherry on top of this musical sundae is "Bought Myself A Toy." "When I'm missing you, I just snap that baby right out of the case and it gets rid of my blues," Preston sings over electric guitar and raucous drumming." ---------------------------------
MUSIC ROW, Robert Oerrman, on Track One of Van Preston Debut CD, "Tougher Than That", "Vans a feisty gal on the kick-off rocker of her album. The bright, male harmonies on the choruses are quite effective, as are the electric guitar work and organ notes." ------------------------------------
""Van Preston's 'Absolutely Broken' is catching on each week with our listeners. I think we'll be hearing a lot more from her." Dennis Voy, KMAQ-FM/AM, Maquoketa, IA ------------------------------------
"You're obviously very talented and I wouldn't be surprised if I flipped on CMT one day to see you in a video or something. Your style of country music is exactly what my listeners and myself prefer." Mark Bownds, KGAS Radio ---------------------------------------
"Van Preston has developed a style that is both distinctive and radio friendly. Her debut video is dynamic and exciting, and if there's any justice she'll end the year as one of Nashville's premier new talents." American Music Channel --------------------------------------
On Van's Debut Single, "Absolutely Broken", "She has a lot of verve in her voice, and the song is quite catchy..."Robert Oerrman, Music Row -----------------------------------------
"Thanks for the new promo of Van Preston's CD. You sure caught my attention! "What Goes Around" is excellent! Van has a voice that makes it hard to push the eject button; you've just got to finish the song..." John Roths,KEOS Radio, College Station, TX --------------------------------------
SEVEN OUT OF SEVEN STARS! Reviewed by Brad Fischer, for Nashville Music Guide -------------------------------------------
"Van Preston is among our listeners favorite artist and for good reason. Country/Americana that really lets loose. A combination of great songs, strong muscianship and lyrically direct. This highly charged cd has a collection of songs that everyone can relate to. Vocally powerful in a Rocker sense, Van holds true to her chosen genre and has created excitement and entertainment in each track on this fabulous self-titled cd. This is definitely another win for Country/Americana and for our broadcasts"- Bert Gagnon Musictogousa Songwriter's Network. -------------------------------------------------------

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 5/11/2005
Band Website: vanpreston.com
Band Members: Daniel Pierce: BANDLEADER, Lead Guitar, Bass, Keys, Mandolin, Harmonica
Sammy Mayers: Drums
Nathan Walker: Guitar
Tommy Royset: Rhythm Guitar and Vocals
Daniel Lawrence Walker: Slide Guitar
Crossing Keys, Van's Full band in Europe (based in Sweden)


Influences: Dwight Yoakam, Elvis, Delbert McClinton, U2, Dolly Parton, Alannys Morissette, Liz Phair, Dixie Chicks, Keith Urban, Janis Joplin, John Prine, Mike Stinson, My all-time FAVORITE- the late Keith Green, Bonnie Raitt, Lenny Kravitz, Emmylou Harris, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, JET, Cat Stevens, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, The Beatles. The world is full of such GREAT MUSIC!!
Sounds Like: I've been told I remind folks of Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Emmylou Harris, Faith Hill, Kelly Willis, Lucinda Williams and others, both in songwriting style and unique vocals. A sound and style all my own! I am a cross between Country/ Americana/ Rock. I'd like to have that classic, undefinable sound that one would attribute to The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and Lucinda Williams...where the music is simply GREAT. Fortunately, people that say they hate country music tell me they love my music, and folks who gravitate toward Rock and Americana seem to dig my stuff. I think I'm well on the way to having that crossover, undefined-genre sound.
to Van's Videos on YouTube





AlwaysCountry.net is now playing Van Preston*Tune In here*



Musictogousa Songwriter's Network is now playing Van Preston *Tune In here*


Record Label: Lookin' For A GREAT label, Nashville
Type of Label: None

My Blog

WOOHOO!!! On the Road again!!

My band and I are driving from Nashville to Raleigh today, to open for Kenny Chesney and LeAnn Rimes tomorrow and Saturday. YAY!! We are soooo excited!!!
Posted by Van Preston on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:44:00 PST

My radio single!

My good news for the day is this:My new radio single, just out to radio LAST week, just made it to the country charts. My single was the SECOND most added FEMALE ARTIST single to country music playlis...
Posted by Van Preston on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:10:00 PST

Great News..

Today I got copies of the album for the second European label I have my music signed to, Mr. Music Country Records in Sweden which has distribution in four countries. Previously, Universal Records in...
Posted by Van Preston on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:06:00 PST

Nashville Seminar "How to Make it in the Music Business"

Nashville Seminar "How to Make it in the Music Business""HOW TO MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC BIZ: A COURSE FOR ARTISTS, WRITERS, AND OTHERS... NAVIGATING THE WATERS"I am one of the featured speakers at this e...
Posted by Van Preston on Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:27:00 PST

"Everything Ive Never Seen" is out to radio!

Please call your radio station and ask them to play my new single. My last single, "Forever Ago", went to 10 on the country charts. The single should be into stations by now. If a station would like ...
Posted by Van Preston on Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:05:00 PST

YAY!! GREAT NEWS!!

I have a couple of booking people working on shows for me, and one of my booking agents emailed me this morning with some GREAT news!! My band and I have been accepted into the "Armed Forces Entertain...
Posted by Van Preston on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:49:00 PST

Bought Myself A Toy

There has been some debate in the last few days about the exact lyrics to my song, "Bought Myself A Toy". Currently going across Europe on Universal Records, this song has also placed as one of the to...
Posted by Van Preston on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:04:00 PST

Stay Tuned..

My best friends in the world are going to be doing some recording of my new songs in the upcoming weeks! I am SO excited!! Being penniless right now (if you need a realtor, call me..I can use the work...
Posted by Van Preston on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:07:00 PST

News In My World..

I have had soooo many cool developments in the last few weeks, it's long overdue that I should write a blog. First of all, my next radio single, "Everything I've Never Seen", is out to radio stations ...
Posted by Van Preston on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:48:00 PST

An Artists "TO-DO LIST"

An Artist's 'To-Do' List; By Van Preston; 6/27/081. Write (Or Get) The very best material possible. Songwriting Competitions, Writer Nights, etc are great ways to find great material without getting t...
Posted by Van Preston on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:37:00 PST