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Biography
Every musician has a story about the things they did before they were famous. Rod Stewart was a gravedigger, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs was a puppeteer and Tom Waits was a coast guard, but Prettyman might have them coolest one of them all. You see Prettyman’s first passion was surfing, since her home town of Del Mar is right on the Californian coast.
She was something of a prodigy, so by the time she was in middle school she had earned fifth place in the National Scholastic Surfing Association state championship. However, when she was 15 she was given an Ani DiFranco tape by a friend of her brother’s and since then she wanted to do nothing else.
Surfing’s loss is very much music’s gain however. By the time she was 20 she’s self-released her demos E.P and was playing in coffee houses, clubs and bars throughout California’s San Diego county, and it was while playing those shows that got the attention of fellow San Diegan and subsequent boyfriend Jason Mraz, who invited on her first national tour before she’d even released an album, which in turn attracted the attention of Virgin Records, who signed her soon afterwards.
Her first album came the year after, in 2005. At 23 years of age, she released the album “Twentythree”. I’m sure you can see what she did there. Dorky title aside the album was warmly received, charting on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and ensuring her another album release that came three years later after ending it with Mraz. “Hello…x” was released in 2008 and was another great leap forward, charting at 27 on the Billboard 200.
However, Prettyman toured herself into the ground in support of the album and spent the next four years away from music to recharge her batteries. After a whirlwind time of it, including travels to Bali, New York, Australia and Costa Rica, being diagnosed with vocal Polyps, reuniting with Mraz, getting engaged to him and then splitting up again. Needless to say, the resulting record, “Cedar + Gold”, was a heavy one to say the least.
It was a record Prettyman needed to make, however, and it stands as her best received album critically with its themes simultaneously personal and highly relatable. She’s reached the top of her game, and since there’s no sign she’s coming down yet, this is an artist to see as soon as possible.
Live reviews
I found Tristan Prettyman through Pandora radio. Best. find. ever. Been listening to everything she's recorded for months when Songkick notified me of an upcoming concert of hers. I bought tickets right then and there!
I had never been to the House of Blues in San Diego so that was new to me as well. I had no expectations but secretly hoped that I'd have the chance to meet Tristan in person. Her music resonates with me and I hoped I'd have the chance to tell her how much I appreciated her talent.
While waiting for the show to start, to my surprise, Tristan and her husband Bill came out to greet family members and fans. I had a private moment with Tristan and Bill and it was the sweetest thing I've ever experienced with an artist. Tristan spent time with me and I was able to thank her for her music. What a beautiful soul!
The concert was amazing!! Tristan is a consummate performer, totally engaging, connecting on a personal level with the audience. It was obvious that she was thoroughly enjoying the chance to play in her hometown of San Diego and we all loved that we could share that with her. Her music is timeless.
She played some of her most popular hits (to the great appreciation of her fans) and shared quite a few songs off of her most recent album, Back to Home. Happy, fun songs with heart and it thrilled me to see how happy she is in her life now.
If you love Tristan's music, you MUST see her in concert. Her music resonates even more deeply for me now having met her. I am a forever fan. <3
gr8lifelover
Unlike many singer/songwriters, Tristan Prettyman didn’t start her career at such a young age. She was heavily involved with surfing as a child, and didn’t pick up her guitar to begin writing until she was around 16, but didn’t release any work until she was 23. However, you wouldn’t know this fro her music, as the sheer talent of her work seems like she’s been doing it forever.
I saw Prettyman perform her debut album in its entirety at an anniversary performance, and it blew me away from start to finish. Her talent on her acoustic guitar is astounding, and hearing her play in such an intimate venue as I did was wonderful, her voice resonating around the room, and bouncing off every surface. When she played her hits such as Oh My, and All I Want Is You, she really encouraged everyone to sing along. It was awesome, everyone got their lights out on their phones and was waving them above their heads, a real 21st century moment, but a great one! Perttyman also did a great acoustic cover of Rihanna’s track Stay which went down so well. It was great to see her out an original spin on the song, and the way in which she altered it really showcased her talent. She’s a fantastic artist, who deserves arena tours!
yazhow
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