Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Before he auditioned in Salt Lake City, we heard Alex Preston describe himself as “an obnoxious” guitar player.

“Obnoxious” because he just can’t help strumming on the thing constantly when a guitar is strapped around his neck.

Alex Preston earned a ticket to Hollywood at the American Idol auditions in Salt Lake City. (FOX Photo)

Doubtful too many people will complain if the results are as good as they were when he played an original song for the American Idol judges.

His hometown paper, The Telegraph, identified the song as “Fairytales” and, by the time Alex was done performing, Jennifer Lopez was proclaiming “I love you and everything about you.”

And just like that, Alex, 20 of Mont Vernon, N.H., breezed into the Hollywood round with three yeses.

His full name is Alex Preston Philbrick and he’s a New Hampshire native now pursuing a music career in Nashville.

In fact, he released a debut single — “The Light Was Already Here” — to iTunes in September and says on his Facebook page that a debut CD is in the “writing stage.”

According to his bio there, Alex has opened for Gavin DeGraw, The Backstreet Boys and Of Monsters and Men.

He says he plays 12 instruments and calls his genre “music we can all relate to.”

“I love incorporating all those instruments into my music,” he explains in his Road to Hollywood video. “My style is kind of complex, but it’s also really catchy. And I love things that mean a lot to me, but also stick in people’s heads.”

As for musical influences, he lists Jason Mraz, Damien Rice and Ed Sheeran.

“Writing with Ed Sheeran would be the coolest session ever,” he says.

Here are links to Alex’s website and Twitter account (@RealAlexPreston).

And below are samples of his performances, including the aforementioned single. You can hear more at this YouTube channel.

For profiles of more than 90 other Season 13 contestants, head here.

“The Light Was Already Here”

“We Can’t Stop” (Miley Cyrus cover)

“My Best Friend” (an original)

“Ho Hey” (Lumineers cover)