Canada, Keep your Eyes on Rising Singer/Songwriter Preston Pablo
Hey Canada, keep your eyes on rising singer/songwriter Preston Pablo.
Preston Pablo likes drinking water, taking frequent snack breaks and laughing with his friends. He describes himself as an ambivert, the middle-ground between being introverted and extroverted. Upon first impressions, he comes across as a quirky, fun-loving character. But most importantly, Preston Pablo is a talented storyteller – so talented, that he can take you back in time to his first memory of music.
He was 10 years old, playing drums in the living room of his family home. As he looked up from the drum set in front of him, he saw his parents smiling from behind their video cameras. “I knew that being able to play music had an impact on other people when I saw how it made my parents smile,” Pablo said. “It was just this happy moment where they felt what I was feeling. Playing the drums made me happy, and I saw how it made them happy. That’s something I won’t ever forget.”
Today, Preston Pablo is a full-time singer and songwriter. His music channels a fresh perspective on pop and R&B, defined by smooth vocals and ambient backbeats that are reminiscent of artists like Joji and Khalid. Driven by the same childhood desire to share emotion through music, Preston Pablo rides the line between deeply personal and all-around relatable.
His latest single, Love You Bad was released on October 21. The song is a love letter – not just to his sweetheart, but to anyone who’s ever found themselves enthralled with a new romantic interest. Love You Bad captures the oh-so-tantalizing feeling of budding romance that puts butterflies in your stomach and has you jumping at every new phone notification. Catchy beats, laid-back vocals and honest lyrics document the excitement of the initial “talking stage” and the fantasies that bloom from unexplored potential.
“It’s definitely a more playful storyline,” Pablo said. “It started off as a love song but towards the end we shaped it to be this exaggerated story of me trying to pick up a girl. It goes through the motions of me talking to this girl and telling her what I have to offer and what I have to give. And by the end of it, it’s me in that hopeful phase.” Hailing originally from Timmins, Ontario, the small-town boy turned rising star is making a name for himself across the globe after hitting the ground running with a series of viral songs. His single Flowers Need Rain was released in May 2022 and became an instant summer hit. With over 26 million global streams, Flowers Need Rain has reached a Top 5 spot at Top 40 radio in Canada and Top 10 at Hot AC and Mainstream AC. Recently, the song was the number one most Shazamed track in Canada.
Needless to say, it’s been a long journey since Pablo’s days of writing and recording music in his
bedroom. "I think growing up with those small-town roots really helped me as an artist,” he said. “Especially now, because I’m always able to think back to those times when I was in my bedroom just writing songs straight from the heart. I think it’s amazing to always have that to come back to. It keeps me grounded.”
Looking towards the future, Preston Pablo is as hopeful and full of potential as his latest single. His dream is to share his music as a headlining artist on tour – a goal he’s working towards one step at a time as he adjusts to the whirlwind of life as a full-time artist. “I learn something new every day, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning,” he said. “The thing about being an artist is you can follow in someone’s footprints, like there’s a blueprint laid out, but it all has to come from you. At the end of the day everything I do has to come from me. It’s a beautiful thing, but it’s also a very overwhelming thing.”
This fall, Pablo gets his first taste of touring with Canadian artist Tyler Shaw – something he says he is incredibly excited about.
For more information about Preston Pablo and show details, visit prestonpablo.com.
Article by: Cassie Apperloo
Photograph: Oscar Lam