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Tristan Prettyman
See all Pop
The San Diego singer bares her emotions in an exclusive set - live from Los Angeles.
You've arrived at Soundcheck...
Walmart’s original performance series where you get up close and personal with your favorite artists. Check out live performances and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from original in-studio sets – all filmed exclusively in HD. Soundcheck is broadcast in Walmart stores nationwide – or catch us online 24/7.
Help/FAQ
You won't need to download any additional video players or downloads. The Soundcheck performances play right inside the site itself, making it quick and easy to access.
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PC
• Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional, Vista or Windows 7 in 32bit and 64bit
• Intel Pentium 4 2.33GHz, AMD Athlon™ 64 2800+ processor (or equivalent)
• At least 256 MB RAM
• 64MB of VRAM (video card memory)
• Internet Explorer 6.0 to 8.0 (IE 8.0 recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 to 3.5
• Flash Version 9.0.115 and up.
MAC
• Mac OS X v10.4 or later
• PowerPC G5 1.8GHz, Intel Core Duo 1.33GHz or faster processor
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• 64MB of VRAM (video card memory)
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 to 3.5
• Safari 3.0
If you have the minimum system requirements, reinstall your Flash Player by clicking here
We have a top-notch music label relations team that helps us book acts. They are constantly on the phone with music labels around the country trying to get the best bands on Soundcheck.
Soundcheck is an original performance series created by the Wal-Mart Music team, giving you the opportunity to go behind the scenes and get an in-studio look at some of your favorite artists. Soundcheck plays right here on Walmart.com, or, for the full high definition experience, visit any Walmart store and head to the Electronics department to watch it on the Walmart TV Network.
We'll be adding new performances on a regular basis throughout the year, so please check back regularly at Walmart.com/soundcheck for more information.
We'll have artists from all genres; some old, some new, some huge, some more emerging - but all will be presented in the same intimate studio environment. So be on the lookout!
Check in regularly at Walmart.com/soundcheck, or visit your local Walmart store and watch the Walmart TV Network.
No. Just visit Walmart.com/soundcheck and watch for free!
Once the performances launch, you can play it anytime you want, 24 hours a day. We'll keep all artists up on the site under "The Performances" tab.
We recommend broadband DSL or Cable to anyone who wants to truly enjoy video and audio on the Internet. However, we have made available a smaller dial-up version so you don't miss out.
If you are reading this page right now, you likely have everything you need. However, watching the Soundcheck performances requires at least the following in order to properly stream media content:
PC
• Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional, Vista or Windows 7 in 32bit and 64bit
• Intel Pentium 4 2.33GHz, AMD Athlon™ 64 2800+ processor (or equivalent)
• At least 256 MB RAM
• 64MB of VRAM (video card memory)
• Internet Explorer 6.0 to 8.0 (IE 8.0 recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 to 3.5
• Flash Version 9.0.115 and up.
MAC
• Mac OS X v10.4 or later
• PowerPC G5 1.8GHz, Intel Core Duo 1.33GHz or faster processor
• At least 256 MB RAM
• 64MB of VRAM (video card memory)
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 to 3.5
• Safari 3.0
If you have the minimum system requirements, reinstall your Flash Player by clicking here
Browse Videos
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Performance Photos
About The Artist
The Set List
I got back together with an ex-boyfriend, got engaged, unengaged – and music was the first place I ran to. Most of these songs were written in the moment of right after a fight, right after a conversation, right after getting a voicemail.
San Diego singer/songwriter Tristan Prettyman opens up to Walmart Soundcheck about her highly personal new album, ‘Cedar + Gold,’ a confessional that chronicles her on-again/off-again relationship with singer Jason Mraz. Check out five songs from the new album here – live from the Henson Studios in L.A. -- and go pick up a copy of ‘Cedar + Gold’ online and in Walmart stores nationwide!
-The Crew at Walmart Soundcheck
On Alchemy
“I was having lunch one day with my friend. He was explaining alchemy, which is the process of turning lead into gold. He looked at me and said, ‘It’s essentially what you’ve been doing with your music. You’ve been turning all this stuff that’s happened to you into something positive.’ I really loved that concept. Alchemy is mystical and magical.'"
On Working With Greg Wells (Adele, Katy Perry)
“He and I connected on such a music level - but also such a personal level. He really helped me step up to becoming a confident artist.”
On Her Sorta-Breakup Album
“When I started writing [Cedar + Gold], I thought, 'This is definitely going in towards a breakup album.' As I began to finish the record, the more I could see that the journey of the record really started after I stopped touring on the last album. I got really burned out on music. I wanted to just take some time for myself, I wanted to travel, I wanted to kind of find my anchor again."
On New Inspiration
“It’s sort of like starting over again. When I started writing music in the first place, it came from that place where music was just this thing that I went to because I needed to vent, or purge, or get these emotions out, or tell a story. I got back together with an ex-boyfriend, got engaged, unengaged – and music was the first place I ran to. Most of these songs were written in the moment of right after a fight, right after a conversation, right after getting a voicemail.”
• She’s a singer/songwriter from San Diego. Tristan grew up in Southern California, a “surfer girl” inspired by the music of Ani DiFranco.
• She began her music career playing in bars and clubs around San Diego. During this time, Tristan was discovered by fellow San Diegan Jason Mraz, who asked her to open for him on a national tour. The couple, who eventually began a long-term relationship, called off their six-month engagement in 2011.
• She released her first album, ‘Twentythree,’ in 2005. The title of Tristan’s major label debut referred to the singer’s age upon release.
• She’s back with a new album called ‘Cedar + Gold.’ After two years of touring around the world in support of her second album, ‘Hello,’ Tristan decided to take a break from music, traveling through Bali, Australia, and Europe. Her new album’s title refers to the cedar walls and ceilings of her childhood home, where she now lives.
• ‘Cedar + Gold’ is in stores now! Pick up a copy of the record online and in Walmart stores nationwide.
“My friend Kevin Griffin from Better Than Ezra co-wrote [this] song. We’ve done a lot of writing together. It’s a song about why we fall for certain people and why we keep going back to relationships that we know aren’t good for us. At the end of the song it’s me closing the door finally.”
I Was Gonna Marry You
“When you walk out on stage in front of someone else’s audience and sing a song about how I was gonna marry you, it’s a bit scary because they don’t know anything about you. Chances are they’ve never heard of you. For me, these songs come from such an honest place. It’s easy to feel like you’re in this situation that nobody else can understand. But chances are your neighbor’s going through it, or the guy down the street’s going through it, or someone’s going through something 10 times worse than that. It’s cool to see how we’re all connected.”
Quit You
Anyone who’s ever suffered a bad breakup will relate to ‘Quit You,’ a hurts-so-bad anthem that’s a highlight on the singer’s new record, ‘Cedar + Gold.’ "I don't think my heart has ever been so true," sings Tristan on the infectious chorus, “I just can’t seem to shake, wake, break it or quit you.”
Come Clean
“‘Come Clean,’ I wrote with a friend of mine. He had this idea for this song about coming clean, come clean when things get blurry, when things become hard to understand, when lines get crossed. I had recently been in a situation where I had crossed a line...”
When You Come Down
Critics may be calling it a “breakup album,” but Tristan tells us that ‘Cedar + Gold’ is also a record of hope. Today’s closing track, ‘When You Come Down,’ finds the singer/songwriter looking ahead: “Tomorrow it will all turn around / I'll be waiting when you come down...”
