BOSTON — Randall ‘Randy’ Preston is known for being a quirky and laid-back guitarist, but his relaxed persona does not match his wild lifestyle.
Preston’s friends describe him as an original and down-to-earth guy with a huge heart. “Randy has always been eccentric. He marches to his own drum, but everyone loves him for being just like that.
“He’s unique, and in today’s world, that’s special,” said close friend, Samantha Boyd. Born in Wall, New Jersey, the 19-year-old prodigy has big dreams for his future. His dreams are not stinted by his staggering height of 5’4.
“I always used to get picked on for being a ‘shrimp,’ but honestly I’m totally cool with it now. It’s hilarious to get people’s reactions when they hear how old I actually am,” he explains.
Preston’s chestnut brown, cropped hair is a dramatic change from his previous dark shaggy look, but is part of his view on altering your appearance. “I feel like it’s important to always be changing. For me, it’s like, I get bored so easily so I need a change of pace and changing my appearance does just that,” Preston said.
As a freshman at Berklee College of Music, Preston has already managed to seize the attention of his professors. Leaning back in his desk chair, Preston explains, “It’s really weird… I’ll be in class or whatever and the teacher will explain something about a technique we’ll be learning junior or senior year and I’ll already know how to do it.”
His advanced techniques most likely stem from many years in his progressive rock band, Karmic Juggernaut. As the lead rhythmic guitarist and vocalist of Karmic Juggernaut, he finds an escape through his music.
Strumming his fingers along his bronze guitar, Preston explains, “My passion for progressive and innovative music has never changed. I’ve always known that this is what I was meant to do, ever since I started playing guitar when I was nine.”
Preston explained that they came up with the name Karmic Juggernaut by thinking about the meaning of the band. For Preston, the band was his destiny and an unstoppable force in the music industry.
He claims that the band is his life, and the wild backstage experiences he has had with his band mates and fans have made him the person he has become. “I’ve had so many crazy experiences with the band. At a performance in Pennsylvania, a group of fans rushed the stage and tried to rip off our clothes! It’s that kind of dedication that makes all the hard work worth while.”
The band received the Asbury Music Award’s prestigious ‘2008 Top Young Band,’ and has received three other AMA’s since the band’s formation in 2004.
Preston started the band himself, wanting to create an organic band without boundaries using a combination of psychedelic rock, jazz, blues, funk, progressive rock, and an array of other influences.
“I feel like my biggest strength and biggest weakness are one and the same: the band. I’ve put so much time, effort, and funds towards this project that I have become a little too invested,” he said.
The quartet has already shared stages with numerous acts, including State Radio and Perpetual Groove. They even recently finished recording their debut album, ‘Albino Rhino,’ a compilation of 18 diverse compositions.
With guitar still in hand, Preston explains, “I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I know that music will forever be the central theme in my life. I’m so proud of my accomplishments… the sky is the limit from here.”