SLIDE are a four piece band hailing from behind the "Orange Curtain" of Orange County, California. The band is currently pursuing their second attempt at musical longevity. Long time musical collaborators  James Preston, Sam Mitchell, and Mike Baker formed SLIDE in 1994.

In 2006, a fan owned website and blog from Canada assisted in stirring up renewed interest which resulted in reuniting all three original members.  In early 2010, lead guitarist Nick Bretz joined the band which increased the current line up to four members.  SLIDE was originally formed from the ashes of James's and Mike's defunct rock band "Sincerely Paul" who were  a signed independent rock act that experienced quite a bit of success in the early nineties. SLIDE's music has been described as  "dance-rock distortion".

Their music is a stylistic marriage of electronica music and modern rock . SLIDE brings together the sounds of electronic music and rock without sacrificing the use of real instrumentation. Although keyboards play a part in SLIDE's overall musical schema, the band's use of aggressive guitar and real drums are an integral part of their sound.

SLIDE jokingly remarks that they'd rather "fire" the drum machine then be without a real drummer. Their eclectic and imaginative take on blending the sounds of electronica, rock, and pop ensures that the expectations of their live performances meet or exceed that of their studio recordings. It is believed that both the alternative rock crowd and DJ Culture dance club audiences will find SLIDE's music infectious and inviting due to its crossover appeal.

JAMES PRESTON (Lead/backing vocals and lyrics)

James’s earliest memories of anything related to music began in a small town in New Jersey. During James’s elementary school years, he remembers wanting to sing and perform at a very young age. His mother had him enrolled in weekly piano lessons and he could often be found dancing and singing on top of the family pool table in their basement. “My father purchased this old retro juke box that stood in front of our pool table. It contained all the top 40 songs from that era. The catalogue of songs I had access to was amazing to say the least...everything from the Beatles to the Partridge Family”.

As James’s father climbed the corporate ladder, his family soon found themselves transferred in 1976 to a place called Orange County, California. This is where he remained for the majority of his life. James still resides their today. He went through jr. high, high school, and college in various cities of Orange County. It was in his early college years when James met the other members of his first band Sincerely Paul. “I had just graduated with my A.A. in general education, and was on my way to securing my B.A. degree in Psychology. I was also taking voice/opera training at my 4 year university.” Like most students, James worked through college, and at that particular time, he was working as a teacher aide with (S.P. bass player) Brian Singer’s mother. She had mentioned to James that her son’s band was looking for a lead vocalist. James explains it this way—“My best friend at the time heard about the audition before I did and tried out with the S.P. members prior to my audition. He didn’t make the cut, so I guess his loss was my gain. I handed over a demo tape from a song I performed. Based on that demo the guys thought they’d give me a try.” James also credits his college English professor for her influence on his writing skills. “She was an incredible teacher…so encouraging, so supportive. I learned so much from her. I remember I would write these stories and poems, and she would write on my papers that my stories made her cry (in a good way). That professor’s marked interest in my writing helped me to carve out a style of my own.”

After Sincerely Paul ended in 1993, James formed a new band named SLIDE. The band drew enough attention to have one of their songs featured on R.E.X. recording label’s compilation CD. The song was well received, and R.E.X. offered SLIDE a recording contract. However, due to the non- negotiable terms of the contract, James quietly bowed out of the music business. Soon after, he was accepted to U.S.C. graduate school. James credits the past writing skills he learned from over the years in helping him get accepted into the University of Southern California. “I literally had to put my entire life story in writing to be considered a candidate for U.S.C.’s rigorous graduate program.”  Today, James is a practicing licensed clinical psychotherapist. He tends to integrate a lot of psycho-babble into his lyrics which in itself has garnished attention because of some of the controversial themes he addresses.

In 2007, the unthinkable happened. James was approached by long time collaborator and S.P. drummer Mike Baker to re-form SLIDE. They were brought together again after a group of die-hard fans started a blog out of Canada (who were trying to gather enough interest to reunite the band). After some thought, James decided he wanted to continue what SLIDE had started in the nineties. Currently, James spends the majority of his time writing music for SLIDE in collaboration with the other band members. He also continues to practice as a Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist.

MIKE BAKER (Drums)

I was born in Burbank, CA right next door to Hollywood. I have lived in Orange County (south of Los Angeles, CA) most of my life. I grew up a preacher’s kid and went through all the rebellious stages PKs usually go through (believe me when I say I have seen my fair share of trouble). I loved music and entertaining from a very early age. I can still remember sitting on the drums at age 5 in my dad's church. I would sit there and try to copy what I saw the drummer do during the worship service. The love for drums never left and when I was in 5th grade I began taking drum lessons in grade school and played in the orchestra. I went on to play in the marching band, joined drum cores and joined as many garage bands as I could. I also played on Sunday in the church orchestra and choir and have played in worship bands most of my life.

Even though I pursued a degree in music at college I never finished. I started working with several different bands, teaching music and doing some session work. After a long string of unsuccessful attempts to earn a living playing music (and deciding to earn a real living like normal people) a mutual friend mentioned that a band he knew was looking for a drummer. This mutual friend introduced me to the guys in Sincerely Paul. Most of the band members thought I was too old for the group (just like Ringo Starr and the Beatles, but not exactly the same). After the tryout they must have changed their mind because they let me in.

I spent the next 5 years playing with Sincerely Paul recording, touring and acting like we knew what we were doing. Part of that adventure was the recording of “Grieve”. I am still very proud of this work to this day. I ended up leaving Sincerely Paul to start a family. Other than playing drums on the 1994 release of the “SLIDE” track with James Preston I have really only played guitar and drums for church worship services. The only exception to that was a 2 year stint with some great old jazz and blues musicians – which I enjoyed every minute of. I am thrilled to have SLIDE back together again. I enjoy being part of a musical collaborative team.

Sam Mitchell (Synths, Guitars & Programming)

I come from a long line of musicians. My father was a touring and recording guitarist in the sixties and seventies, while my uncle has had a thirty year career writing children's albums in Nashville. It’s in the blood without a doubt as other members of the family are busy acting and singing. Music is my life in so many ways. It’s a drive…. a compulsion. It’s such a profound and moving medium to work in. It makes the world a better place for all who appreciate it.

I have spent most of my adult life making music. In high school during the late eighties I had my very first all-synth band and that evolved into a four piece group. Eventually we played gigs around the greater LA area as well as Northern California. Following this string of bands at the end of 1994, I placed an ad in the local music magazine looking for a vocalist to begin a new project. James answered my ad and we began the SLIDE project as the final remnants of Sincerely Paul had been resolved. Along with Mike Baker and a separate guitarist, James and I went about recording tracks in Riverside, CA with the eventual goal of getting into the industry. Many details of our individual lives were in a state of flux during this period and we weren’t able to continue on as a band as we all had aspirations in addition to Slide. So, with regret we said our fond goodbyes and went on with our lives.

In nineteen ninety-five, I continued to university studying colonial arts culture as an undergraduate. After graduating from college with a bachelor of arts in history, I spent time in New England as a research assistant at the Plymouth Plantation Museum in Plymouth, MA. The music I was making at this point was more introspective (Ambient Electronic) and I volunteered my spare time at Sonalysts Studio in Groton, CT engineering local bands from nearby New York and Boston. This opportunity allowed me to keep a foot in the local music scene while I continued professionally.  Eventually, I found my way back to Orange County (where I was raised) working and playing with local bands. Eventually I started a partnership with a musician friend and we ran a small commercial studio in Westminster, CA. The great Pacific Northwest called my name and I relocated to the Seattle area where I continued to mix and master projects for outside clientele.

As the SLIDE project came back into fruition, James and I found ourselves talking again and discussing SLIDE in real terms. I am overjoyed and honored to be back in the band James and I started with Mike. We are completing this album with a goal to reach audiences who were fans of Sincerely Paul and new fans who are just looking to see what were about!

Now, I am living in the Phoenix area working on tracks with James and Mike for our first official album and enjoying each phase of our association. I am working in the band primarily as a writer and programmer, as we meld various styles to create a dynamic hybrid.

Nick Bretz (Lead Guitar)

Bio coming soon.