This Marine’s powerful music earned him an epic record deal

Keeping your head on a swivel, eyes always on alert, and being prepared for anything are just a few of ways Marines serving in the infantry stay vigilant while forward deployed.

With the constant threat of danger lurking around every corner, many veterans use music as a way to relax and recenter; some, like John Preston, take it one step further and use music to tell their stories and encourage others not to give up hope.

Related: This Marine rapper spits lyrics that veterans know all too well

During a tour in Iraq, Preston began his music career by writing the song "Good Good America," which propelled John into the industry and landed him a record deal upon his return home.

For the next few years, John slowly veered away from music and became a firefighter — but his passion for music didn't die out.

Luckily, he managed to return to music signing with Pacific Records and quickly released his first single "This Is War" in the fall of 2014. The song became a national media topic after a Marine veteran made a call-to-action to veterans across the nation to make a stand against ISIS.

John's musical momentum began taking shape once again as his record label released several of his songs in the following months.

Also Read: This incredible rap song perfectly captures life in Marine Corps infantry

"We are taking our message to the public, and today we tell the mainstream that we are here and we are loud. The perception of the broken veteran is a myth that we refuse to buy into," Preston tells WATM. "My music is about our lives and the real battles we have and continue to fight: on and off the battlefield. We are here to show our community and the general public our talent, work ethic, and our drive to push forward through all adversity."

Sadly, in January of 2016, John's brother ended his own life after a hard battle with post-traumatic stress. The action almost convinced Preston to end his music career once again but has instead fueled his passion and his new single "Superman Falls."

Preston is an executive producer on the album, which climbed to #21 on the iTunes rock charts. The song continues to spread throughout the veteran community as well as the mainstream music scene. To check out the John Preston's music on iTunes click here.

Currently signed with Concore Entertainment/Universal Music Group, his newest single "Before I am Gone" was released on September 5, 2017. To check out the John plans on donating 100 percent of his profits to Stop Soldier Suicide.

John plans on donating 100 percent of his profits to Stop Soldier Suicide.

Check out John Preston's video below to watch his behind the scenes footage.