SAN DIEGO — Tristan Prettyman traveled the world as a singer-songwriter, not a magician, following the release of her 2005 debut album, "23," and her three subsequent releases.
But her nearly eight-year disappearing act from concert tours is a matter of record, not sleight of hand. So is the fact that her most recent full-length recording, the self-produced "Back to Home," came out in 2014.
That makes this Del Mar-bred troubadour's sold-out performance Thursday at the Belly Up doubly notable.
The show — which will also feature the band Yovee, DJ Flo, surfing legend Chris Cote and a surprise guest or two — is billed as "The Rise. The Shine. A Concert to Benefit Mental Health."
It's a collaborative effort by Lauren Duke, the founder of Gather Encinitas, a yoga and mental health collective; Vuori activewear co-founder Chris Miller (who is Duke's husband); and Prettyman. Her most recent public performance was a one-off gig at the Belly Up in 2016.
"I came home from my 'Back to Home' tour in 2014 and found out I was pregnant, so I then took time out to be a mother," said Prettyman, 39, whose son, Kylo, is now 6 years old.
"I'd been touring for nearly 15 years straight, just go-go-going. So I really enjoyed that time being pregnant and being a mom. And that's been my full-time job, being present, knowing I would take that time with my son, and knowing I would not be able to get that time with him if I kept touring and recording. I paused with the music to be home and raise my son."
A Del Mar native and Encinitas resident, Prettyman was briefly engaged to fellow singer-songwriter Jason Mraz in 2011. She married Google Ventures founder Bill Maris in 2014. They divorced in 2018.
Prettyman quietly recorded and released several new songs online in 2020. But she has no plans for a new album until her son is in high school or older. The two are now both learning to play the piano and she mused, only half-jokingly, that she'll be going to his gigs sooner than he will have the opportunity to attend any of hers.
'I've lost my desire to tour'
Does Prettyman, who was a competitive teen surfer and a Roxy model before she turned to music, ever miss touring? Is she inspired by other musicians who take their families on the road with them?
"If I'm being really honest, I've lost my desire to tour," she replied. "I did it for so long in my 20s and had so much fun. But at this point, I'm more focused on creating for the sake of creating and being true to my authentic voice and not trying to force anything."
With no pressure, no contractual obligations and no deadlines, Prettyman is content being out of the spotlight.
Accordingly, she lets her muse determine when — and if — she should make music. She co-wrote the song "Life Goes On," which was recorded in 2016 by former Black-Eyed Peas singer Fergie. Prettyman also co-wrote "Same Page," which was featured on a 2021 episode of the TV series "Love Island."
"I'm not super-interested in being signed to a major label again or churning things out, or wanting to be visible," she affirmed.
"I'm more focused on writing songs for TV shows and writing for other artists. Doing that allows me to be at home and still create. I've thought to myself: 'This is what I should have been doing a long time ago'."
Apart from Napa Valley's Bottle Rocket festival in 2015 and her stand-alone 2016 Belly Up gig, Prettyman has not made any formal concert appearances since her 2014 tour concluded. She did, however, happily perform daily private concerts for a select audience of one: her son, Kylo.
"It was interesting," she said. "When he was a newborn, I stopped playing. As he got older, I started playing my guitar and singing for him — while he was in his crib."
Prettyman laughed at the memory.
"That became a running joke in our family: 'Mom is still playing 30-minute sets, but in a different way!' I played him Beatles' songs, like 'Yellow Submarine' and 'Octopus's Garden' and other stuff. The whole process of merging being a musician and becoming a mom is something I don't have control of. I have to go with the flow."
Proceeds raised from Thursday's fundraising concert at the Belly Up will benefit two nonprofit organizations — the Los Angeles-based Stoked Mentoring and the Encinitas-based Project Upstream.
Both organizations promote mental health and physical well-being. Those causes are near and dear to Prettyman and her friend, Gather Encinitas founder Duke.
The two met in 2011 when Prettyman began attending Duke's yoga classes and became close friends about four years ago. Vuori, the active leisurewear company co-founded by Duke's husband, is sponsoring and underwriting the expenses for Thursday's Belly Up concert.
'It has to feel right'
"Tristan had been on my radar since about 2008, and I was a huge fan of hers," said Duke, 39. "We are the same age and her music really mirrors the journey of my entire generation of girls and women — family, heartbreak and life stuff.
"This benefit concert at the Belly Up is really about mental health. And Tristan stepping off the concert stage for seven or eight years and not coming back until now was also about her mental health. And it's all the right people involved in this concert. We're her friends. We're not promoters or managers.
"This is her community and her social support network, and I think this is one of the main reasons she said 'Yes' to doing this event. It had to feel right for her, rather than (because of) pressure."
Prettyman agreed.
"I really love the idea of doing this show with my friends," she said. "Because I've developed stage fright and get really anxious about performing now, to do this show with all my friends for such a good cause is awesome."
Her reluctance to return to performing was underscored by the fact Prettyman completed a degree in integrative nutrition health coaching soon after her son's birth.
"That was also (because of) me really avoiding going back into music," she said. "I was having this weird resistance. I wanted to go back when I wanted to."
The Belly Up event come two months after the publication of Duke's mental-health inspired book, the candidly titled "Sh-tshow: A Memoir." She will be signing copies of it at the concert.
"Mental health is the common thread between the concert and my book, which is about healing from generational trauma. I wrote it as part of my own catharsis and mental healing," Duke said.
"I have been to the Belly Up at least 100 times and I've seen Tristan perform there. It was always my dream to be a singer and be on stage at the Belly Up. So it will be fun being there — not as a singer, but as an author — with my friend, Tristan, who is such a great singer and songwriter."
Ticket prices for Thursday's sold-out, all-general-admission benefit concert ranged from $25 to $1,000. Does the highest price bring any perks?
"No, but if someone donated $1,000 and said: 'I really want to meet Tristan,' I'll make it happen," Duke said, "even though Tristan doesn't know that yet!"
Concert delayed by COVID-19
Thursday's benefit concert was originally scheduled for Jan. 13. It was pushed back shortly before then, after Prettyman and some of her fellow performers for the show contracted COVID-19.
"With cases so high, (postponing was) the responsible thing to do," she said.
"We are happy to have been able to reschedule; that was a good call. Doing this concert back in January could have been disastrous! Everyone is really looking forward to coming together for this event. We do have some surprise guests up our sleeve, but they are just that, a surprise, so I can't really say much more.
"Vuori is covering our costs; none of the musicians are getting paid. It's just a straight-up, labor-of-love evening for the community to play some music and bring everyone together to connect. I couldn't be happier to be a part of it and donate my time for such a great cause.
"As I have been rehearsing and going through my catalog, I am reminded that music really has been one of the things that has kept me mentally sane over the years. ... Music is one thing, I think we can all agree, that can lift us up, turn our mood around instantly, or help us navigate challenging feelings and experiences."
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