Navigating the Underworld of LA With The Guidance And His New Album: This Is Now
Born and raised in Chicago and transplanted to Los Angeles in 2014,
The Guidance’s musical project was created in 2015 as a means of healing from the loss of his brother, a mechanism to cope with his own congenital heart disease, and the looming presence of soon approaching transition from this planet.
The Guidance, A.K.A Stefan Pruett had only waves to create, making a mark with his impactful artistic nature, while simultaneously reminding us how precious life truly is. The Guidance had a deep talent and passion for music seeing his work bring a wide range of electronic genres and decades into a mashup of raw analogue synths, playful storytelling and rich melodic dance music. Having signed an album deal with Las Vegas indie record company Handwritten Records in 2020, Pruett and his producer Jeremy Dawson worked tirelessly on the creation of the new album This Is Now. Tragically, just a few months after completion of the album, Pruett suddenly passed away. As a means to honor his life and all the work spent on the creation of this stunning album, together Dawson, Pruett’s family and Handwritten Records decided to continue with the release. This Is Now, is the first and last album from The Guidance.
The ten-track release is a collection of musical snapshots and stories of Pruett’s mind and life as he navigated through the underworld of Los Angeles. Exploring emotional and physical handicaps, as well as the challenges of love and human relationships, the album is a poignant and thought-provoking release. A true insight into the mind of the artist, Pruett looks at the ever-changing political climate and the pressure of global events in some of the darker shades; such as “Broken Man” and “Silent Witness Guardian Angel.”
“Building A Desert” refers to Los Angeles before it was occupied/colonized by its present overabundance of extreme indulgence and plasticity. Pruett wrote the song to himself when he arrived in Los Angeles from his hometown of Phoenix. The song reflects the frustration of finding out Los Angeles isn’t really the oasis in the desert that it seems to be from a distance.
“I Didn’t Mean That” was one of Pruett’s favorite songs he had ever written. With an affecting intro featuring haunting lyrics such as “God is coming to me,” the song touches on a narrative of regret and fear. Pruett explained the song as, “a perpetual apology that I owe anyone in my life that I wronged. This includes my brother, and more of the most important people in my life.”
In just his short time on earth, The Guidance has made a considerable impression on those who had the privilege to meet him. Having toured internationally with Crystal Castles and with streaming numbers in the hundreds of thousands, his music touched the hearts of listeners across the globe and continues to do so.
