Interview: Brett Pruneau
Brett Pruneau is a towering vocal force from the small town of Bonne Terre, near St. Louis MO. Though he is also a gifted pianist, Brett focuses his efforts on the medium of voice. Brett has performed throughout North America and Europe since the age of 17. For over a decade, he has studied various styles of vocal technique across the world in cities such as Chicago, London, Dublin, New York and most recently SALT LAKE CITY AND Las Vegas.
Under the watch of his mentor Emmy-Nominated Creator, Producer and Musical Director of Multi-Platinum Global Sensation ‘Celtic Woman’, David Downes Brett was offered a range of exciting opportunities including recording and performing with members of Celtic Woman, various tours throughout Europe and Germany (including a sold out performance at The Munich Philharmonic Concert Hall) and performing a solo concert at The National Concert Hall in Dublin among others. Brett is currently based out of Las Vegas and performs regularly on the Vegas Strip, having headlined 3 shows at major Properties the likes of Planet Hollywood and Caesars Palace, including a 2-year run as Vocalist in Vegas’ longest running show (34 years), ‘Jubilee!’ at Bally’s Casino. Currently Brett continues to tour extensively and collaborate on various recording projects and concert events.
We recently had a chance to check in with Brett and he was kind enough to respond to a few interview questions.
Welcome Brett! You released an EP recently, we are all in love with your voice. Tell us more about how the project came together?
Hey there! Thanks so much for chatting with me, I really appreciate it!
Yes! I just released my first EP called ‘The Real Thing’. It’s a collection of 5 songs which I really feel speaks to the heart of human connection- it really covers a lot of ground including love, friendship, empowerment and despair.
I started this project during the summer of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and it was a project born out of necessity, really... I had the very sad realization that my industry was not going to be bouncing back from this situation quickly at all and I knew I had to have some sort of creative outlet to keep me sane. I contacted my Producer, Brian McGrane, and we began piecing this collection together with songs I’d performed in the past and also several brand new ones exclusive to this project.
Tell us how you got started in music and how you knew it was something you wanted to pursue.
Well, honestly, music had been a part of my life since the moment I could make sound. As a little boy I was obsessed with piano and my parents got me my first piano for my 8th birthday... that was my focus for many years until I got to the age of about 14 or so and I really started to shift that passion fully over to singing.
At 17 I was introduced to David Downes, the Emmy- Nominated Creator and Musical Director at the time for a group called ‘Celtic Woman’ -which was having massive success in the PBS markets and selling out all across the country. He kind of took me under his wing and became my mentor/manager for several years following that. David really gave me an invaluable education in what it was like to work in the industry. He coached me in many ways and was an integral part in developing my love of singing in the studio and in a concert setting.
I started on my professional journey at 17 and I’m 31 now. I’m so lucky to have had the chance to perform all over the world and be a part of some spectacular productions, but it’s only within the last several years that I feel I am truly understanding myself as an artist and I can’t help but feel that the best is yet to come.
Do you have a favorite song on the EP?
That’s always the most difficult question! *laughing* I don’t know if I have a favorite, per se! The title track is a pretty special one to me, it was written by an incredible singer in his own right named Mario Spinetti. Mario and I slowly became acquainted via the magic of social media and I had kept a demo of his song ‘The Real Thing’ tucked in my back pocket for years... I knew I wanted to give it my own spin one of these days when the right moment came along... When I started working on this EP I knew it was the perfect opportunity and it ended up becoming the title track!
I believe I have seen you have some videos coming for the songs - can you share more about those?
Yes! I did some work with my friend and gifted videographer in LA named Arno Diem, we conceptualized and filmed the official video for ‘The Real Thing’ and have a few more collaborations on the way. I also worked with the super talented Cinematographer, Eric Cannon, on the video for ‘Sun & Moon’ which was filmed in a ghost town just outside of Las Vegas. He directed such a beautiful visual for the track which included my friend Dina Auneau as the “love interest”. Both of those videos can be found on my YouTube page. We are really proud of how they turned out.
If we want to follow along on your journey - where is the best place to do that? And where can we download your new EP?
You can find me on Facebook and Instagram or at my website brettpruneaumusic.com . I’ve got some exciting new music coming soon, with my next single dropping in April! My debut EP ‘The Real Thing’ is available on iTunes, Spotify and all other major music platforms!!
Have a listen and connect with Brett Pruneau on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/brettpruneau/
