Brianna Lea Pruett

Brianna Lea Pruett (January 18, 1983 – September 2, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, painter, poet and filmmaker.

Brianna Lea Pruett
Birth nameBrianna Lea Pruett
Born(1983-01-18)January 18, 1983
Sacramento, California
DiedSeptember 2, 2015(2015-09-02) (aged 32)
Sacramento, California
GenresFolk
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
LabelsCanyon Records

Early life and family

Brianna Lea Pruett was born in Sacramento, California. Her family lived at a Northern California Shingle Springs ranch they had built with extended family members in the 1970s. She attended public schools in Sacramento after the family moved to the city in 1989, and through many moves following her parents’ divorce and remarriages. Pruett was a second generation Californian. Both maternal grandparents descended from European Mormon settlers and her paternal ancestry is Native American. Both sides of her father's family include Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw relatives, as well as European immigrants.[1] Pruett's interest in her family lineage is well documented through her creative output and helped connect her with the Native American record label Canyon Records.

Music

Exposed to music, art, and film of all genres from a young age, Pruett was encouraged in artistic endeavors. Her parents’ vinyl collection—encompassing everything from classical and choir music to folk and rock legends like Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix—served as Pruett's first music history education. Other noted influences included Tom Waits, Roberta Flack, and Doc Watson.[2] When she was a teenager, she often sang in clubs, cafes, on street corners, and art galleries in Northern California, performing a cappella, with acoustic guitar, and occasionally with a band.[3]

Pruett has self-released two albums, 2003's Natural Fact and 2004's Winter Apple, both of which were recorded in Portland, Oregon.[4] She later re-released them through Tiger Friends Collective, the same company that released 2011's The Stars, The Moon, The Owl, The Cougar, and You and 2012's Keeping You in Mind.[5]

Pruett's 2013 debut on Canyon Records, Gypsy Bells, gained generally favorable reviews and media attention. Her style is often associated with folk music falling in a singer-songwriter category. However, Pruett lists diverse musical influences like Emmylou Harris, Carole King, Iron & Wine, Pavement, Woody Guthrie, and Charles Mingus[6] and has been compared to a mix of "Angel Olson + Damien Jurado" and Cat Power.[7]

Discography
  • Dreamland (unreleased)
  • Natural Fact (2003 self-released, 2009 re-released Tiger Friends Collective)
  • Winter Apple (2004 self-released, 2009 re-released Tiger Friends Collective)
  • The Stars, The Moon, The Owl, The Cougar, and You (2011 Tiger Friends Collective)
  • Keeping You in Mind (2012 Tiger Friends Collective)
  • Gypsy Bells (2013 Canyon Records)

Painting

Pruett began painting as a career at age 16 while living with a professional artist. Until her death, she worked primarily in oil painting. Her work has been exhibited in galleries throughout New York and California and can be viewed on her website. Pruett was a member of the California Art Club.[8]

Poetry

Pruett's poetry has appeared in publications including Rabbit and Rose[9] and Turtle Island To Abya Yala: A Love Anthology of Art and Poetry by Native American and Latina Women.[10] Selections can also be read in the upcoming edition of Blue Moon Literary & Art Review.

Film

Pruett began filming with a handheld DV camera, creating short films that cost nothing to produce, in 2005.[11](registration required) Our Love And Voices, a short from her film series Roses For Maya Deren premiered at the 2012 American Indian Film Festival. A DVD release of Roses For Maya Deren was recently funded on Indiegogo, which included 18 of the more than 30 short films she shot between 2005 and 2012.[12] The final DVD was released in early 2015 and in May 2015, the 18 shorts were made available on Vimeo On Demand.[13] Those titles include:

TitleLengthLocation
A Blessing: Pregnant4:40Placerville, CA
Adpurge4:32San Francisco, CA
Coffee For One4:15Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Conversation Through Time4:20Placerville, CA
Culturing4:01Humboldt, CA
El Milagro8:31Sacramento, CA
I Am Free1:33Placerville, CA
I Feel the Earth, This is Love2:58Placerville, CA
Man Achieves Wholeness12:56Sacramento, CA
Man's Song8:25Portland, OR
Mexican Disco4:15Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
New York in a Hurricane3:14New York, NY
Our Love And Voices4:24Bozeman, Yellowstone, MT
She Will Be3:44Sacramento, CA
The Most Important Thing II5:27Pollock Pines, CA
Things Men Have Said About Me That I Remember5:05Placerville, CA
Toxic Babes5:18Sacramento, CA
You5:09Sacramento, CA

Pruett was a member of the Sundance Institute.[8]

Death

Pruett died by suicide on September 2, 2015. The cause of death was not made public. She was 32, and had been depressed off and on for most of her adult life.[14]

References
  1. Saunders, Hilary. "Brianna Lea Pruett: The Best of What's Next :: Music :: Features :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  2. "Brianna Lea Pruett". Canyonrecords.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  3. "Indie Shuffle". Indie Shuffle. September 27, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  4. "Brianna Lea Pruett Live Session – Videos and Audio – Dolores Park, San Francisco, CA". One Night Music. September 7, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  5. "Brianna Lea Pruett". Tiger Friends Collective. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  6. "Beats Per Minute". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  7. Froelich, Brinley (October 30, 2013). "Brianna Lea Pruett | SLUG Magazine". Slugmag.com. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  8. "CV". Brianna Lea Pruett Art. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  9. "Rabbit_and_Rose". Rabbitandrose.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  10. "Brianna Lea Pruett". ArtSlant. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  11. Oakland, California, United States Film (June 9, 2014). "Roses For Maya Deren on DVD". Indiegogo. Retrieved June 13, 2014.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  12. Oakland, California, United States Film (April 8, 2014). "Roses For Maya Deren on DVD". Indiegogo. Retrieved June 10, 2014.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  13. "Roses For Maya Deren". Vimeo. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  14. UPDATE: Songwriter Brianna Lea Pruett R.I.P. 1983-2015
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