Orlando music lifer Steve Garron’s Guarantees release new 7-inch single, ‘Tupac and Kurt Cobain’

Orlando rock warhorse Steve Garron — whose local influence fronting notable bands like Precious and Potsie goes all the way back to the 1990s — last emerged with latest act Steve Garron & the Guarantees’ 2021 EP, Black Box Recorder. Now, at long last, the alt-rock band are finally back with brand-new 7-inch single “Tupac and Kurt Cobain.”

Although Garron’s still backed by the same group of credentialed Orlando players as before (bassist Justin Martin, guitarist Wheeler Newman and drummer Chris LeBrane), they’re now going by the more streamlined name of simply The Guarantees. On the new two-sided single, the formula that robes Garron’s distinctive neo-glam vocals in guitar grandeur has especially melodic leanings.

On the titular A-side, Garron’s famously wry musing is a skewering of rock & roll’s romanticization of dead young idols. Meanwhile, B-side track “Favorite Little Heartbeat” is a tender, sonorous love song that swoons with heart and drama. Because it’s Steve Garron we’re dealing with, the song is about his cat.

Released on April 5 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death, the two-song release is a solid refresher of Garron’s affecting irreverence. “Tupac and Kurt Cobain” b/w “Favorite Little Heartbeat”is a Bandcamp exclusive that’s available both digitally and on vinyl. Locally, it’ll be on sale at spots like Park Ave CDs.

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This article appears in Apr 10-16, 2024.