Alice Cooper Guitarist Nita Strauss Discusses Her Love for Playing Guitar

2019-01-02

Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Ken Settle

Nita Strauss says that while she loves playing guitar with Alice Cooper, she would also like to share the stage with Metallica

Nita Strauss, the female guitar great known for shredding in Alice Cooper’s band, says that she loves everything she does with the Coop. Speaking with “The Roman Show,” Strauss explained that everything stems from the simple fact that she enjoys playing any style of music on guitar.

“I’ve never really been the type of guitar player that goes, ‘I’ll only play this style of music or that thing,'” she said in the interview. “I love my regular job playing with Alice Cooper, I love doing my solo stuff, I love doing guest spots and guest tours. So I just love to play, and I’ll play with anybody that’ll have me, just about.”

She added that although she tours with one of the biggest names in metal, she can think of many other acts she would like to perform with on guitar– especially one big name.

“You know, I love to play guitar; that’s the thing,” she said. “If I’m gonna throw the first thing out there, it’s always Metallica. Metallica, if you guys are watching, I’m available.”

Strauss has been performing with Cooper since 2014, when Australian guitarist Orianthi left the Coop’s band. She Strauss released her debut solo album, “Controlled Chaos,” in fall of last year. Strauss also recently became the first woman to have a signature series guitar with Ibanez and signature DiMarzio pickups.

In a separate interview with radio station WSOU, Strauss explained that the biggest challenge she faced releasing “Controlled Chaos” was, “letting go and having other people do other jobs on the record.”

“I’m very used to being a team of two, with myself and my manager and boyfriend, Josh (Villalta),” she told WSOU. “We do everything ourselves. I record everything myself, I engineer everything myself. In the past, I’d even mix things myself. He does all the P.R., all the management, all the booking — everything has been done with the two of us doing it ourselves.”

“So to actually let go and put it in the hands of people that actually do this for a living, that mix and master and do publicity and all that stuff, that’s been the biggest challenge,” she added. “Because we’re, like, ‘No, wait.’ My career is like our baby — we’ve built this together — and it’s hard to let go and let other people take the reins. But so far, working with Sumerian Records, working with Cosa Nostra PR, everything that they’ve done has been amazing.”

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.