Nita Strauss was 15 years previous when she went on tour for the primary time. She knew it could be robust, however she by no means anticipated to need to outrun a twister. “We have been taking part in someplace in Twister Alley,” she says, referring to an space within the Southern USA the place storms are widespread. “We have been simply packing up when somebody stated, ‘You higher go proper now, there’s a twister coming.’ As we have been on the freeway, we might really see this factor out of the facet of the automobile! That was loopy.”
The next 20-odd years have been no much less eventful. The LA-born guitarist’s CV reads like essentially the most random pageant invoice ever; she’s performed with everybody from Alice Cooper and Demi Lovato to Jermaine ‘Brother Of Michael’ Jackson and NFL crew the LA Rams, in addition to releasing a pair of solo albums – the latest of which, The Name Of The Void, got here out in 2023.
There have been just a few bumps alongside the best way, not least a dependency on alcohol that led her to get sober in 2015. However right this moment, as she sits in a well-appointed West London resort, sipping bottled water, she exudes positivity. “After I take into consideration what I’ve carried out,” she says, “it simply blows my thoughts.”
Did you develop up in a musical family?
“My dad was a touring musician. He was in a 70s rock band known as Jiva, who have been signed to [Beatles guitarist] George Harrison’s label. My mother and father each understood the touring way of life higher than most individuals, which made it actually handy for me to start out touring at a younger age.”
There’s a narrative that you just’re descended from the composer Johann Strauss. Is that true?
“Nicely, I grew up being informed it was. My dad all the time informed me, ‘You might have musical royalty in your blood.’ However then a few years in the past somebody did a deep dive into the family tree facet of issues and stated it wasn’t true. My dad says, ‘I don’t know what this man’s speaking about.’ However even when it finally ends up not being actual, I’m glad I grew up pondering it – it offers you a way of goal, the thought you’re a part of this lineage.”
Why decide up the guitar? Why not sing?
“To start with, I’m a horrible singer. Some individuals are born with the reward. I used to be not. Ha ha! My first instrument was the drums, then the bass, however once I was about 13, my dad confirmed me a film known as Crossroads, the place Steve Vai performed the Satan’s guitar participant. That fully opened my eyes, how he was emoting and telling tales by way of the guitar.
“I dove into something I might discover like that. I used to be deep into shred stuff. However for me, seeing [guitarist] Jennifer Batten taking part in with Michael Jackson on the [1993] Tremendous Bowl was a life-changing second. The stuff I used to be listening to was a dude-fest. Seeing her up there, simply shredding, along with her blonde hair flying, I used to be, like [makes awestruck noise]. It was like discovering a Barbie that appears such as you: ‘I can do that.’”
Are you able to keep in mind the primary gig you ever performed?
“I used to be 13 and it was in a Battle Of The Bands on this all-ages venue within the San Fernando Valley, the place I grew up. There was an area three-piece demise metallic band they usually wanted a bass participant. We have been known as O.D.A., which stood for Overt Show Of Anger – a ridiculous title. In LA, it’s actually widespread to pay to play – you need to promote 10 tickets at 10 {dollars} every, then carry the cash to the promoter. We offered a grand whole of three tickets, so my dad had to purchase the remainder of the tickets so I might play.”
Did you ever pay him again?
“You understand what? I’ve not. I ought to take him out to dinner: ‘That is for that present.’”
You toured for the very first time on the age of 15. That’s beginning early.
“Yeah, I had an all-female band known as Lia-Fail. We received one other Battle Of The Bands – we did lots of them – and the prize was to play 4 or 5 exhibits on the Warped Tour. So, in our infinite knowledge, we thought, ‘Nicely, we’re already borrowing a van and trailer – we should always go on and do our personal tour.’”
What was that like?
“It was tough. We made no cash, we have been hungry and thirsty and drained. Two of the ladies have been sufficiently old to drive, so that they took turns whereas the opposite two of us navigated. We had no crew members, it was simply 4 women slugging it out on the highway. We have been consuming meals from gasoline stations, cramming into resort rooms, outrunning tornados…”
And your mother and father have been OK with this?
“They have been. They understood the thought of paying your dues. The opposite women’ mother and father… perhaps a bit bit much less! Ha ha ha! It was troublesome, nevertheless it’s nonetheless essentially the most enjoyable expertise I’ve ever had.”
What sort of individual have been you want at that age?
“I used to be painfully, painfully shy. I used to be the child in school who would go and sit on my own at lunch and play guitar on my own. I didn’t have a boyfriend till I used to be in my 20s. However I had a realisation once I began taking part in exhibits at such an early age that my methodology of communication was taking part in guitar. That’s how I associated to individuals. I might carry out and emote onstage in a approach that I used to be fully uncomfortable doing on a one-on-one foundation.
“That’s additionally why I began ingesting a lot at a younger age. Consuming meant I might relate to older youngsters on the scene. Nobody wished to hang around with a 15-year-old woman who was model new to the scene, however alcohol was the equaliser: ‘Yeah, she’s younger however she’s ingesting so she’s cool.’ That’s how I began utilizing alcohol as a crutch for therefore a few years.”
How did you make ends meet in your late teenagers and early 20s when you have been ready on your large break?
“I used to be working on the MAC make-up counter on the mall and taking any gigs I might get my fingers on. I’d do exhibits round LA with little bands or play with singer-songwriters who wanted an accompanist. I had one gig the place I’d go to a hip-hop studio and play guitar riffs that they’d flip into beats and attempt to promote to rappers. I put this band collectively known as Kill Slowly – I’d all the time wished a feminine metallic supergroup. I’d carried out it with Lia-Fail. I’m nonetheless making an attempt to do it right this moment.”
In 2010, you performed some exhibits in Africa with Jermaine Jackson. How the hell did you find yourself in Michael Jackson’s brother’s band?
“Kill Slowly had recorded one thing that was engineered by a man named Michael Prince, who labored with Michael Jackson for a lot of, a few years. At one level, he known as and stated, ‘Would you’ve got any curiosity in auditioning for Michael Jackson?’ I used to be like, ‘Oh my god, sure!’ The audition by no means occurred, however then he known as and stated Jermaine wished to do some tribute exhibits for his brother after he died, and did I need to do it? I keep in mind flying into Senegal airport, listening to my iPod Nano. The man subsequent to me stated, ‘Are you listening to Africa by Toto?’ I used to be completely emotional about it.”
You went from Jermaine Jackson to Iron Maiden tribute band The Iron Maidens to Alice Cooper’s band. That’s a hell of a CV.
“I had this shotgun strategy the place I’d play with anybody who’d have me. I met [Winger frontman/former Alice Cooper bassist] Kip Winger on a rock cruise and a few months later he stated, ‘What are you as much as this summer time? There’s an Alice Cooper/Mötley Crüe tour, and Alice is searching for somebody…’ It took me a fraction of a second to say, ‘I’m completely obtainable!’
“In my very first rehearsal, Alice stated: ‘While you’re in my band, I can promise you three issues: ‘You’re going to see the world, you’re going to receives a commission and also you’re going to get stitches.’ I’ve been whipped by the whip throughout Go To Hell, I’ve been stabbed by the sword throughout Billion Greenback Infants, I tore my meniscus coming down the steps and needed to have surgical procedure. Most not too long ago, I bought licked on the tongue by his snake. Fortunately it wasn’t toxic, however I used to be like, ‘You stated see the world, you didn’t say something about tongue-kissing a snake.’”
You bought sober the yr after becoming a member of Alice’s band. How dangerous did issues get for you?
“I wouldn’t say I hit all-time low – I’m not like Nikki Sixx – however I used to be a harmful addict, as a result of whether or not I used to be doing medicine or ingesting, I used to be very extremely purposeful. I used to be doing all these items that might have gotten me in hassle, however I by no means performed a foul present, I used to be by no means falling-down sloppy. However it was actually insidious, as a result of it was bleeding into my private life. A few of the guys within the band had observed it, nevertheless it took my companion Josh, who’s now my husband, saying to me: ‘When you’re gonna be like this, I don’t understand how lengthy I’m going to be with you. I can’t watch you destroy your life like this.’ This was the best level of my skilled profession to date, and it simply appeared unfair – I couldn’t perceive why I used to be getting picked on, and why I needed to be boring and fall asleep early.”
Did you go to rehab or Alcoholics Nameless, or did you kick it your self?
“I used to be approach too shy to do the [AA] conferences. I actually simply white-knuckled it.”
Is it troublesome to take care of your sobriety?
“It’s troublesome, it truly is. My husband nonetheless drinks, my associates nonetheless drink, Alice has been sober a very long time however he doesn’t thoughts if individuals drink, so there’s bottles of wine within the dressing room and bourbon on the tour bus. The one factor we do in a different way on my [solo] tour is that we don’t put alcohol on the rider and don’t inventory it on the bus. Individuals can have a beer on the bus, however I say, ‘Please don’t preserve a bunch of beer on the bus.’ However it’s exhausting. It places your ethics and morals into perspective – I’ve each alternative to drink and nobody would know, however sobriety, for me, is what you do when nobody’s trying.”
Who’s been the largest movie star you’ve met because you joined Alice’s band?
“There was a profit present in Hawaii that Alice’s supervisor does, and Jim Carrey bought onstage with us in full Alice make-up to sing No Extra Mr. Good Man. Afterwards, we ended up speaking to him about Cannibal Corpse. Josh stated, ‘I hear you have been the one which bought Cannibal Corpse in Ace Ventura.’ And Jim stated, ‘That’s true, I like that band.’ That was fairly surreal.”
You briefly left Alice’s band in 2022 to tour with Demi Lovato. What was it like moving into that world?
“It wasn’t as large a departure as I assumed it could be. Demi made a very cool rock album, so that they employed a rock band to do a rock present. Demi’s a metalhead at coronary heart. I’d stroll previous her dressing room and she or he’d be listening to Megadeth. She turned me onto this nice deathcore band known as Bodysnatcher. She’s the true deal.”
It appears like her followers welcomed you in a approach that some metallic followers didn’t welcome the thought of Demi Lovato making a rock album…
“Her followers are so devoted, they’ll observe her no matter she does. The factor concerning the rock and metallic world – which I like and is my dwelling – is that it’s a bunch of whiny, complainy infants. If a band do a slight departure from what they’ve carried out earlier than, the fanbase cries about it: ‘All the pieces they’re doing is horrible now!’ Metallica are the largest band on the planet and folks nonetheless shit on their new stuff.
“I believe a giant a part of that’s as a result of all people appears like they’ve to guard our scene and preserve it protected – no exterior individuals can get in, which I believe is loopy. If a pop artist desires to make a rock album, nice. If a rock artist desires to make an R’n’B album, nice. Music is for everybody.”
You turned the primary feminine solo artist to have a No.1 on rock radio along with your 2021 single Useless Inside. That’s some achievement, however that’s a very long time for that milestone to have been reached.
“I’ve had just a few achievements in my profession the place it’s mind-blowing to me that I bought there first, as a result of it appeared like one thing that ought to have been carried out a very long time in the past, like turning into Ibanez guitars’ first feminine signature artist in 2018. It made me assume, ‘How is it attainable that nobody has carried out this but?’”
Why do you assume these type of issues took so lengthy to occur?
“I believe it’s simply the state of the scene. After I was rising up, there have been so few feminine guitar gamers to look as much as. Individuals like Lita Ford and [Heart’s] Nancy Wilson and Jennifer Batten and Phantom Blue and Orianthi paved the best way for us. Now there are such a lot of might I title. We’re in a golden age of guitar gamers – you’ve got a hero for anyone and all people. You might have feminine guitar heroes and Black guitar heroes and Asian guitar heroes and homosexual and trans guitar heroes. Everyone has that illustration. Again then it was so uncommon.
“On the Demi tour, not solely was it an all-female band, we had so many ladies on the crew – feminine lighting designer, feminine showrunner. Not simply VIP and merch, however in energy positions on the tour. I’ve a feminine tour supervisor, a feminine photographer, a feminine content material creator. It’s cool to see ladies being elevated in all elements of the touring world.”
Do you’re feeling like a task mannequin?
“I do, and it’s type of intimidating. However it makes every little thing worthwhile once I get a touch upon my Instagram or somebody involves a meet and greet and says, ‘My daughter noticed you play with Demi Lovato and now she’s requested for a guitar for her birthday.’ I used to be that child who noticed a guitar participant that they liked and wished to select up a guitar due to it. If I will help create that for the subsequent era, that’s what it’s all about.”
It’s been an extended journey to get so far. Would you’ve got carried out something in a different way to hurry issues up?
“I’d not commerce something. I’ve achieved issues I had by no means even considered. All the pieces I did my entire life introduced me right here.”
The Name Of The Void is out now by way of Sumerian.
