Nita “The Hurricane” Strauss first burst on the scene in the 2010s as part of the all-female Iron Maiden tribute band The Iron Maidens. Her fretboard heroics and note-for-note recreations of metal classics launched Strauss into the upper echelon of guitarists while proving shred was far from dead. What followed was a spot in Alice Cooper’s band, a lead guitar role with Demi Lovato, and a successful solo career. She’s even the official guitarist for the Los Angeles Rams NFL team and has the Super Bowl ring to prove it. Strauss discusses coming up in the industry, her solo career, and why the BOSS GT-1000 is essential to everything she does.
I Can Do That
You’ve built an incredible career through a distinctive ’80s shred guitar style. Tell us about that journey.
When I started playing guitar and listening to more technical music, there were not a lot of female musicians playing the music I liked. On the heavy side, you had Kittie and Phantom Blue, bands like that.
And then you had Jennifer Batten, the only female solo artist on Shrapnel Records. Seeing her play at the Super Bowl with Michael Jackson, I’ve said it a million times; it was a mind-blowing moment. I saw this badass, beautiful blonde girl up there on the biggest stage in the world, shredding people’s faces off with the biggest star in the world. That was that moment of, “I can do that.”
"I saw Jennifer Batten up there on the biggest stage in the world, shredding people's faces off with the biggest star in the world."
Then I played with the Maidens for less than two years. It was a very short part of my career, but it was the one that captivated a lot of interest, obviously. Iron Maiden is awesome, and a girl playing Iron Maiden is cool.
When those bigger calls came, I was so seasoned and ready. There was never a situation like, “I’ve never done this before, never played in a different city or gone on stage after 30 hours of travel with no sleep.” I’m about to do that again in a couple of weeks in Dubai with Demi. Being versatile and willing to say yes to many opportunities served me well in the long run.
Alice, Demi, and Nita
On top of your other commitments, your solo career puts shred guitar back on the map. Can you give us details about your upcoming record?
We are ahead of album press, but I can tell you we have a release date planned for this summer. There will be several more guest singers we have yet to announce and other guest musicians. I’m excited about the mix of newer musicians and legacy artists. Some of my heroes have guested on this album. It’s something I’m extremely proud of.
You have already released three successful singles off the record and have hit the road. What reaction is the music getting?
Oh, it’s been amazing. We did a lot of headline shows last year, and we also did a short run opening up for Black Label Society. I know many bands dream of headlining, but I love support shows because they allow me to show a bigger group of people what I do and bring them in as new fans.
Then, of course, you’re heading to Dubai with Demi Lovato and just announced that you’re back with Alice Cooper.
The Demi thing is great. Dubai is exciting—it’ll be my first time there. Again, from the old school days, I’m no stranger to flying for 25 hours, doing one or two shows, and flying back. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.
"I'm no stranger to flying for 25 hours, doing one or two shows, and flying back. We've done it before, and we'll do it again."
BOSS GT-1000
When it comes to your gear and tone, you are very loyal to a few key pieces. Aside from your signature guitar, you’ve played the BOSS GT series for years.
100%. The GT-1000 is my workhorse. I’m not ever going to stop using it until they make the next iteration. It’s my solo band rig I use whenever I’m flying somewhere or doing a one-off. It’s the GT-1000. First, I had the 10, then the 100, and now the 1000. Those are my go-to’s.
What is it about them that keeps you coming back?
I have always gotten all the functionality I need from the GT series. There’s never been something where I’m like, “I want to do this,” and this rig can’t do it. It’s everything that I’ve ever needed in one compact, great-sounding chassis.
What sounds do you use on a typical solo gig?
My solo music is not rocket science. It’s complex music, but its complexity is in the notes, not really in the tone. Honestly, I don’t know if I use a clean sound. I use a tight rhythm and then a nice wide-open lead. That’s it. I use the pedal for a wah and an expression pedal from time to time, like a sort of whammy pedal and volume pedal. It’s pretty simple.
"If you want to sound like me, get a GT-1000, put 'Shred Lead' on, and customize it because that's what I use."
Are you specific on how you tweak your tone, or do you pull up a sound you like and go?
There’s a sound that I like that’s stock on the GT-1000. It’s very aptly named “Shred Lead.” I built my patches from that sound. The rhythm sound has all the bells and whistles turned off and the noise gate on, so it’s a nice, tight tone. Then, when I switch to the lead patch, it’s the same tone, but very wide, open, big, ping-pong delays, and all that. If you want to sound like me, get a GT-1000, put “Shred Lead” on, and then customize it because that’s what I use.
Carrying The Torch
Metal and shred are experiencing a groundswell in accomplished female guitarists. What is it about that style of playing that’s attracting so many incredible female players?
Metal is sick, playing guitar is fun, and girls playing metal is awesome. Now is such an exciting time because there’s representation for everybody. All the incredible women you mentioned are riding the wave and carrying the torch to push this industry forward as much as we can.
"Metal is sick, playing guitar is fun, and girls playing metal is awesome."
Nili Brosh, Irene Ketikidi, Anneke van Giersbergen, Yvette Young, and Lari Basilio are some of the best guitar players I know. Demi Lovato’s a fantastic guitar player. She’s not going out there doing any double-tapping solos, but she takes her playing very seriously.
I love that. That’s so exciting because I didn’t have girlfriends playing guitar when I was growing up. Orianthi, the queen, led this charge of new female guitar players. It’s cool to be a part of it. It’s cool to surf this wave with everybody we’ve just discussed.
