NITA STRAUSS: 'I Practice My Ass Off And I Put On The Best Show That I Can'

Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, was interviewed for a recent installment of "The Rock Brigade" podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Asked if it's sometimes hard to be taken seriously as an attractive female guitar shredder, Nita said: "It's a hard question to answer. The short answer [is] yes, the long answer [is] sometimes.

"Anybody that's in an industry that's not typically what you think they would be doing is gonna be met with a certain measure of skepticism," she continued. "I would feel kind of the same if I saw a hot girl who was a brain surgeon. I'd be, like, 'Really? A brain surgeon? Where'd you go to school?' But it doesn't mean that she can't be a perfectly competent brain surgeon; I just wouldn't expect it."

Nita added: "My whole outlook on the whole process of being a guitar player that people wouldn't expect to be a guitar player is I feel like I set the bar really high for myself just to make sure that I always deliver the best that I can, and I never try to bank on the 'chick' thing. I always make sure that I give the best performance that I can, I play with the highest technique that I can, I practice my ass off and I put on the best show that I can.

"People might say that I only work a lot because I'm a girl and they like looking at me, but hopefully once they see or hear me play, they'll realize that that's not the case."

Strauss recently released a brand new solo single titled "Pandemonium". Written, recorded and produced by Nita, the song features the axewoman on all guitar and bass, alongside her boyfriend and manager Josh Villalta on drums and Katt Scarlett on keyboards.

The drums were recorded at Sable Studios while the track was mixed and mastered by Travis Huff at Nocturnal Studios.

The official video for "Pandemonium", produced by Flarelight Films, LLC and directed by Brian Cox and Corey Soria, can be seen below.

"Pandemonium" is featured on Favored Nations Entertainment's all-female compilation "She Rocks, Volume 1". This collection of kick-ass guitar goddesses is produced by Tolinski with iconic guitarist Steve Vai as executive producer, and showcases eleven female guitarists, each a virtuoso in her own right.

Strauss is a longtime Ibanez signature series endorsee who made her name with THE IRON MAIDENS, FEMME FATALE and LA Kiss.