NITA STRAUSS says it was “an honor” to make ALICE COOPER's upcoming album 'Road' as a band
29-06-2023
In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program “Wired In The Empire”, Nita Strauss spoke about Alice Cooper‘s new album, “Road”, which will arrive on August 25 via earMUSIC. Produced by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, “Road” was written, composed and recorded with Alice‘s trusted, longtime bandmates — Ryan Roxie (guitar), Chuck Garric (bass), Tommy Henrikson (guitar), Glen Sobel (drums) and Strauss (guitar).
“What an honor to get to make this album as a band,” Nita said. “It’s really cool because I’ve been working with Alice for almost a decade now, and not only did I get him to guest on my record, but then the band and myself got to really create this whole ‘Road’ record from pretty much scratch.
“Alice came to us at the beginning of the tour and said, ‘I wanna make a record with you guys, and I want it to show off how this band really is. So write it on the road, rehearse it on the road and record it as soon as we get off the road.’ So that’s exactly what we did,” Nita explained. “We came up with riffs and ideas and we sat in each other’s hotel rooms and recorded demos and went over songs at soundchecks before shows and then literally had our last show on a Saturday, went to Nashville on Sunday and recorded the record on Monday… We started on Monday and we took a week to record the record. We did the prep work on the road… We went into Bob Ezrin‘s studio in Nashville. It was really organic, really fun. I wouldn’t use the word ‘easy’, but (there was) sort of an easy vibe in there. We recorded as a group in the round. There was no one person isolated in the room punching in and punching out. It was very organic and very raw and real.”
Regarding what it was like to work with Bob, Nita said: “Ezrin is like your dad that you wanna impress in the studio. I feel like everybody wants that sort of smile of approval, because you don’t get it easily. Bob is a hard guy to impress. All you want is to not get yelled at when you’re in the studio with him. (Laughs) But him being a tough taskmaster on the musicians he works with is why he’s such a legend and why he gets the best out of every band that goes in the studio with him.”
STRAUSS also finished her second solo album. “The Call Of The Void“ will arrive on July 7 via Sumerian Records. The LP features an additional guest appearance by former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman,
Regarding the album’s title, Strauss shared: “Have you ever been at the top of a high building and had the fleeting thought, ‘… I could jump right now?’ This feeling is sometimes called ‘The Call Of The Void,’ also known as ‘high place phenomenon.’ It’s not a suicidal impulse, rather the exact opposite — a subconscious decision to live your life, to step back from the ledge, and take control. As researcher April Smith aptly put it: ‘An urge to jump affirms the urge to live.’
“I wanted the follow-up to ‘Controlled Chaos’ to be exciting, new, and fresh, to take listeners to a new place and take myself somewhere new as an artist too. We have some amazing collaborations on this album with incredible musicians, as well as the instrumental guitar music that first inspired me to play.
“Some pieces of music come into the world gracefully and easily. This album is not one of them! ‘The Call Of The Void’ was born kicking and screaming, a labor of love for sure, but also of blood, sweat and plenty of tears. I couldn’t be more proud of the end result. Making this album helped me learn and grow so much as a musician and songwriter and I’m excited to finally unleash it on the world.”
In early December 2022, Nita told “The Mistress Carrie Podcast” about her decision to make the upcoming LP half vocal songs and half instrumental: “I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it’s still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, ‘Okay, well, now it’s just guests.’ Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I’ve written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don’t know if it could be more emotional but they’re very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite (singers guesting on it).”
Nita released 2018’s “Controlled Chaos” to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it “a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt”, and Guitar World stating “‘Controlled Chaos’ is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss‘s many strengths”.
In March, it was announced that Nita would return to Alice‘s band for his 2023 tour.
The Alice Cooper North American tour, with an all-new show dubbed “Too Close For Comfort”, kicked off in late April in Michigan and will continue through late September, including a handful of August stadium shows with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE, followed by a co-headlining late summer “Freaks On Parade” tour with Rob Zombie.
Nita spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi Lovato‘s band last summer,
Strauss played her first full live show with Demi in August 2022 at the Grandstand at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.
Nita made her live debut with Demi in July 2022 with a performance of “Substance” on ABC‘s Emmy Award-winning late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”.
Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker’s former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.
Nita also participates in health stimulation, with her Nita Strauss “BODY SHRED!” fitness challenge. From lifting weights to Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu and having her very own 90 day ‘Body Shred’ Fitness Challenge, she has built a community of support and accountability for music enthusiasts to get fit. She furthermore states she will never drink alcohol ever again, which she stopped in 2015. Nita was also the first ever female guitar player to have her own signature model at Ibanez Guitars.
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