Last summer, Nita Strauss made waves in the rock music scene with her critically acclaimed album “Call of the Void,” a record which featured a star-studded cast of guest vocalists and saw Strauss become the first female rock solo artist in over three decades to top a Billboard chart.
Now, in a new interview with Ultimate Guitar, Strauss opened up about the collaborative process behind the album and revealed how it was a fellow guitar icon – Megadeth and Cacophony legend Marty Friedman – who pushed her the most in the studio and had a surprising impact on the album.
“The biggest push that I got on the record actually was guitar player to guitar player, and that was from Marty Friedman. Marty appeared on a song called ‘Surfacing.’ Marty was the only guest that I had on the record who gave me notes. It was so cool because I am such a huge fan of him as a guitar player and his work in Cacophony and his time in Megadeth and everything that he’s done,” Nita revealed.
“To have Marty email me back and say, ‘I think you should play this instead of that,’ it made me so happy. I love feedback, and to get feedback from Marty fucking Friedman was the coolest thing ever, and it gave me some insight into how he does what he does as a musician. He’s so meticulous with every little subtlety and nuance and even how the bass should be played.”
Friedman‘s influence extended beyond just Strauss‘ parts. “There was this particular kick pattern that he wanted Josh to play. All of this stuff. That’s what shaped this song into a totally different beast than anything else that’s on the record, and it was just so cool to get to have that experience.” she added.
Looking ahead, Strauss is eager to push her own boundaries on future solo projects. “On the next record, I want to explore both ends of the spectrum,” she shared. “Collaborating with someone like Demi Lovato would be a dream come true, but I also listen to a lot of heavy stuff myself, so I’d love to do something super aggressive as well.”
