One day my mother took me to see The Beatles tribute show, which impressed me so much that after a while I asked my mother to buy me a guitar and find a teacher to teach me how to play it.
That's how I met my current guitar teacher, Deividas Kontrimas, who encouraged me to attend music school and learn guitar. He also introduced me to jazz music, taught me how to play it. I never thought that I would play jazz music.
But that's how it is in life, you have to try lots of things before you find something you really like.
Our guest today is Esmee Van Sinderen. She is a 23-year-old guitarist from the north of The Netherlands. Her guitar career started at the age of 16. Where she played in a Thin Lizzy tribute band for a few years. Still one of her all-time favorite bands! Right after that she joined the heavy metal band Cobra Spell. Where she has been touring with bands such as Ross The Boss, Enforcer and Evil Invaders. In December 2021 they recorded the EP ‘’Anthems Of The Night’’ which was recorded in Madrid, Spain at PKO Studios.
During Cobra Spell Esmee decided that she wanted to start her own band as well. This became an oldskool heavy rock band named Gramophone, starting in the beginning of 2022. In this band Esmee wrote music with Mattis Karlsson (Ex-Dynamite) from Sweden. They did everything with just the two of them. Their debut EP titled ‘Time To Strike’ came out this year which is being mixed and mastered at Pama Studios, in Sweden!
After the split of Cobra Spell, Sebastian Spyder Silva (Unto Others, Ex-Cobra Spell) and Esmee Van Sinderen decided to start a brand new 80’s heavy metal band! This became Neon Black, started at the end of 2022. Currently they are working a lot behind the scenes on everything band related but are thrilled to release our music soon!
Besides music Esmee spends a lot of time on cars and painting. She graduated as a restoration painter and builds her own guitars as well! Whenever she has time left, she works on American muscle cars! Esmee owns a Buick Skylark from 77 and a Chevrolet Impala from 78. Esmee would love to drag race in the future as well! On her Patreon she is restoring a 79 Pontiac Trans Am!
Becky Baldwin is one of the UK’s busiest rock bassists,
currently working with legendary Danish heavy metal band
Mercyful Fate, Birmingham
based hard rock/metal band
Fury and hip hop / nu metal
artist Delilah Bon. She is
also known for her work with multiple previous rock and metal bands,
including grunge/alt rock band
Hands off Gretel between
2018-2021, before the band went on hiatus.
Truth is stranger than fiction. What Inge Lamboo experiences in her career
is unbelievable. It's the sum of musical talent and courage that allows her
to have the legendary Pete Townshend, guitarist of The Who, as a guest
musician on her V2-label debut This Is How The Future Sounds. Her story
reads like an exciting young adult novel.
Inge Lamboo is a true
daredevil. She doesn't shy away from a challenge. When she has an idea, she
tackles it in the most adventurous way possible. And yes, sometimes that
leads her to the right people in the music industry. This is the case when,
as an emerging artist, she posts P!NK covers on her fan account. Her idol
notices, drops her name at Sony, and the ball starts rolling. This leads to
her debut album Black Heart in 2023. It can get even crazier than this.
Keith Urban’s Nashville homecoming concert will be missing one familiar face on stage.
Maggie Baugh, the 25-year-old guitarist who’s become a standout member of Urban’s touring band, won’t be performing with him at his upcoming High and Alive Tour stop at Bridgestone Arena on Friday, October 17. Instead, another guitarist will step in for the night while Baugh fulfills her own musical commitments.
Baugh, who’s been steadily carving out her solo career alongside touring with Urban, is set to perform at the Grand Ole Opry just two nights before the Nashville show. But on the same evening Urban takes the Bridgestone stage, she’ll be headlining her own concert in Carmel, Indiana.
Sonia Anubis is a Dutch guitarist, songwriter, and producer celebrated for
her electrifying guitar playing and trailblazing presence in the world of
rock and heavy metal. Best known as the founder and lead guitarist of
Cobra Spell, she has become a defining force in modern melodic
metal. Sonia began her musical journey at age 14, first picking up the
bass after being inspired by Gene Simmons of KISS. Soon after, she turned to
guitar, drawn to the expressive playing of Marty Friedman. Entirely
self-taught, Sonia quickly immersed herself in the metal scene, performing
internationally with various local bands by the age of 17.
In 2018, she joined the all-female metal band Burning Witches,
contributing to two full-length albums—Hexenhammer and Dance with the
Devil—as well as the EP Wings of Steel. She later co-founded the extreme
metal band Crypta in 2019, playing lead guitar on their acclaimed debut
album, Echoes of the Soul.
Later that same year, Sonia forged her own path by founding Cobra Spell, an
international heavy metal band that blends ‘80s melodic flair with fierce
modern energy. After building buzz with two EPs—Love Venom and Anthems of
the Night—Sonia and the band made a bold statement with their 2023 debut
full-length album, 666. Released via Napalm Records, 666 is more than just
an album—it’s a manifesto of rebellion, empowerment, and raw, unapologetic
metal. Featuring standout singles like “The Devil Inside of Me,” “S.E.X.,”
and “Warrior From Hell,” the record pushed Cobra Spell into the global
spotlight and cemented Sonia’s place as a creative powerhouse.
ANNIE SHRED
is the frontwoman of
Shadow Cliq, guitarist & vocalist. Shadow Cliq is the evolution of the modern rock
band. They have pioneered their own sound they brand as “Future Metal;” an
amalgamation of dynamic vocals, EDM production, virtuosic guitar, and live
drums. She is supported by DJ/Producer Danny Dodge, and Johnny Tuosto on
drums. Annie’s musical journey started out as a technical death metal player
on the East Coast playing all over the Connecticut + and Boston underground
scenes. Her desire to innovate genre and expand her sound led her to join
forces with aspiring metal guitarist & producer Danny Dodge, and thus
Shadow Cliq was formed. Shadow Cliq now resides in Los Angeles and 2022 marks
their first year of live shows, repped by United Talent Agency. Whether you
experience them playing their full live set or DJ set, you’ll see it’s a
movement you won’t want to miss. Welcome to the Cliq.
Taylor Demp. I can't find out much about her, except that she's from West By-God Virginia,
and she's married to that blond headed fellow, Brad Brownfield. My god, what a
voice!
I swear, if there were four of them, the cuteness would implode into a blonde
hole.
The Castellows:
Neo-Traditional Country music trio, The Castellows, bring a literal meaning
to the phrase, “family tradition.” The band comprised of sisters Ellie (lead
guitar), Powell (banjo) and Lily (vocals), hail from small rural Georgetown,
Georgia, but now call Nashville home. The Castellows’ sound is traditional,
yet modern. Authentic, yet harnessed. The common thread among the trio,
other than their DNA, is their masterful three-part harmonies which blend
together to create one singular, almost angelic, voice.
The Castellows’ craft as songwriters is as robust as their voices, which is
evident across the trio’s debut EP, A Little Goes A Long Way, which released
worldwide on February 9, 2024. The band wrote/co-wrote six of the seven
songs that make up the project, with the promise of much more music to come.
The band began turning heads of music industry insiders in January 2023.
When spring arrived, The Castellows had signed a record deal with Warner
Music Nashville & Warner Records, collectively. Wasting no time on
pleasantries, The Castellows immediately got to work writing, recording, and
performing live. Tapping veteran producer Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow,
Nanci Griffith, Queens of the Stone Age), the first fruits of labor to be
harvested from 2023 is the debut A Little Goes A Long Way.
Everyone loves a guitar hero. And young talents who seem to have arrived
fully formed, too. So there’s a lot of love in the room for
Grace Bowers, the
18-year-old who this year became the fretboard’s new best friend. A player
since age 9, Bowers made a name for her music on Instagram and YouTube
during the pandemic, but really came into her own in August with her
swaggering, blues- and funk-filled debut, “Wine on Venus.” The album’s gutsy
rhythms, taut solos and soulful, self-penned songs offer proof positive of
her six-string mastery.
“I’m very driven at the things that I want,” says Bowers from her Nashville
home. “And, I’m extremely hard-working.”
Bowers is quick to state
that music didn’t come naturally. At first. “I tried lots of hobbies at 9,
and got kicked out of them all,” she says. “I was bad at sports. The guitar
looked cool.”
Bowers cut her teeth playing in dive bars, inspired by the blues of B.B.
King as well as the soulful funk of Sly And The Family Stone. Her breakout
moment came when videos of her playing guitar on social media went viral
during the pandemic. She has since become one of the most in-demand and
celebrated young guitarists, and an inspiration to a whole new generation of
female guitarists around the world.
Bowers recently was awarded the Variety Next Gen award at their annual
Hitmakers event in Los Angeles. She also made her late-night television
debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” was featured on “CBS Mornings” and NPR’s “All
Things Considered,” and toured this past fall with The Red Clay Strays, Gary
Clark Jr., The Allman Betts Family Revival and The Roots.
Andrea Krakovská, a guitar packing woman with a unique twist, shredding while climbing and
dangling from a rope.
A rising star in the Australian music industry, Andrea Krakovská is set to
mesmerise audiences with her debut single, "Elusion." Known for her
extraordinary talent as an ‘aerial guitarist’, Andrea blends the rich emotive
strains of her guitar work with captivating aerial choreography.
Andrea is the lead guitarist for country rock group ‘Southbound xo’ and
has rocked the stages of some of Australia’s biggest festivals including CMC
Rocks, Gympie Music Muster, the World Championship Gold Buckle Campdraft
Concert and even local concerts Camden Country Music Festival and Sunset
Sounds at Fisher’s Ghost Festival. The group has had national success with
singles charting at #1 including their hit song ‘Find Our Way’ featuring
Aussie icon Shannon
‘Elusion’ is a captivating rock/metal instrumental guitar track showcasing
Andrea's virtuosity and unique style. The single combines intricate melodies
with a catchy guitar hook and a touch of otherworldly ambiance. Andrea's
technique and emotive playing make "Elusion" a standout debut that promises
to leave an indelible mark on the instrumental music scene.
Andrea
Krakovská has spent years honing her craft and has gained recognition for
her performances as an aerial guitarist. She has performed at the Australian
Circus Festival, Eternity Rock and Metal Aerial Show, La Folie Aerial
Championships and more recently the Harmony Awards Gala Event. Her ability
and strength to seamlessly blend guitar with a jaw-dropping aerial display
has garnered admiration from both music enthusiasts and performance art
aficionados.
I am Slovakian, however I was born in Vienna (Austria) and migrated to Australia with my parents when I was young. I was raised in the south-western suburbs of Sydney!
Aside from music, what studies and jobs do you have or have had in the past?
I have a degree in Industrial Design and I also do graphic design. Growing up I was interested in art/drawing alongside music and I'm lucky that I get to be involved with both creative industries!
What are some of your hobbies (obviously apart from music)?
I already mentioned art/drawing however I'm also really involved with aerial/circus arts (and am training to become an aerial guitarist!). I've trained for almost 10 years on a variety of aerial apparatuses, such as silks, corde and Spanish web. In the past, I used to do aerial hoop (lyra) and trapeze in the past!
Featuring an undeniable spark and youthful enthusiasm, the duo’s
stripped-down versions of millennial anthems have an irresistible charm that
makes them compelling and utterly shareable. And though they exhibit the
musical and personal chemistry of a pair of friends who have known each
other since childhood, they first met in January of 2021 after a mutual
follower suggested they play a song together. The YouTube platform
recommendation feature favored their homespun cover, and soon they
officially adopted the moniker Pacifica.
Ines is the ginger guitar player and Martina is the raven haired bass player.
To start off, let’s rewind to the very beginning and talk about how you first
discovered your interest in music. Was guitar always your one and only option?
What got you hooked on the instrument and which are some of the players that
you think helped shape your sound?
I started when I was ten years old. I remember my parents giving me the
option to take piano or guitar lessons and guitar seemed like a more fun
choice considering I was gravitating to the rock, grunge and metal genres
from what I heard on the radio. From what I was exposed to i’d say Zakk
Wylde and Dimebag were probably the earliest influences I had that made me
want to play heavier music.
Before forming Kallias in 2019, you’d been in different bands across several styles of hardcore/metal. What ultimately lead you down the prog death path?
Before Kallias I had another instrumental prog band, MeridieM, which was essentially my first prog project. I was unsatisfied as a guitarist/musician before that playing in hardcore bands… I didn’t feel I was progressing much so I decided to get a 7- and 8-string in hopes to spark new creativity and a motivation to grow. Haven’t looked back since!
When I was
8 years old, I enrolled in a local music school where I initially started
playing the violin, before switching to classical guitar a year later. My
dad is a self-taught guitarist, so I have practically been listening to
the guitar since I was born. I was familiar with all the well-known pieces
even before I started learning the instrument myself.
What do you love about playing classical guitar?
There are many things I love, but I would say the way the guitar is held when it is played is what I love most. There is a sense of closeness to the instrument, as if I am giving it a hug. Another thing I love is the versatility of the classical guitar; it allows a musician to create lots of different sounds and color variations. One note can sound very different depending on the position, pressure, angle, and so on. This leaves room for creativity and brings out the unique feeling that each performer has
You’ve built a big following online. What has your experience been like
creating content?
Yes, and I must admit that was very unexpected!
One day, I just decided to post a few videos and share my favourite
pieces, but in just 3 weeks, I gained 10k followers. The response was very
positive, and I received many messages from people telling me that the
videos inspired them to start or resume learning the guitar, so I decided
to continue posting. My experience so far has been amazing. I have met a
lot of lovely people and have connected with other creators. On top of
that, I have partnered with some great companies.
British guitarist Sophie Burrell is a singer-songwriter and
online personality, who has amassed a collective following of over 1.6
million. Embarking on her musical journey while still in single digits, she
was participating in small local concerts before the age of ten. Recognizing
her passion for performance early on, Sophie dedicated her teenage years to
honing her craft and working to build a strong following. She found
encouragement and inspiration within the online guitar community after she
started uploading videos of her playing at age fourteen. Sophie has spent
years creating and releasing content, showcasing both the ups and downs of
her musical progression.
Now twenty-three, and refocusing her attentions towards writing and
performing, she recently unveiled her new band BXRRELL (pronounced buhRELL).
Featuring Sped Spedding (guitarist), James Rookyard (bassist) and Simon
Uselis (drummer), BXRRELL released their debut single “Dare to” on Feb 24,
2023.
“If you could go back to when I was 12 and tell me I’d be
working with my favourite guitar gear brands, I probably wouldn’t have
believed you. It’s beyond crazy to me. Being part of the PRS family was a
life goal of mine. I’m so grateful to have such incredible support.” -
Sophie Burrell
Lina de la Parra, bassist for the Colombian bands Kilcrops and Highway
At just over thirty years of age, Lina de la Parra is already a great
symbol, thanks to the popularity she has had in the Colombian bands she is
part of, such as
Kilcrops and
Highway . She is one of the
female rockers in Colombia who remains current, even after metal in
Colombia is a rather difficult subject for its creators.
Born
in Bogotá, Lina de la Parra, who from a very young age was dedicated to
classical ballet and studied at a girls' school, would surprise her family
from one moment to the next by preferring to lean towards the sound of the
best metal bands.
Guitarist known for playing classic rock and metal songs on TikTok. Her
account has over 650,000 followers and 4.9 million likes. She went viral
playing "Thunderstruck" by the rock group
AC/DC. The
video has over 7.4 million views.
She joined Instagram in
December 2017 and TikTok in February 2021.
Ever since Kiki was a wee little
girl, she had a passion for animals and music. Like many little girls, she
dreamt of being a veterinarian, playing doctor on her stuffed animals.
At
the age of six, she also discovered her passion for music and started
classical piano lessons. When she was thirteen, her family gifted her father
the first family acoustic guitar, a Yamaha Eterna, purchased from Costco. Her
father taught the first influential three chords G, C, and D. She sought out
the rest of her guitar education through the internet (yes, pre-YouTube days).
She played in countless garage bands throughout high school with all types of
music varying from indie to death metal. She also learned how to play the
drums at the age of sixteen followed by a bit of undeniable bass-slapping.
After graduating from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s
in Biological Science/Pre-Medicine, she decided to take a break from the books
and become a full-time guitarist with the all Asian-American girl band, Nylon
Pink, and later became the lead vocalist.
She then had experience
playing on stage with Taylor Swift at the 2014 VMA’s and Usher at CBS’s
Fashion Rocks Fall 2014. She was also the lead guitarist of Bret Michael’s in
a commercial for Nissan. She then joined the band She Demons put together by
Jerry Only’s the Misfits touring internationally and nationwide in the fall of
2015 as direct support. The band name was later changed to Hellfire Heart.
After music took a halt, her and former singer of Nylon Pink, Kaila Yu,
decided to pivot their brand into a travel blog, which generated over 100,000
views per month in the first six months of release. They later co-wrote the
best-selling book “30-Day Travel Challenge: How to Make Your Travel Dreams a
Reality and speak as travel experts on multiple news networks such as KTLA,
CBS, NBC, and Fox News.
Kiki Wong currently plays guitar for the
Los Angeles rock band,
Vigil Of War.
Lari Basilio was born into a musical household in São Paulo, Brazil.
At
the age of 4 she started studying organ and later, at the age of 8 her
father taught her first chords on an acoustic guitar. That's when she fell
in love with the guitar.
In 2011, Lari started working on her
instrumental five-song Extended Play
(EP), named, simply, Lari Basilio, which features Felipe Andreoli, bass player of Angra. The EP was produced
by five-time Latin Grammy winner Lampadinha.
Her second original work, the
CD and DVD “The Sound of My Room“, was released in August, 2015 and it was premiered at the iconic
brazilian movie theater
Cine Belas Artes in São Paulo. “The idea of taking instrumental guitar music to a movie theater proved
(to be) a creative initiative (equal to) the compositions of Lari Basilio,”
said
Guitar Player Brazil magazine in its October , 2015 issue. The 10-song package includes a mini-documentary and behind-the-scenes
footage on the DVD.Lari won the
instrumental category of the Samsung E-Festival in 2014
and
performed for a crowd of 15,000
at the Samsung Best of Blues Festival in Brazil.
She was also
invited by Joe Satriani to be part of the
G4 Experience 2019.
In January 2021 Lari Basilio released, in partnership with Ibanez Guitars,
her first signature guitar, the
Ibanez LB1,
which is already one of Ibanez’s best-selling signature models alongside
Steve Vai and Joe Satriani’s. The guitar also features the Lari Basilio signature pickups developed in
partnership with Seymour Duncan.
Lari Basilio’s most recent album
“Your Love” was released on
August 5th, 2022 and debuted at high positions on iTunes Rock Charts around
the world. The album features once again Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), and also
the bass players Sean Hurley and Leland Sklar, and Ester Na (keys and piano)
recorded at United Recording Studios in Los Angeles.
