In an exclusive interview with The Rock Brigade Podcast, guitar legend Steve Vai discusses his Favored Nations record label's latest compilation album She Rocks Vol. 1, which features tracks from today's best female guitarists including Orianthi, Nita Strauss, Lita Ford and Jennifer Batten among others.  

Vai comments about the women who appear on the album and how their beauty and talent are more than just a novelty:

"There is a thing that comes over people when they decide to play gutiar. It is not 'I'm a woman and I've got to play guitar' or 'I'm a 300 pound Chinese midget and I'm going to play guitar.' I assume the girls on that CD are never going to stop playing gutiar. Jennifer Batten just continues to expand the vocabulary of the instrument within her work and it is amazing to see. That is how I feel about all of the girls on this CD."  

Steve tells about his own touring plans that will take him around the world with Generation Axe in 2017.  He admits he has plans for the fall of 2017 that he can't speak about yet as they are not set in stone. When asked about a reunion tour with David Lee Roth and the band that recorded the album Eat 'Em and Smile Via simply states: "Well, I did say there may be things. That is something that is kicked around but nothing is definite."  

He goes on to say he was 'blown away with how it went down' when the band attempted reunite on the Sunset Strip last year.  He admits that "it just got crazy.  The place holds like 350 people and they had like 1700 people in there. The fire marshal  came with trucks, they were going to fine us and we didn't get to play."    

Listen to the interview below.

Favored Nations Entertainment has released the all-female compilation, She Rocks, Vol.1. This collection of kick-ass guitar goddesses is produced by author and former Guitar World editor, Brad Tolinski with iconic guitarist Steve Vai as executive producer, and showcases eleven female guitarists, each a virtuoso in her own right. From the legendary Lita Ford to Sarah Longfield’s jazzy riffin’, to Orianthi’s melodic stylings and the all-out shredding of Nita Strauss, these players each contribute their own voice to this carefully curated collection.

Check out Orianthi's "Transmogrify" below.

She Rocks, Vol.1 was released on January 20th via Vai’s own Favored Nations Label. These shredding songstresses cover the stage when it comes to style and personality; Ford is the quintessential guitar rock goddess with decades of top shelf performances, Jennifer Batten made her name playing for Michael Jackson, Strauss has toured with Alice Cooper for the past year, and the list goes on!

“Through the years women have become more and more interested in ripping it up on the guitar. It’s amazing to watch. Favored Nations is very excited to be working with producer Brad Tolinski in creating a compilation of many of the women who are evolving the instrument in powerful ways. They are wildly raising the bar."  - Steve Vai

"People always ask me about the future of the guitar, and in many ways, the artists on this album are the answer. They represent a new vision and a fresh sensibility."  - album producer, former Guitar World editor and author of Play It Loud: A History of the Electric Guitar (Doubleday),  Brad Tolinski

The She Rocks, Vol.1 compilation showcases the amazing talents of Orianthi, Yasi Hofer, Kat Dyson, Sarah Longfield, Lita Ford, Jennifer Batten, Nita Strauss, Steph Paynes, Nili Brosh, Menn, and Yvette Young and will be released on January 20th.

She Rocks, Vol. 1 tracklisting:

Orianthi - “Transmogrify”
Yasi Hofer - “Cosmic Stars”
Kat Dyson - “U Know What I Like”
Sarah Longfield - “The Taxi Time Travel Task Force”
Lita Ford with Lez Zeppelin - “The Lemon Song”
Jennifer Batten - “In the Aftermath”
Nita Strauss - “Pandemonium”
Steph Paynes - “The Sun at Her Eastern Gate”
Nili Brosh - “A Matter of Perception”
Gretchen Menn - “Scrap Metal”
Yvette Young - “Hydra”

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