The Iron Maidens guitarist, Nikki Stringfield, released her debut full length album, Apocrypha, on September 29th. She spoke with Guitar World about the making of the album and her influences as guitarist. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

Nikki: "I have such a wide variety of influences, and I think it all comes out one way. I was born in 1990, so I grew up with '80s metal and grunge simultaneously and loved them both. I enjoy incorporating haunting vocal harmonies like Alice In Chains, along with the catchiness of Nirvana's hooks and riffs – and then, the dueling and flashy solos from the '80s."  

Guitar World: You mentioned that you favor grunge. Do you have a favorite grunge guitar player?

Nikki: "Kurt Cobain, because he's who inspired me to pick up a guitar in the first place. So many people don't understand how, as a lead player, I could idolize someone like him, but for me, it's also about the songwriting, passion, and the music overall. I love shredding, but to me, these things are equally important. I picked up a Nirvana tab book when I was 14 and learned all the songs, and that's how I taught myself how to play guitar."

Guitar World: How has your time with The Iron Maidens shaped your approach to guitar and performing?

Nikki: "Playing with The Iron Maidens has definitely helped my performance and stage presence! I've been with them for 11 years, so it's a massive part of who I am, and I've always loved Iron Maiden. One of the first riffs I learned was '2 Minutes To Midnight'. I'm also all about the dueling guitars and solos in my music!"

Read the complete interview here.

Tracklisting:

"No Surrender"
"The Spell"
"Where The Demons Lie"
"The Outsider"
"Lunacy"
"Save Me"
"Kiss From A Rose" (Seal cover)
"Flesh And Bones"
"Wasting Away"
"As Chaos Consumes"
"Unite"

For further details, visit Nikki Stringfield on Facebook.

(Photos courtesy of Adam Hendershott and Jack Lue).