LISTEN to today's show featuring Laura B. Whitmore and Nita Strauss!Laura B Whitmore is a lifelong songwriter and music industry veteran. Whether she’s operating her music marketing and PR business, blogging for Guitar World, organizing a mass group-guitar-jam attended by hundreds at Union Square, or working with the WiMN, an organization she founded which advocates for women in the music industry – there’s always been one constant in Whitmore’s life; songwriting.
Growing up in Massachusetts, Whitmore wrote her first song with her sister at age 7. “It was the theme of our fake weather show. We called it ‘Lollipops Hang From the Trees,’” Whitmore remembers. At age 13, after being exposed to Carly Simon and Carole King, Whitmore was inspired to pick up the guitar. “I was always making up songs and singing,” she laughs.
Taking on a career in the music business, Whitmore has worked in almost every facet of the industry. Now living in the Boston Area with her husband and two children, Whitmore frequents local open mics and hosts house concerts on a regular basis.
In 2013 she launched her single “Have A Little Faith,” produced by Collective Soul guitarist Joel Kosche and mixed by veteran engineer Shawn Grove. Whitmore shares her inspiration. “It was one of those songs that just wrote itself,” she shares. “I think it sums up my philosophy on life. Even when things are terrible, you have to believe that it’s going to be okay. Otherwise, what’s the point?!” The acoustic guitar track is from the original demo and was performed by Whitmore’s live performance partner, Charles Besocke.
Since then she’s continued to write and co-write a wide variety of songs, performing them at events like NAMM, the ASCAP expo and others. She is currently finishing a project with Los Angeles singer/songwriter Jenna Paone aimed for release in 2017/2018. The duo continue to write together under the Smart Girl Productions moniker.
Whitmore plays frequently in the Boston metro area, and occasionally hosts open mics at the Dedham Square Coffee House. She hosts a house concert series in her home that she calls Acoustic Kitchen.
When she wears her business hat, Whitmore is the owner of Mad Sun Marketing, a boutique marketing and PR agency that focuses on the music and audio. She is the producer of the She Rocks Awards and the WiMN She Rocks Showcase series, and the founder of the Women’s International Music Network. She often hosts panels, workshops and events focusing on advocacy for women in music, marketing, PR, social media and so much more.
Whitmore’s gear list includes a Breedlove Concerto Myrtle/Myrtle acoustic, Taylor 314ce acoustic, Cordoba ukulele, Fender ’72 Pawnshop electric, and 65amps London Pro amplifier. Her go to mic for recording is an Audio Technica AT4050, but she also digs the Sterling Audio ST69 Tube Microphone. She regularly records with ProTools out of her home, so you might here a dog collar jingle or the pitter patter of large teenager feet in the background if you listen closely!
About Nita Strauss
Los Angeles born guitarist Nita Strauss has become a force to be reckoned with in the music world, dazzling audiences across the US, UK, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and Africa. Most fans will recognize Nita as Alice Cooper's touring guitarist of the past 4 years, but she has also played with R&B star Jermaine Jackson, early MTV darlings Femme Fatale, video game supergroup Critical Hit and popular tribute band The Iron Maidens. Her skill, exuberant stage presence and love for all things about her instrument have earned her a stellar reputation in the music industry and endorsements including Ibanez Guitars, Marshall Amplification, DiMarzio pickups, Monster Energy and more.
2018 has been a banner year for Nita. In January she was officially announced as the first ever female Ibanez signature artist with her own model, the Ibanez JIVA. She also released her signature pickups, the DiMarzio Pandemonium. April saw Nita playing WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura's entrance music at Wrestlemania in New Orleans in front of an audience of 78,000 fans and millions streaming worldwide, and in the same month she launched a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign for her debut solo record Controlled Chaos. The campaign reached its goal in two hours, doubled it by the end of the day, tripled the following day and ended up over 800% funded. Nita produced the record herself and did the majority of the engineering, as well as playing all the guitars and bass on the record. After the record was competed, Nita signed with Sumerian Records to release and distribute the album worldwide. After finishing out the Alice Cooper tour cycle, Nita will immediately hit the road supporting Controlled Chaos alongside modern guitar virtuoso Angel Vivaldi.
Nita has been featured on the covers of many worldwide print magazines and on dozens of albums, trailers, and soundtracks, including Heroes Of The Storm (Blizzard) and Grammy-nominated Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (Konami/ Platinum Games); and is the author of the Guitar World column "Like A Hurricane". Nita was also the official in-house guitarist for the LA KISS, the arena football team owned by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS. She is one of the most sought after clinicians in the industry and has done extensive clinic tours across multiple continents. Her consistent touring schedule has shown her to play in front of over a million audience members per year consistently for the past several years. Nita is also extremely passionate about health and fitness, and uses her wide social media reach to inspire and educate people about maintaining a healthy lifestyle while traveling on tour.
Nita's debut solo album Controlled Chaos will be available worldwide November 16 through Sumerian Records.
