With ongoing solo shows, one album underway with producer Eddie Kramer and another with Kevin Shirley, Orianthi has a lot to do. But that didn’t stop her from carving out time for a run of shows with Alice Cooper in early 2025.
“Alice is like family,” she says of covering for Nita Strauss, who’d replaced her in Cooper’s band in 2014. “I thought it would be fun – then I realized, ‘I’ve got 25 songs to learn!’
“I do remember quite a bit of it, though. Working with him was such a blast. I know the shows are going to be really fun. It’s going to be a different dynamic and sort of a change from Nita.”
She’s also having fun with her signature Orange amp, the Oriverb. “When you get guitars that are not made well, and some artists stand behind them, it doesn't feel right,” she says. “They’re just looking for a paycheck.
“I could just have my name on this – but I actually need to like it. I’d feel really awful if I was selling something to people and thinking, ‘I would never use that.’ It has to be top-notch.”
Out of everything she has to look forward to in the coming year, she’s most excited about taking herself back to basics. “When I was a kid, I’d lock myself away for a day with my guitar,” she recalls. “I’m hoping to do that when I get back from the Alice Cooper shows – if I’m not in a bedazzled casket!
“I have to find those moments where I can just sit with different records and play. The important thing is getting back to just me with a guitar, feeling inspired. It’s about finding that peace.”
You’re rejoining Alice Cooper in January and February. How did that happen?
“An email that basically said, ‘Hey, Alice would love for you to join him because Nita is busy.’ I was like, ‘Absolutely!’ Well, actually, at first I said, ‘I’m not sure because I have my own stuff going on right now with my tour.’ But we moved things around and made it work.”
What do you bring to Alice’s music that’s different from Nita?
“I bring something really different to the band. Nita brings rock and metal, which is awesome. She’s an incredible player, but the way she plays is different from me. I play more classic blues rock, so it’s a different dynamic. It’s going to be interesting for the people who are watching and are used to the dynamic with Nita. We chatted about it the other day – we’re good friends.”
It’ll be special playing those guitars every night, knowing that money will be raised for a children’s charity
So you’ll be playing the songs your way rather than Nita’s?
“I’m just going to play the songs the way I played them before, and then, obviously, add the new stuff the way Alice wants me to. I’m an artist – I don’t copy anything. People expect that from me. Anything you step into, you approach it that way.”
Are you sticking with your basic rig?
“It’s totally new stuff. I’m going to have three new PRS guitars. At the end of the shows I’m actually going to sign them, and Alice will too, then we're going to donate them. We’ll auction them off and send the money to a children’s hospital.
“It’ll be special playing those guitars every night, knowing that money will be raised for a children’s charity.”
Your signature Orange amps have been a hit. What other signature gear do you have on tap?
“I’m very excited about my Epiphone SJ-200 – that’s coming out very soon. I just got the prototype and it just looks so amazing. It’s essentially my red SJ-200 that sold out. The top-selling artist acoustics were Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and my guitar, which is insane!”
Epiphone has had a lot of success with signature guitars by artists like Joe Bonamassa.
“I love Epiphones – I think they do an incredible job. They’re just solid. I can’t wait for mine to be out next year. It’s going to be lower in pricing, so people can afford it. It was really tough when you create a guitar like that, especially with the wood, mother of pearl and gold plating. It’s quite extravagant.”
Joe Bonamassa just asked for some Diet Coke and cigars, and he was good to go!
“I want it so people and kids can buy it. That’s why it was important for me to do a Crush version of my amp, too. Growing up, I couldn’t afford these guitars and amps; I would save up and it took me a while. Ao I don’t take anything for granted.”
Are you very involved in the creation of your signature gear?
“I’m so OCD. We go through a lot of prototypes to make sure it’s absolutely perfect. It has to be something I would play in the studio straight off the production line; it has to be a guitar I would grab and use on stage.”
Do you have plans to update your signature PRS?
“I’m excited about the possibility of a new PRS in the near future, but we just did the Blooming Lotus a year or two ago. I’m giving it a minute. People have been looking at my white PRS and asking when I’m going to do a signature of that one. But white is kind of hard to put into production, so we’ll see.”
On the new music front, you worked on First Time Blues with Joe Bonamassa in 2024. What was that like?
“Joe’s awesome. He’s a good friend and a great guitar player, artist and person. I was scrolling Instagram and was like, ‘I’m gonna reach out.’ I said to him, ‘I’m gonna be in the studio, and I’ve got this song… if you’d be up for it, I’ll send you a rough.’ He said, ‘Totally down.’ He just asked for some Diet Coke and cigars, and he was good to go!”
Carlos Santana will text me a playlist and I think, ‘This is outside the box!’
What’s the trick to sharing space with Joe, given that you’re both such powerful players?
“You just have a conversation musically. It’s like a back-and-forth – but you kind of want to step to the side and let Joe just freaking blow, you know? That’s what everyone wants to hear because he’s an insane player. I don’t want to hear myself while he’s playing! Then you step in and play a solo; and at the end you play together. It’s always off the cuff.”
How do you view where you’re at with your playing?
“I’m very colorful. I just want to better myself and never stop learning. I’m very blessed to have amazing friends who are legends. Carlos Santana is like my father – he’ll text me a playlist and say, ‘Listen to this jazz record. You’ve gotta play along to it.’ And I do, and I think, ‘This is cool! This is outside the box!’
“I’ll try to come up with different melodies – not play the same thing and just go off on tangents. I do that sometimes, and I want to do that more. This year, I’m going to try and find more space for myself. I’m going to try to submerge myself by just playing guitar and figuring out music by myself, just sitting with my guitar.”
