“It’s like, ‘Oh, we won’t compare you to the guys’”: Sophie Lloyd says being called a “female guitarist” feels “kind of limiting”
29-year-old guitar star Sophie Lloyd says she doesn’t like being called a “female guitarist” as the term feels “kind of limiting”.
The British shredder, renowned for her role as Machine Gun Kelly’s touring guitarist and for having launched a successful solo career — including her 2023 debut album Imposter Syndrome — speaks on The Mistress Carrie podcast, where she discusses the rise of women in rock and the way the industry has been navigating these changes.
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“I still think people would generally refer to me as a female guitarist,” says Lloyd [via Ultimate Guitar], adding that “it can be annoying that it always has to have the ‘female’ put in front of it.”
“It feels like it’s kind of limiting your abilities. Like, ‘Oh, we won’t compare you to the guys.’”
For Lloyd, having more and more women working in the industry has the added benefit of bringing “something kind of new” to the genre.
“There’s so much girl power now, in rock and in music in general,” she says. “So many session musicians I know of are also females, especially in the bigger bands. And generally, people are leaning more towards that kind of thing, because – I don’t know, women have a really cool energy as well.”
“It brings something kind of new to the genre,” the guitarist continues. “And I guess people are finally starting to see that and appreciate it, and that means more women are getting into it, because they’re seeing it more as well. So it’s, yeah, it’s definitely, it’s taken over, and it’s about time.”
Lloyd also notes how gear companies are starting to get on board with these changes, stating: “I think it’s really cool that more companies are starting to do that, having featured female artists for things, and just incorporating [them] and making it way more equal, as it should be, really.”
“And I think it’s definitely a new wave. And, again, it just makes it so much more accessible for people to start. They feel like, ‘Oh, I already feel included in this community.’”
In other news, Sophie Lloyd has announced that she’s auctioning off one of her signature Kiesel Guitars to raise funds for Pasadena Humane – an animal shelter that is currently housing and providing support for over 400 animals affected by the wildfires across Los Angeles.
The musician’s upcoming show at the Whiskey A Go Go on the Sunset Strip on 16 January will also continue, with a portion of the proceeds donated to wildfire relief efforts.
The post “It’s like, ‘Oh, we won’t compare you to the guys’”: Sophie Lloyd says being called a “female guitarist” feels “kind of limiting” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
