When The Last Dinner Party exploded onto the scene with the surefire hit Nothing Matters, back in 2023, one element that stood out was Emily Roberts’ Brian May and Queen-esque solo.
Many lauded it as a nod to the theatrical rock extravagance of the ’70s – with a modern twist, of course.
The quintet's return with their sophomore album, From The Pyre, sees Roberts delivering the goods and solidifying her position in the vanguard of players shaping the sound of rock guitar.
“Knowledge of the fretboard is important, being able to say the notes of each fret out loud without thinking about it,” Roberts says in an upcoming Guitar World interview, when asked if she has any tips to share with those who want to brush up on their fretwork technique.
“Learning other people's solos and picking different things from different people, you're not going to end up sounding like one particular person, but a Frankenstein of all of them.”
And this is why Roberts can play on a track like Nothing Matters and give it that Queen vibe, when in reality she is taking inspiration from a totally different source.
“That's been a big thing for me, especially with technique,” she continues. “Like the Nothing Matters solo, it's got one bit where I'm tapping on the frets. I got that idea from Eddie Van Halen, even though Nothing Matters sounds nothing like Van Halen.”
As for her obvious reference to ’70s rock, Roberts notes that she's always “had a love” for the rock music concocted during that era.
“There's so much power behind it,” she says. “I want to embody the power that I feel when listening to that music. Often, I don't feel powerful as a person, but when I play guitar, I really do.”
Recently, Roberts revealed her penchant for Music Man St. Vincent signature guitars – and why she’s ditching Fenders and Gibsons in favor of the St. Vincent model.
Guitar World’s interview with Emily Roberts will be published in the coming weeks.
