Genre-shifting session shredder Erica Fox picked up guitar at 10 years old with the aim of securing a career in music. Two decades on, her policy of saying yes to every gig means that’s exactly what she’s achieved.
She’s played alongside Fefe Dobson, Goldie Boutilier and country mega star Maren Morris – her current gig – but she can still recalls being moments away from quitting in her early days.
“They were teaching me Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and I wanted to learn the solo to Stairway to Heaven,” Fox says. “I just fell in love with guitar as soon as I could play a song on my own.”
She kickstarted her career by relocating to metropolitan Toronto, while her bustling Instagram presence was a big help as locals saw her online and invited her to jam.
Fox has since found her way into an expanding niche of like-minded female musicians, who were looking for talent, style, and someone to hang with on the roads – the holy trinity of the live professional.
“There hasn’t been a lack of jobs,” she says. “You live with these people a month at a time on the road. They don’t want to hire a people they wouldn’t normally hang out with. They’re looking for players who are skilled, but also personable and kind.”
Being a good hang will get you surprisingly far – but you’ve still got to be able to deliver on stage.
“I definitely over-prepare,” she says. “If I can play the solo 100 times in my living room, muscle memory will kick in when I’m on stage. But I still get very nervous all the time.”
Her first real plunge into the deep end was her audition for Canadian pop punker Dobson, who set the task of performing the solo from Can’t Breathe – written and recorded by Australian virtuoso Orianthi.
Fox spent eight hours a day over four days mastering the passage then performed it in front of Dobson – feeling like she was going to “pass away.” The work paid off and when she landed the role, it yielded a full-circle moment, as Dobson opened for Avril Lavigne last year.
“It was just amazing to stand on stage and let a chord rip, especially as it was my first time playing an arena,” Fox says. “On the last night of the tour, I got to meet Avril down by her bus.
“So many people doubted her, saying she wasn’t rock enough – that’s such bullshit. Look at her now on an arena tour. I told her how influential she was to me and how cool it is to see a woman in rock.”
Speaking of doubters, Fox says she enjoys shattering assumptions that she’s part of the crew at soundcheck by ripping a solo on stage – often on her PRS SE Custom 24-08 Eriza Verde in electric green.
“The 24 refers to the number of frets it has. Having two more than usual gives you a full two octaves to work with. The 08 refers to how many pickup combinations you can play around with. PRS thought the guitar would work well with my style. It’s very versatile – it’s my favorite guitar.”
When on tour with Morris, Fox sticks to her PRS SE NF3 in white pearl, which is more in keeping with the onstage aesthetic and musical style. It’s paired with a Quad Cortex, keeping her gear as light as possible for lugging around airports.
She recently made another big move, relocating to Nashville to immerse herself into full-time work, including further shows with Morris. “You’re baring your soul to people when you write music and put it out, so I understand how important these projects are,” she says.
“I don’t take that lightly as a musician who gets to interpret them on stage. I love immersing myself in projects – they deserve that. So I’m really looking forward to Europe in November with Maren and the gang, then February brings the Australian leg of the tour.”
- Keep up to date via Erica Fox’s Instagram.
