“I went to the Crossroads Festival when I was 7. I've been married to my Eric Clapton Strat since I was 13”: Meet NYC trio Tchotchke and their six-string hotshot Emily Tooraen – who caught the blues bug when she saw B.B. King and ZZ Top as a kid

“I went to the Eric Clapton Crossroads Festival when I was seven,” says Emily Tooraen, guitarist with the New York trio Tchotchke. “ZZ Top and B.B. King were playing – and that was really special to see at a young age. I feel like that festival really got me into that music, so I keep that with me.”

It wasn’t long before Tooraen embarked on a guitar journey of her own, passing through various musical endeavors before joining drummer Anastasia Sanchez and bassist Eva Chambers, who had been jamming together since high school, in 2019.

“Before I met them, I was in a band that sounded like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, even though I wasn't a huge fan. I was trying to do a lot of different things on guitar, just to round out my abilities,” Tooraen says.

“I went to music school and I also accompanied some pop singers for a while – but ultimately I think my love with guitar is rock, and blues-rock.”

This is reflected in her choice of gear on Tchotchke’s new album, Playin’ Dumb. “I’ve always used my Eric Clapton Strat that I've had since I was maybe 13,” Tooraen says.

“I love playing that guitar, but for the new album, I used a Gibson SG as well, because in a three-piece, it rounds it out with that fuller tone. And that's been fun, because I've always been married to my Strat – it’s been my favorite instrument forever. It's been good to branch out.”

On Tchotchke’s 2022 self-titled debut album and on subsequent tours with bands such as The Gossip and The Makeup, Tooraen used tried-and-trusted gear.

Tchotchke - "Poor Girl" (Official Video) - YouTube

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“My favorite amp is a Fender Hot Rod, and I have quite a few pedals on a Boss 'board that I love so much. I have an MXR Phase 90 and an MXR Analog Chorus that I love using. The Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork pitchshifter is great, and I have a TC Electronic Flashback Delay. I also have a Boss OD-3 overdrive pedal and a Korg Pitchblack tuner.”

Check out guitar-heavy songs on Playin’ Dumb such as Poor Girl, which features a fuzz-heavy boogie riff and a searing solo from Tooraen.

Asked what the Lemon Twigs-produced album is about, she tells us: “I feel like it's very easy to be preceded by our gender – some people have said in the past, ‘You guys are good for a girl band.’ But this album’s all about reclaiming and embracing femininity – wanting to acknowledge the fact that we're women, and we love playing music. We want to show that we’re proud of being women.”

• Playin' Dumb is out now.