Latest articles by Alison Richter
Duff McKagan: “I discovered my acoustic guitar as a refuge during Covid. It lessens the panic attacks”
The Guns N’ Roses bassist and songwriter speaks candidly about how trading the bottle for playing acoustic has helped his panic attack and mental health struggles
7 ways playing guitar can benefit your mental health
Guitar is more than a hobby – here are 7 ways it can help you deal with the challenges life throws at you
Wheel’s James Lascelles and Jussi Turunen on their unique brand of guitar harmonies and the meaning of prog
The Finnish/English prog-metallers roll into uncharted territory with a blazing new EP and explain why it’s all about musical freedom
Nita Strauss: “Any time you’re playing guitar, you’re improving, no matter what it is – whether you’re playing power chords or technical metal”
The Ibanez signature artist made the very public shift from Alice Cooper’s band to Demi Lovato’s band this year, but she’s so much more than “someone else’s guitar player”
Wolfgang Van Halen looks back on his mammoth year: “I’m not a guitarist of the year – I’m just a dude”
The Mammoth WVH mastermind previews his next album and makes a strong case for his own selection for guitarist of the year
Guitarists of the year: the players who left their mark on 2022
We pay tribute to the returning champs, the young guns breathing new life into the guitar and this year's all-round heroes of the six-string – or, in Steve Vai's case, 23-string…
AWOLNATION's Aaron Bruno shares his guitar and emotional journey, and reveals why, for him, "music is mental health"
The leader of the crossover rock act details his rocky road to success, how songwriting and guitar playing has helped him throughout his life – and how one of John Frusciante's Strats ended up on AWOLNATION's latest all-star covers album
Mike Dawes: “Guitar right now is heavily edited, very engineered to engage, snippets of sound – the result is music that doesn’t sound like a journey”
Fresh off the back of his latest EP with Tommy Emmanuel, the fingerstyle acoustic virtuoso reflects on the state of the guitar in the social media age, the benefits of practicing songs in the wrong tunings, and why every solo guitarist should have an imaginary drummer
Nothing More on the personal challenges that fed new album Spirits, and how 2014's Jenny moved the band into a position of mental health advocacy
Written for vocalist Jonny Hawkins' sister, who suffers with bipolar disorder, Jenny saw considerable mainstream success, and even spawned mental health movements. Here, guitarist Mark Vollelunga and bassist Daniel Oliver reflect on how music can be "more than just frequencies"
Country music star Jimmie Allen talks mental health: “Music has always been my go-to, but there are times I can't get out of my head long enough to write”
The self-taught guitarist and multi-instrumentalist discusses his struggle with bipolar depression, and shares advice for those suffering with mental health issues
Andy Timmons opens up on mental health: “The guitar and music have always been catharsis for me. I can't imagine life without them”
The virtuoso shares his struggles with depression, alcohol and tinnitus – and how a lifelong love of guitar playing and music helped him through it all
The Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit: “I call myself a ‘meat and potatoes’ bass player, but that’s exactly what is called for with anything I might be doing”
The Eagles bassist digs deep into his bass gear – and looks back at the days when stardom was nothing but a teenage dream
Shane Theriot: "The best lead guitar players, like Eddie Van Halen, were great rhythm pocket players. Everything is rhythm"
The Grammy-winning producer and guitarist for the likes of Hall and Oates, Beyoncé and Robben Ford on the art of rhythm guitar, his new A-list Ebunctions project, and why he's never owned a Les Paul
Dave Weiner: “For a long time I had no desire to pick up a guitar. The guitar has always been my coping mechanism and now it seemed silly”
The much-loved guitar educator and Steve Vai’s touring guitarist on confronting grief, and knowing when to seek help and mental health support when you need it most
JD Simo unpacks the legacy of Elvis Presley and reveals how he nailed Scotty Moore’s guitar tone for Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic
As sole guitar player on Elvis, JD Simo left no stone unturned in search of the gear to bring rock ’n’ roll history to life, but as he explains, it was a gig he had been waiting his whole life for
Jennifer Batten on the sexism she faced as Michael Jackson's guitarist, and how Jeff Beck shaped her view of innovative guitar playing
The King of Pop's 10-year six-string sidekick talks playing guitar in a “man's world”, what keeps her loyal to Washburn, and the players impressing her today
Rob Balducci: “If you're struggling with mental health, try to harness some of the energy you have and focus it toward playing an instrument”
The virtuoso on using the guitar as an outlet for grief, depression and anxiety on his sprawling new solo album, Transcendence
Adam Shoenfeld: "As a kid, I exhausted technique to where, as a session musician, I started playing for the song"
One of Nashville's most in-demand session players on how he stretched his wings on new album All the Birds Sing, and the lessons learned on his path from hotshot shredder to country gun-for-hire
How a pummeling Garth Brooks cover helped hard-rocking Oklahomans Fist of Five tackle social stigmas
FoF discuss their recent resurgence, and confronting grief and mental health stigmas on their upcoming album, Sparrow Road
Brandy Zdan: “To me, this ended up being a guitar record, because of the range of emotions in the instrument. It's a vehicle for my grief and anger”
The Canadian singer-songwriter channels her experience dealing with miscarriage, grief and postpartum depression on her new full-length, Falcon
Joel Crouse: "In a lot of ways, mental health is its own pandemic"
The singer-songwriter and Ed Sheeran collaborator discusses his battles with mental health, damaging experiences within the music industry, and how those in need can seek help
Satellite Citi: "It’s hard to ignore all that's happened during these past two years. We've been absorbing everything, and it’s come out in our music"
The hard-rocking wife-husband duo discuss facing fears with their latest album Fear Tactics, their acoustic-oriented approach to composition and addressing generational grief in their work
How a Maryland rock band is challenging the stigma around mental health and suicide, one high school at a time
Big Infinite's Jordan Lally on his personal journey with depression and transforming his musical output into a vehicle for education
Paul Thorn: “Half the songs on this album were recorded on a Gibson Hummingbird with three-year-old strings!”
The Americana singer-songwriter talks cutting out drinking, how a Mississippi-shaped electric became his main guitar, and paying tribute to late family members on his new LP, Never Too Late to Call
