guitarguitar Exclusive: Interview with Erica Fox!
Published on 18 April 2025
A guitar-slaying rocker in a pop world: Erica Fox is the next top session guitarist you need to know about in 2025! This Canadian virtuoso has been shredding her way through world-stages whilst filling in gigs for artists such as Devon Cole, Ari Hicks, Goldie Boutilier, and Fefe Dobson to name a few. Erica Fox’s outstanding stage presence matched with phenomenal musicianship and professionalism earned her endorsements from industry’s biggest names from PRS to D’Addario. And she’s only just warming up….
Photo credit: Brody White
I have recently featured Erica Fox in my blog Top Up-and-Coming Female Guitarists which you can read here. Erica was kind enough to take some time off her busy touring schedule to answer some questions about herself & her career.
Ready to crank it up? Step into the spotlight with Erica Fox’s rock 'n' roll success story in an exclusive interview for guitarguitar!
The guitarguitar Exclusive Interview with Erica Fox
guitarguitar: Tell us about your beginnings - what inspired you to pick up a guitar and decide that you wanted to become a professional musician?
Erica Fox: Some of my earliest memories are of playing air guitar in the back of my parents’ car on roadtrips before I even realized I wanted to play. I feel lucky to have been born into a family of music lovers - their music taste influenced me heavily as a child. My dad loved Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pink Floyd and U2 among others, while my mom loved Janis Joplin, ABBA, Elvis and No Doubt. I remember dreaming of being on stage and miming the movements, imagining what it would be like. It felt like adrenaline in my legs. I asked for a guitar when I was about 8 and my mom told me if I still wanted to play guitar by the time I was 10, she would get me one. At the time I guess I changed my aspirations daily so she needed a little commitment on my behalf, haha. I got my first guitar on my 10th birthday and it’s a core memory :)
It’s really the only thing that made me the most happy over the years. Everything felt right when I played guitar. I felt so present. I became obsessed with music and lost in daydreams of being on tour. They say the work you’re meant to do shouldn’t feel like work, right? So I did everything in my power to make that my reality!
Everything felt right when I played guitar. I felt so present. I became obsessed with music and lost in daydreams of being on tour.
gg: You’re from Toronto - what does the music industry look like for a young female guitarist over in Canada at the moment?
EF: Honestly, if you’re dedicated and you show up, there is loads of work. A female guitarist seems to be a hot commodity these days, and there aren’t many of us. So it’s absolutely a viable career path. It’s not easy though, I will say that.
gg: The list of artists you have worked with as a session guitarist is nothing short of incredible: Devon Cole, Fefe Dobson, Goldie Boutilier and Queen Pryianka to name a few. How do you get hired, what’s the secret - what’s the process?
EF: It’s been a lot of hard work and consistency. Sometimes it’s being at the right place at the right time, and one thing leading to another. It’s a combination of things really, and you need to have a bit of everything to get the gigs - skill, personality, hard work, having the right gear, showing up on time, being extra helpful, having a look, being available and flexible…
Honestly, a lot of the gigs I’ve gotten have been through networking and social media. My first gig ever with Devon Cole I got because I met an A&R at an industry event who knew her manager. I was introduced to him as a guitarist, and he texted a week later saying, “Hey, you said you’re a guitarist, right? I know a guy who is looking for someone for a gig” - it was just a 3-song acoustic gig at the time. I made myself available - booked off work and practiced as much as I possibly could. Devon and I hit it off right away. I made sure to mention in rehearsal that I also play electric guitar and would love to do more work with her. Sure enough, she had been feeling like she wanted to be on the road with friends – with women. After the gig went well, they asked me back for more, and the rest is history! I also try to post consistently, on my instagram stories especially, to show people what I’m up to, and people started to see me playing for Devon a lot. I started to get messages from other artists asking if I would play for them too. The visibility helped a lot. I said yes to everything I possibly could.
Photo credit: Ines Barny
There was also a time when I was asked to sing on a queer anthem for Pride, and I put myself out there and mentioned that I also played guitar and could if they wanted me to. Turns out the woman doing all the admin for the project was also Goldie’s assistant, and she was putting her band together at the time. When I went in to record my parts for the anthem, Goldie happened to be sitting in the office next door. It was the same kind of situation - her assistant comes in and goes, “Hey, you play guitar right?” and the next thing I knew I was auditioning for Goldie’s band. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and let people know what you do!
You need to have a bit of everything to get the gigs - skill, personality, hard work, having the right gear, showing up on time, being extra helpful, having a look, being available and flexible…
gg: You’re very active on social media and we can see you constantly touring, always on the road. How do you prepare for a long tour? Do you find it challenging as a female (prep, luggage, safety etc)?
EF: I do find it challenging, although I think I’ve managed to streamline my process a bit over the various tours I’ve been on. I try to think of long tours in 2-week segments - if I pack enough for 2 weeks, and pack laundry detergent strips (game changer!), then there’s usually a venue or hotel along the way where I can do my laundry. That helps a lot. It’s definitely tough as a woman. Having your period and getting cramps on the road is no joke. I always have to plan ahead - have Advil on hand and enough period stuff to last me. There are pharmacies along the way too, but sometimes there’s no time, so you want to be prepared. I always bring extra underwear and socks. Sometimes you have to fly or play big shows on days you’re really hurting - that’s tough. As for safety, it’s something you have to keep in mind a lot especially in cities you’re unfamiliar with. I try to stick with my people and not wander off alone too much, especially at night. I wear a lot of baggy clothes lol. I have this massive black hoodie that I basically live in when I’m on tour. Makes me feel a bit safer.
gg: Do you think you’ll get back to focusing on your solo career, form a band or is the session world the right place for you?
EF: I think I will always have my own project in the back of my mind... I know there is no “right time” to put it out, but for some reason I have a feeling I will know when that time comes. The session world has been so good to me and I’m very happy there at the moment. It’s been a crazy journey and a roller coaster that just never ends, so I’m just riding the wave! It’s taking me a lot of places I’ve always wanted to get to as a solo artist, and I’m finding a lot of fulfillment in reaching those places even though I’m not in the spotlight. I realized I just love performing, playing and being on stage, no matter what role I’m in. But I have people in my life like Fefe and my vocal coach Marla who always remind me that I am an artist too… and I’m very grateful for that. I do love my songs and really want to put them out one day. I’ve always viewed the platform I am building as a guitarist as a launching pad for my own project one day - and I look forward to the day I get to do both!
Photo credit: Brody White
gg: What advice would you give to anyone trying to build a career in music (session or otherwise) in 2025?
EF: Put yourself out there as much as possible, say yes to everything - even things you might not be super keen on. Sometimes it will allow you to meet the right people, who will lead you to the next thing. Everything is a learning experience. Keep practicing, and lead with kindness and gratitude always :) It sounds cliché, but truly anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Part of my job is being able to be adaptable across genres. I spend a lot of time trying to emulate the tones I hear on the recordings.
gg: You’re inseparable from your Eriza Verde PRS Custom 24-08 and fully endorsed by PRS and D’Addario - congratulations! Can you tell us how that came about?
EF: Thank you so much! Yes, I’m completely obsessed with that guitar, can you tell it’s my favourite? Haha. 24 frets just makes sense to me!
PRS came about through Devon’s team - she is endorsed by PRS as well, and someone on her team thought that if I was playing lead guitar for her, it was a good opportunity to also be repping PRS. She saw it as a mutually beneficial situation. She introduced us over email. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had a zoom call with the PRS team and they were already totally on board! I think they saw me playing my Les Paul Custom Lite in a lot of my posts and wanted that to change haha. I’m very grateful for my relationship with them, they’ve been so good to me. And I truly love their guitars, so that makes it easy for me! :)
As for D’Addario, I was introduced to one of their reps at NAMM years ago, through someone who ran a guitar camp I used to attend when I was 16. I made sure to follow up, and he was so sweet and responded to me. I cared a lot about developing that relationship. He had me come visit the warehouse in Toronto, which was super cool because I got to learn all about their guitar string recycling program and the D’Addario Foundation, among other things. They really care about the environment and helping kids in need; our values align there. Through keeping up the relationship over the years, he has celebrated wins with me along the way, and I love lifting them up on my social media because I believe in them as a company. It’s a symbiotic relationship!
gg: Let’s talk about your sound: What is your go-to rig when it comes to live shows?
EF: I have a really simple rig when it comes to touring - it’s a Neural DSP Quad Cortex with a Dunlop X8 expression pedal. It’s all rigged to a board that fits into a carry-on size pelican case. So all I’m usually traveling with is 2 guitars in my Mono dual electric case, my Quad in the pelican as my carry-on, and my personal suitcase. Sometimes I bring an acoustic depending on the gig!
Photo credit: Brody White
I could talk about this for ages, but my favourite amps on the Quad right now are the Freeman Lead for a ripping distortion sound, and the Bogna Vishnu 20th Clean for a lovely smooth clean tone. It always varies depending on the guitars I use, but those are probably the most consistently used for me.
gg: When it comes to the technique, is there one you could say is your signature sound or preferred way of working the fretboard?
EF: Honestly not really, I still don’t think I’m that great haha. I have a lot to learn. I just got good at learning my parts and executing them well. There’s so much I don’t know! And I constantly feel like I am in rooms where people could play circles around me. Keeps me on my toes I guess. It’s definitely tough to balance learning new theory and technique and having the time to practice that, while being on the road or learning new songs for an artist’s set. I still haven’t figured that out. But I definitely learn a lot through learning songs. Sound and playing wise I usually default to more of a rock sound - that’s my personal preference - but part of my job is being able to be adaptable across genres. I spend a lot of time trying to emulate the tones I hear on the recordings.
The beginning is the hardest part! It’s like riding a bike - it feels impossible at first, but one day, you won’t even remember how hard it was because it will feel so natural. Keep going back to the songs that made you want to play guitar in the first place... Just don’t stop :)
gg: Dream signature guitar?
EF: PRS has some “Dragon” models where the inlay on the fretboats is a big dragon. They are SO cool. They also have some with dragons on the body of the guitar too, like the Dragon 2000 model.. I’m obsessed with them. It looks like they have tattoos.. I just love them. I would want mine to be some spin on the Custom 24-08 I have - it’s a good size for my body and my hands feel good around the neck. Not too chunky, the scale length somewhere in the middle, and a glossy mahogany neck. Maybe a custom color (green or black or white) with some of MY tattoos as the inlay. I have a tiger tattoo on my right forearm that would be really cool to see on a fretboard!
gg: We’ve recently featured you in our top-up-and-coming female guitarists blog for IWD. Your profile is becoming more and more visible not only on social media but also across live music venues you perform at, which are both a tremendous testament to your hard work. How do you feel about being a role model for young girls aspiring to be guitarists?
EF: Thank you! I feel honoured. I lacked a lot of female guitarist role models growing up, so it’s an amazing feeling to be providing more representation for young aspiring musicians. I really want to show young girls that they can do anything they put their minds to, no matter what anyone says, even in spaces they perceive they “don’t belong”. But it’s one thing to hear, and another to experience. I think representation and seeing it in action is even more important. The energy of it can be so inspiring. It’s a dream come true in itself in so many ways!
gg: I believe we all hold the power to help each other out. And by supporting one another we can build a beautiful community of incredible female guitarists that will continue on inspiring future generations. If you were to give a shout out to another up-and-coming female guitarist, who would it be?
EF: I couldn’t agree more. Lifting each other up is one of the best parts! My old friend Sandra Annan is rocking it for Canadian up-and-coming artist Maddee Ritter right now as well as queer indie pop-rock band Blush. They rock!! Their style is really cool. We met at guitar camp when I was 16 and we've been friends ever since! Their playing is very unique and intuitive to me and I've always loved it.
I am constantly inspired by all the talent on social media lately too - some female guitarists I look up to who are absolutely slaying it right now are April Kae (bass), Tai, Sophie Burrell, Emi Grace, Lexii Lynn (who also plays live for many artists including Fletcher!!) and more! It's such a sweet and supportive community, I love it.
gg: If you were to give advice to someone who is just starting to learn their first chords, what would you say?
EF: The beginning is the hardest part! It’s like riding a bike - it feels impossible at first, but one day, you won’t even remember how hard it was because it will feel so natural. Keep going back to the songs that made you want to play guitar in the first place... Just don’t stop :)
gg: Thanks for joining us for a chat Erica & best of luck in your career!
Photo credit: Brody White
Make sure to check out Erica Fox’s profile on social media and keep an eye out for any future shows on this side of the pond. Get inspired by Erica’s electrifying guitar action, playing her heart out with some of the fastest rising pop and rock stars in the game.
