This narration precisely recounts the stated technical origins and stylistic inspirations that inform Emily Roberts’ guitar work for The Last Dinner Party. When the quintet introduced the compelling track "Nothing Matters" in 2023, listeners frequently noted the textured grandeur of Roberts' solo. Many perceived it as a direct homage to the soaring, theatrical architecture of 1970s rock—a distinct echo of Brian May's expansive style, a sound Roberts confirms she has always loved.
This immediate association, while understandable given the track's dramatic arc, masked a subtle, entirely different technical lineage. The solo, she later revealed, contains a specific element of fret tapping. This percussive clarity amidst the melodic swirl did not spring from the Queen catalog, but rather from the kinetic mastery of Eddie Van Halen. The technical source often differs sharply from the resulting aesthetic impression.
Roberts emphasizes that technical knowledge must be foundational; being able to speak the names of the notes on the fretboard without hesitation is paramount for creative freedom.
Her technique suggests that proficiency is not merely speed, but linguistic fluency with the instrument. When discussing the absorption of technique, she advocates for a deliberate amalgamation. "Learning other people's solos and picking different things from different people," she noted, leads to an outcome that is "not going to end up sounding like one particular person, but a Frankenstein of all of them." This intellectual approach allows for unexpected cross-pollination. A method lifted directly from the aggressive virtuosity of Van Halen can thus be seamlessly woven into a track that carries the inherent sonic drama of '70s stage rock.
The origin point dissolves; only the resultant sound remains for the listener.
With the release of The Last Dinner Party’s sophomore album, *From The Pyre*, Roberts confirms her position among the guitarists currently defining contemporary rock sounds. She holds a deep affection for the established sonic textures of the 1970s, yet her methodology reveals that style and mechanical execution are often separate calculations.
The theatrical sound may be a conscious homage to the glamor of a prior era, but the precise tools used to construct that sound—the specific fret taps, the quick recall of notes—are collected from a wide, even contradictory, historical landscape of guitar performance. It is a thoughtful construction, where the admiration for musical history feeds a technical practice intent on generating something refreshingly personal.
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 ...Looking to read more like this: Check here
