YouTuber Sophie Lloyd has released a cover of Alice In Chains' 1991 classic Man In The Box. As with her previous videos, Lloyd has dispensed with the vocal - although the talkbox part remains - and instead shreds her way through the song, turning it into an epic instrumental.
Lloyd is one of growing number of social media "influencers" who've turned to video to promote their musicianship, and her videos have amassed more than 65 million views, with more than 600,000 fans subscribed to her YouTube channel.
“I’ve been uploading to social media for over 10 years now,” Lloyd told Metal Hammer last month. “It started as a virtual portfolio for me to look back on and see my progress. Then it became something so much bigger.”
Lloyd has been playing guitar for 14 years and posting her videos for a decade, but it’s the last 18 months that have seen her status skyrocket – a result of lockdown, perhaps, where people have had more time than ever to dive into social media, and also a reflection of the changing ways in which fans are engaging with rock music.
Earlier this year Lloyd spoke to Guitar World, revealing how the internet became a musical home because there was no local scene where she grew up.
“The internet is amazing," said Lloyd. "It got me where I am today. I am a glorified bedroom player in a way. All of my videos have been online, and that is definitely where I have become well known in the guitar world. And I think that is really, really cool.
“I have met so many people, people I wouldn’t have known otherwise, so many friends I wouldn’t have made if it wasn’t for the internet and being in that guitar community – especially since I came from quite a small town. There was no music scene. They didn’t have gigs at all where I was from. It was unheard of to be a musician, and online is where I found my community."
