Who were your major influences? What guides your playing style?
The biggest influences are Daniel Lanois, Neil Young, Patti Smith , Joni Mitchell to name a few. All of these artists obviously have massive careers but I think the element that ties them together and maybe what i'm drawn to is that they do what they want. They create and they don't give a fuck. They stay true to the muse and follow that lead in spite of what the industry calls for and thinks they should do. That's the only way to be truly happy as an artist.
Tone, space, melody and serving the song are the guides to my playing style. Making choices for the song vs your ego. That's usually when a guitarist will go wrong. It can be that simple.

What's your rig? First guitar? Current? Any gear you can't live without?
My first electric guitar was an old Hagstrom sunburst hollow body electric . I can't remember the name or what year, I think 70's, but what I do remember is how great that neck was. This was closely followed by a '62 Harmony Rocket which I still play to this day and not a lot can beat those pickups.

My current rig (which is always changing a bit) is a custom Tele built by Gamble Guitar Works, with Lollar Vintage T pickups, a 57 Airline Bobkat, usually through any of the following amps- Deluxe Reverb Reissue, 71 Princeton Reverb or my Husband's Grandfathers original Ampeg Jet that he bought new. ( pretty cool) I also keep a couple of late 50's Silvertone 7 Supro lap steel's around. The valco pickups in those are the best.