Spotlight: Running Touch

HAILS FROM: Melbourne, VIC
PLAYS IN: Solo / Ocean Grove
SOUNDS LIKE: Groovy, experimental dance and house (as Running Touch); off-the-rails nu-metal with a wacky, 90's-esque pop edge (in Ocean Grove)
LATEST DROP: "Meet Me" (single out now via Universal)

What’s your current go-to guitar?
I play an American Performer Stratocaster. I have always been drawn to Stratocasters. I love the jumbo frets and satin finish on this particular model. 

How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
I was always unconsciously trailblazing my brother – he wanted to play everything, which meant the same for me. When I found my musical idols, it only deepened my love. The first electric guitar I got was an Ibanez that my brother and I got before a G3 concert in 2006. We got it signed by Steve, Joe and John that day. Looking back, I don’t think I appreciated that enough.

What inspires you as a player?
Production and working with other instruments feeds into my guitar-playing a lot. My first instruments were drums and piano, so a lot of how I use rhythm and how I perceive theory is very heavy influenced by those. With music production, it’s all about choice and negative space for me. It teaches you that less is more.

Are you much of a gear nerd?
I love my processing in the box at the moment. I’ve written the current record all through my Kemper so the tones are seamless live. The functionality and depth of the Kemper is incredible. 

Do you have any ‘white whales’?
A Heeres Archtop would be at the top of my list. The Strandberg Boden 7, too – I’ve never owned a fanned-fret guitar or a seven-string. A ’58-64 strat would be up there as well. I always dreamt of owning a toured guitar from another artist. Gear‑wise, anything by Elysia would top my list right now.

What would your signature model look like?
That's a hard one. It would be a black ’57 styled two-piece Stratocaster, maple fingerboard at 24 frets. Maybe V mod or Seymour Duncan Hyperions pickups. Black hardware.

If you could jam with any guitarist, dead or alive...
Hendrix. Anything he wanted. Alive, probably Julian Lage! Maybe we’d play “Who Put You Behind The Wheel?” by Charlie Hunter.