Words by Andy Kovacic //

Enter: Running Touch. A gifted producer who stumbled across shadowy anonymity. He’s become a mysterious force from above that’s been gracing our radios with infectious dance junkie soundwaves for some time now. He’s the archetype of too-cool-for-school. He’s known for his ruffian electronica laced with a seductive punk moodiness that drives us wild. It’s sonic reckless abandon, partying like it’s the last day on Earth.

There’s a lot about Running Touch that’s stayed unearthed; he isn’t one who seems to care about having his name up in lights. On that note, I’d tell you his name but I’m not gonna be that turncoat who outs the identity of Superman, you know? Or should I say Clark Kent? I don’t know. You don’t know. Let’s keep it that way.

You may also not be aware that he has worked as a silent contributor to a few other projects, including that of local metalheads Ocean Grove. Nothing is off the cards for the enigma behind Running Touch, he’s got that magician’s touch when it comes to working with music of all shapes and sounds.

Now, with the release of his new song, ‘Meet Me’, comes fresh expectations. It’s a song he says has brought him back into tune with what really matters in music – creation, spontaneity and learning to just let go and let things happen. You’re welcome to join our little chat below to hear more about his music-centric world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7BM-pe-SMc

How has the year been for you so far, you recently came back from a gig in Japan right?

Yeah, I did. It’s been really good so far. Obviously, quite a unique year for everyone in the music industry. Quite sad in terms of livelihoods and things like that. But in terms of output and where the project is at it’s been really positive. I think there’s a lot of things feeding into the project right now, which I think is taking it to a different place than where it’s been before – just in terms of the experiences and stuff that have been happening.

Going to Asia for the first time was a part of that as well. It was just interesting seeing a different culture and being in a place I haven’t played before.

You’ve said in the past that you love being a producer. But over the past year, I feel like we’ve seen more of the musician behind Running Touch. Can we expect to see more of that in the future?

I think so. I think it’s just going to organically go where it goes. Just as much as starting the project unanimous, it’s been unintentional in a way. We just did it without a real solid dot point so we’re kind of approaching this the same way. I guess as the project becomes more personal and it grows, we’ve been letting that take the lead rather than conscious decision.

It seems like that’s where it’s going and it’s easier to do that instead of blocking out a personality. It just feels natural. But I think we’ll see more about that in the future.

But you’re not one to settle down? You like having different projects and different music to play with?

Exactly. Honestly, there’s no real thought process behind it – it just goes where it goes if you know what I mean. If that means it goes in the limelight, then that’s fine.

Since we’re talking about identity let’s dive into the new track you’ve just released called ‘Meet Me’. The entire song feels like an invitation, but to what exactly?

I really wanted to make a song that sounds like a love song at first glance but kind of has a few personal layers under it. I was actually quite inspired by Missy Higgins and her track, ‘Scar’. That song’s about how she was so scarred from her first writing session she did with people, but when you first listen to it and you watch her interviews everyone thinks it’s about love and it sounds like that. And that really inspired me – the way she just completely unintentionally created these really interesting layers in a song. I thought that was quite an interesting way to approach it, so I just tried to make the lyrics as simple as possible. I guess one side of the lyrics is for me and the other side of the lyrics is for other people.

So, I guess it’s not the deepest meaning in the world. It’s just a story I wrote that has some things pertaining to my life. If you looked at the lyrics first glance, then you’d think it’s about love and about relationships. And so, I suppose if you think it’s an invitation then that’s great cause I guess that sort of leans into what I was just saying.

Why did you choose to release this song first?

When I first started the album, I was really trying to make it larger than life – both musically and conceptually. And ‘Meet Me’ was the first song I wrote. I was actually writing another song for the album and I wrote this off the back of it. And it just happened so quickly, it was the exact same way I wrote ‘My Hands’.

I wrote it in a day, it was very natural, and it made me think this is how it should be; I shouldn’t be overthinking this concept and overthinking this musically. I kind of just wanted that to be the flagship for everything so I thought…you know what…let’s just put this out first to kind of force myself to think like that. So, that was the real reason. It was just sort of a mentality thing – it felt right, instead of forcing it. It was honest and I really liked that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLZfUwjQZd8

Okay let’s talk about the elephant in the room – the new album. It’s been a long time coming, have there been any delays?

I don’t think there have been any delays out of the ordinary than what any other artists would have. Just a lot of back end stuff. It took a long time to find what label to settle down with because it really just is my manager and me. But the real delay has been the one we are in right now – it completely changes everything. And I imagine, again, that is probably the same for everyone. It’s been completely unprecedented, unreadable, can’t forecast it so…we’ll see what happens.

But it’s coming out soon?

You can expect it this year [laughs]. I would want to put it out in two months if I could, but you know, we’ll see.

Can we expect some surprises, something a bit different with this album?

Yeah, I definitely think so. Definitely.

If you could go back in time and be a musician in any decade, what decade would you choose?

That’s a really good question. I don’t know…uh, I guess you’d have to say…a lot of our influence is from the ‘70s so maybe I’d have to say the ‘70s. I mean I’d want to say something where everything was being discovered like the ‘60s but yeah, I’d probably just say the ‘70s because most of the influences I grew up with came out from there and I think it was such an incredible time for pioneering and engineering. If you look at a lot of sound design and creation in music today, I think all the huge breakthroughs and inventions were kind of done in that era.

So I’d probably say that…just to be…just to be even in the same era as Fleetwood Mac, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Clash, Queen…like I mean I just don’t think you’d be able to experience anything like that cocktail of massive bands in ten years again in history. Probably not very unique, I think everyone would wanna go back there.

Other than the new album, what’s your vision for 2020 look like?

I think the main thing for this year is output and honesty. The minute I started this project it’s just like…honestly – do whatever comes my way, take every opportunity, focus on the output and focus on being honest about the output. Don’t kill myself about trying to be someone or like one of my contemporaries. Just honest output and as much of it as I possibly can because that seems to be what makes me happy and it seems to work.