Spotlight: Joe Mungovan

JOE MUNGOVAN

HAILS FROM: Illawarra, NSW
PLAYS: Solo
SOUNDS LIKE: Groove-inflected indie-pop
LATEST DROP: A Flower In The Weeds (LP out now independently)

What’s your current go-to guitar?
At the moment I’m playing a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster. I purchased it last year and haven’t put it down since. I love the versatility and feel of this guitar.

How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
I started out as a drummer, but at the age of 13 I had a pretty hectic skateboard accident that left me in a wheelchair for a couple of months. Without the use of my legs I couldn’t play my kit anymore, so I turned to the guitar. I taught myself how to play by watching Rage and copying their finger positions. I strummed away for years on the guitar that my dad had lying around the house, which was a beautiful, custom-made nylon-string guitar – I still use this guitar to record on!

What inspires you as a player?
As someone who learned the drums from a young age, I will always be influenced by rhythm. A lot of my songs use quite a few guitar tracks in different polyrhythms. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Khruangbin, The War On Drugs, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Leif Vollebekk, all of whom use the guitar completely differently and in such interesting ways.

Are you much of a gear nerd?
I wouldn’t say I’m too much of a gear nerd, just more of a plug-in-and-play guy. I recently picked up a secondhand Reverend Manta Ray that has a beautiful, warm, deep tone. 

Do you have any ‘white whales’?
A Fender Jaguar (American Original ‘60s) would be a nice addition!

What would your signature model look like?
I’d love to have Andy at T-Guitars whip me up a custom semi-hollowbody with a couple of humbuckers. 

If you could jam with any guitarist, dead or alive...
I’d love to play ‘Strangest Thing’ with The War On Drugs.