Zach Riley Channels His Inner Romantic on Radiant Pop-Rock Track, “Your Touch”
Winnipeg singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zach Riley wears his heart on his sleeve in his new single, “Your Touch,” a feel-good, guitar-driven pop-rock track that beams with gratitude, energy, and emotional clarity. A celebration of the people who keep us grounded, “Your Touch” captures what it means to feel safe in someone’s presence, even on your worst days.
Inspired by his wife, Zach taps into the raw beauty of relational intimacy with sentiments that feel both timeless and refreshingly personal. The song’s emotional anchor is matched by its sonic sparkle – a shimmering blend of pop and rock influences that channel the earnestness of The Band CAMINO and the hook-driven joy of The 1975.
A highlight on the track is the soaring guitar solo, performed by Zach’s longtime bandmate Alec and marking the first recorded collaboration between the two.
“I knew I wanted a guitar solo at the end, but I’m a pretty subpar guitarist,” Zach laughs. “So I asked Alec, and he instantly nailed it. It was exactly what I was hoping for.”
“I just feel like “Your Touch” perfectly captures that feeling of having that person in your life that can help take the weight off your shoulders or make you feel whole again when you don’t feel like you’re enough. This song makes me feel really happy honestly. It might be cheesy to say that about your own song, but I remember listening to the full thing for the first time and I just had this big dumb smile on my face. Just a really fun song all around and I love the way it came together.“
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Of course! My name is Zach Riley and I am a musician from Winnipeg, Canada. I was born and raised in the prairies and grew up playing every sport I could. I didn’t start playing music until I started playing drums in 2010. Shortly after, I started uploading drum covers to YouTube. After doing that for a few years, I joined my first band in late 2017 and we toured Eastern Canada for 4 months. We have since parted ways, but I have drummed in multiple different bands since then, and I still do play drums for a few people. In 2023, I finally decided to start pursuing my own music. I had been writing my own music for a few years, and I always really enjoyed drumming in bands, but it always felt like I was just playing someone else’s music. I really wanted to start playing the music I wanted to play, and I’m so glad I decided to step out from behind the kit!
Congrats on the release of Your Touch! Can you share the story behind the song and what inspired you to write it?
Thank you! One of my favourite songs is Put It All on Me by Ed Sheeran and Ella Mai. I really love the lyrics, and it always amazed me that that song wasn’t more popular. I always found it so beautiful. For a long time, I really wanted to write a song that conveyed the same type of message as that song, so that was probably the initial inspiration for me to write Your Touch. Even though I didn’t write it until like 6 years later.
You’ve said the song was inspired by your wife — what does she think of it, and how did she react the first time she heard it?
My wife grew up on artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden, so pop music isn’t exactly her favourite genre. She definitely enjoyed it and absolutely appreciated the sentiment behind it, but I guarantee it wasn’t her favourite song of mine that I’ve shown her lol. But it wasn’t the first song I’ve written about her, and it won’t be the last.
The sound blends pop-rock influences with so much heart. Who are some artists that shaped your musical style or influenced this song?
I’ve had so many different artists inspire me over the years, and I kind of go through phases of really getting into different artists. A few that come to mind for this song in particular, though, would be Ed Sheeran as I mentioned before, but also The Band CAMINO and Knox. Ed Sheeran has always been a huge influence on my songwriting and I’m sure always will be. But over the past few years I’ve really fallen in love with the music of both The Band CAMINO and Knox. They both walk that line of pop with just a little more grit that gives it a little something extra. I love both of their songs so much.
The guitar solo at the end is such a standout moment! How was it collaborating with Alec, and what did that add to the track for you?
The guitar solo is by far my favourite part of the song. Alec and I started playing together for the first time in October of 2024. We actually met through our significant others. Alec’s girlfriend worked with my wife, and they joked that “before we know it, we’d be playing in a band together”. Sure enough, they were right. I knew from the get go that I wanted a guitar solo on this song, and Alec has come up with a few guitar parts for some of my unreleased songs that we’ve played live, so there was no doubt in my mind that he could write something that would really tie it all together. I couldn’t imagine the song without his solo in there.
You’re a multi-instrumentalist — how do you decide which parts you want to play yourself and when to bring in others?
When I know someone else can play it better than I can, lol. As much as I love playing guitar, I’m a pretty average guitar player. I’ve made quite a few friends over the past couple of years who are all a lot more talented than I am. Whether it be on drums, bass, guitar, etc., so the real challenge is deciding who I want to ask to play on one of my songs. Everyone I know has a slightly different style and can bring something different to a song.
What’s next on the horizon? Any upcoming singles, albums, or live shows we should be excited about?
I am working on a few new tracks at the moment. No release dates as of yet, but one “new” song that will feature another Canadian artist that I am super stoked about. I’d really like to release an EP soon, so that is definitely the next plan as far as releasing more music goes. As for live shows, I have a few festivals and shows in and around the Winnipeg area but I am always looking for new artists and opportunities outside of the city as well. Thoughts of a small tour have been on my mind for quite some time, so hopefully I can make that a reality in the near future as well.