The Water Runners
Introducing The Water Runners From Kiama
The Water Runners offer a blend of Australian folk music, with trad folk, bluegrass and country flavours. This has seen the band connect with audiences around Australia.
The Water Runners’ strong musicianship and well-crafted songs offer a rich storytelling experience from the serious to seriously fun, often drawing on the landscape and stories of their home in Kiama on Dharawal country.
On their journey as a band, they have collected song-writing awards, been ‘People’s Choice’ AFM Award finalists, and scored best band in the National Busking Championships.
AustralianBluegrass.com has festured news of their latest album Further Down The Road here.
The Band’s Full Bio:
The Water Runners hail from the beautiful towns of Kiama and Gerringong on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. (Dharawal Country.) They’ve been winning hearts nationwide with their energetic performances at pubs, clubs, festivals, and various events. Their music combines original Australian folk, bluegrass, and influences from country, roots, and traditional folk styles that resonate deeply with listeners.
John Littrich (guitar, vocals, harmonica) and Neil McCann (banjo, mandolin, backing vocals) have been creating music together for over 25 years, and what an incredible journey it has been! Along with their good friend Paul McGee, they’ve picked up several top awards from the Australian Songwriters Association. They were especially excited when UNICEF selected their song “Turn Down The Heat” to promote the State of the World Children’s Report. Fun fact: Neil used to perform with the amazing Australian folk legends, Wongawilli!
On percussion and vocals, we have Dom Littrich, who usually keeps the beat with the popular South Coast rock band Pacific Avenue and is known for his fun raps as Big Twisty. Dom also loves hanging out with the influencers from The Inspired Unemployed! Although his recent success means he in now unlikely to be available for performances, he’s been there from the beginning and can be heard on all their first 3 albums.
In 2017, The Water Runners were thrilled to have Danita Harris join them on violin and vocals. She’s played with some fantastic groups, including the folk roots band Strung6teen and even the Garth Brooks Tribute Show! Then, in mid-July 2019, Clayton Condon, the talented young whiz on double bass, got an exciting opportunity to join the army and work with helicopters! Luckily, Gerringong’s very own double bass legend and dairy mechanic, James Turk, stepped in to take over where Clayton left off. With such a wonderful crew, it’s always a great time making music together!
At the end of 2020, they celebrated a fantastic achievement by winning Best Band and taking home second place in the Open Category at the Australian National Busking Championships. They were also thrilled to perform at the Sounds Australia and Folk Alliance Folk Unlocked Iso-laid Festival in 2021, which was broadcast to audiences around the world. To top it off, they received a nomination for The People’s Choice Award from the Australian Folk Alliance, which led to unforgettable performances at the National Folk Festival in Canberra over Easter 2022.
In January 2021, the group put their creativity to work and recorded their third album, Further Down the Road, in Sydney with the talented and award-winning producer Matt Fell, known for his work on ABC’s The Recording Studio. This album was released in July 2021 and has been a hit with fans.
In 2022, they shone as finalists in the Songs for Social Change contest, organized by the Renaissance Artists and Writers Association, competing against amazing songwriters from all over the world. Then, in 2023, they were excited to win the Judith Crossley Songwriting Award at the Fleurieu Folk Festival in South Australia! In 2024, they made it into the top 10 for the ASA Songwriting Award with their song Murrumbidgee. John took 4 months away travelling across Australia in 2024 and has returned with a swag of new songs.
Right now, the band is busy working on their fourth album, which fans can look forward to in late 2025. Stay tuned for more great music and story-telling from The Water Runners website.
