“I’ve never bought a guitar and I’m quite proud of that! I always tell people when they’re learning: there’s a guitar not being played”: Meet Sacred Paws’ Ray Aggs, the dextrous Tele-wrangler inventing new chords and capturing Thurston Moore’s imagination

Ray Aggs.

If you’ve listened to any of Ray Aggs’ musical projects, you’ll know the guitar is a language that makes sense to them. From the discordant sounds of early Trash Kit to the clean grooves of minimalist dance punks Shopping, their intricate and inventive lead lines remain a golden thread.

Fretboard dexterity started early for Aggs. Learning to play the fiddle at five years old gave them confidence to follow on to mandolin – which they still perform in their parents’ bluegrass band.