Troy Kingi (born 1984) is a New Zealand musician from Northland.
Biography
Troy Kingi was born 1 June 1984 in Rotorua, and was raised in Rotorua, Te Kaha and Kerikeri. Kingi is of Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent. He began learning guitar at Te Aute College in Hawke's Bay, and formed his first band, Toll House, at Kerikeri High School. Toll House entered the Smokefreerockquest, winning the regional Northland competition.
Since the early 2000s, Kingi has lived in Kerikeri. He studied at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand in Auckland, and on returning to Kerikeri fronted a number of short-lived bands, including Mongolian Deathworm, Kingkachoo, Troy Kingi and the Tigers, Full Moon Street and Typhoon Fools, while also working as a scuba instructor and fruit picking in Kerikeri orchards. Kingi's work with Typhoon Fools gained him more widespread attention, and led to him being cast in the film Mt. Zion (2013). Kingi also featured on the film's soundtrack, and after the film's release, toured New Zealand with the film's lead actor Stan Walker. Kingi released his first extended play in 2013. His appearance in Mt. Zion led to further work as an actor, including The Pā Boys (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). Kingi collaborated on the Stan Walker song "Aotearoa" (2014), a song created part of a Te Wiki o te Reo Māori project for a song sung in Māori language to reach number one in New Zealand, something that had not been seen since Pātea Māori Club's "Poi E" in 1984.
Kingi set himself the goal of releasing 10 albums in the span of 10 years, performing in 10 different genres. The first in this series was Guitar Party at Uncle's Bach (2016), a double album recorded live in seven days at Lyttelton, New Zealand. At the Waiata Māori Music Awards, Kingi won the awards for best Māori pop artist and best solo male artist. His second album, the soul-psychedelic Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron (2017), featured "Aztechknowledgey", which was nominated for the APRA Silver Scroll award. Holy Colony Burning Acres (2019) was a political roots reggae album featuring songs that discussed subjects including West Papua, the Inuit, Hawaiʻi and Aboriginal Tasmanians, The album won the 2020 Taite Music Prize.
In 2020, Kingi released The Ghost of Freddie Cesar, an album inspired by a cassette tape Kingi found in the belongings of his father, who disappeared in 2005. The cassette tape since went missing, and the album was a re-creation of what Kingi remembered of the tape, blended with his own interpretations and original content. The album was a commercial success, reaching number two on the New Zealand albums chart. Kingi's 2021 album, Black Sea Golden Ladder, was written in four days at an apartment on Clyde Wharf in Wellington Harbour, as a part of the Matairangi Mahi Toi Artist Residency programme. The album was co-produced with New Zealand singer-songwriter Delaney Davidson.
Kingi plans to retire as a musician after releasing 10 albums, to become a music producer and a gardener at land he owns in Ōkaihau.
Personal life
Kingi's father disappeared around Christmas 2005, while driving between Rotorua and Auckland. Kingi has five children with his wife Huia, and works with the Raid Movement, a group combatting youth suicide in Northland.
Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications NZ NZArtistPeak positions for Troy Kingi's albums on the NZ artists top 20 albums chart: For Troy Kingi EP: For Guitar Party at Uncle's Bach: For Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron: For Holy Colony Burning Acres: For The Ghost of Freddie Cesar: For Black Sea Golden Ladder: For Pū Whenua Hautapu, Eka Mumura: For Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs: For Time Wasters: Soundtrack to Current Day Meanderings: For Leatherman & the Mojave Green: For Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords: Guitar Party at Uncle's Bach Released: 18 November 2016 Label: Lyttelton Records Format: CD, digital download, streaming — 13 Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron Released: 28 November 2017 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 17 1 Holy Colony Burning Acres Released: 12 July 2019 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming — 11 The Ghost of Freddie Cesar Released: 11 September 2020 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 2 1 RMNZ: Gold Black Sea Golden Ladder Released: 18 June 2021 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 3 2 Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs Released: 7 October 2022 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 2 2 Time Wasters: Soundtrack to Current Day Meanderings Released: 17 November 2023 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 11 1 Leatherman & the Mojave Green Released: 16 August 2024 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 5 1 Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords Released: 28 November 2025 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 18 2 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
Reissues
Title Album details Peak chart positions NZ NZArtist Pū Whenua Hautapu, Eka Mumura Released: 24 June 2022 Label: AllGood Absolute Alternative Records Format: LP, digital download, streaming 18 3
Extended plays
Title Album details Peak chart positions NZArtist Troy Kingi Released: 21 October 2013 Label: Hongi Slicker Records Format: Digital download, streaming 16
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZHot "Matariki Hunga Nui (Calling Me Home)": "Hori on a Hoiho": NZArtistHotPeak positions for Troy Kingi's singles on the NZ artist hot singles chart: For "All Your Ships Have Sailed": For "Shake that Skinny Ass", "Chronophobic Disco" and "Caught in the Rain": For "Call My Name (School)": For "He Ōrite": For "Paparazzo": For "Bastard": "Break a Bone" 2015 — —Guitar Party at Uncle's Bach "Cold Steel" 2016 — — "Just a Phase" 2017 — — "Ethiopia"2019 — —Holy Colony Burning Acres "Babylon Grows" — — "All Your Ships Have Sailed"2020 29 4The Ghost of Freddie Cesar "Chronophobic Disco" — 8 "First Take Strut"2021 — — "Call My Name (School)" — 10Black Sea Golden Ladder "Sleep (Slumber)" — — "He Ōrite" — 16 "Paparazzo" 2022 — 7 Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs "Bastard" 2023 — 14 Time Wasters "Through the Night" 2024 — — rowspan="2" "Matariki Hunga Nui (Calling Me Home)" 2025 21 — "Hori on a Hoiho" 33 — Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
As featured artist Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album NZ NZArtistPeak positions for Troy Kingi's singles on the NZ Artist singles chart: For "Aotearoa": For "Ka Mānu": For "Stay": "Aotearoa" 2014 2 1RMNZ: Gold rowspan="4" "Look Up" 2018 — — "Ka Mānu" 2019 — 20 "Stay" 2020 — 16 "Tūrangawaewae"2021 — — Heritage Trail "Seedling" — — "The Way We Were"2022 — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
Promotional singles
Title Year Album "Maumaharatia" 2019 "Te Wai Nō Rua Whetū / Aztechknowledgey" 2021 Kono 003
Other charted songs
Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZArtist "Shake that Skinny Ass"2020 5The Ghost of Freddie Cesar "Caught in the Rain" 12
Guest appearances Title Year Other artists Album "Lion Trail"2013 Small Axe Mt. Zion: Music from & Inspired by the Motion Picture "Ain't No Sunshine"2014 Whenua Patuwai The Soul Sessions "T'ariki Tama o Mere" 2016 Maisey Rika Tira "The Next Generation"2017 Cam Galbraith "Abundance" 2018 Melodownz Melo & Blues "The View"2019 L(())ve & Hope, Mara TK, Ed Waaka "Hold On" 9-5ers, Tyla Pere Day in the Life "Mahi" Dharmarat Wlknz "Aotearoa (English Version)" Stan Walker, Ria Hall, Maisey Rika Faith Hope Love "Tama i Tukua"2020 Ka Hao Mōhau (Live Visual Album) "Break My Heart" Spellspellspell "Star to Star" Sola Rosa Chasing the Sun "Water"2021 Julien Dyne Modes "Every Hori Is a Star" Mara TK Bad Meditation "Tūwhitia Te Hopo (Te Reo)"2022 Te Kuru Dewes rowspan="2" "Poi Pūkeko" Te Matatini, Tū Te Manawa Maurea "That Love" Melodownz, Avondale Intermediate Choir Lone Wolf
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2013 Mt. Zion Hone Also featured on soundtrack 2014 The Pā Boys Tolaga Local 2014 The Kick Piri Weepu 2016 Hunt for the Wilderpeople TK 2017 Kiwi Christmas Tama 2018 The Breaker Upperers Coach 2018 Alien Addiction Forestry worker 2020 Toke Henare 2022 Muru Mooks 2024 The Mountain TuxAlso composed soundtrack
Television Year Title Role Notes 2015 Find Me a Māori Bride David 6 episodes. 1 self-appearance 2021 The Panthers Pussy Smith 3 episodes. Also soundtrack contributor. 2021 The Masked Singer NZ Self 7 episodes.
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References