Troy Kingi
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Troy Kingi (born 1984) is a New Zealand musician from Northland.
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Troy Kingi | |
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Kingi at Government House, Wellington in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 1984 (age 41–42) |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | AllGood Absolute Alternative Records, Lyttelton Records, Hongi Slicker Records |
Biography
Troy Kingi was born 1 June 1984 in Rotorua,[1][4] and was raised in Rotorua, Te Kaha and Kerikeri.[3] Kingi is of Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent.[3][4] He began learning guitar at Te Aute College in Hawke's Bay, and formed his first band, Toll House, at Kerikeri High School.[3] Toll House entered the Smokefreerockquest, winning the regional Northland competition.[3]
Since the early 2000s, Kingi has lived in Kerikeri.[4] 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,[3] while also working as a scuba instructor and fruit picking in Kerikeri orchards.[1] Kingi's work with Typhoon Fools gained him more widespread attention, and led to him being cast in the film Mt. Zion (2013).[3][5] Kingi also featured on the film's soundtrack,[6] and after the film's release, toured New Zealand with the film's lead actor Stan Walker.[7] Kingi released his first extended play in 2013.[7] His appearance in Mt. Zion led to further work as an actor, including The Pā Boys (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016).[3] 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.[8][9]
Kingi set himself the goal of releasing 10 albums in the span of 10 years, performing in 10 different genres.[3][10] 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.[3] At the Waiata Māori Music Awards, Kingi won the awards for best Māori pop artist and best solo male artist.[3] 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.[11] 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,[3][1] The album won the 2020 Taite Music Prize.[3]
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.[2] 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.[2] The album was a commercial success, reaching number two on the New Zealand albums chart.[12] 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.[13] The album was co-produced with New Zealand singer-songwriter Delaney Davidson.[13]
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.[4]
Personal life
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [14] |
NZ Artist [12] | ||||||
| Guitar Party at Uncle's Bach (Troy Kingi & the Electric Haka Boogie) |
|
— | 13 | ||||
| Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron (Troy Kingi and the Galactic Chiropractors) |
|
17 | 1 | ||||
| Holy Colony Burning Acres (Troy Kingi & the Upperclass) |
|
— | 11 | ||||
| The Ghost of Freddie Cesar (Troy Kingi & the Clutch) |
|
2 | 1 | ||||
| Black Sea Golden Ladder |
|
3 | 2 | ||||
| Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs |
|
2 | 2 | ||||
| Time Wasters: Soundtrack to Current Day Meanderings |
|
11 [23] | 1 | ||||
| Leatherman & the Mojave Green | 5 [26] | 1 | |||||
| Troy Kingi Presents: Night Lords |
|
18 [27] | 2 | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | |||||||
Reissues
Extended plays
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot [30] |
NZ Artist Hot [31] | ||||||
| "Break a Bone"[32] | 2015 | — | — | Guitar Party at Uncle's Bach | |||
| "Cold Steel"[33] (featuring Mara TK) |
2016 | — | — | ||||
| "Just a Phase" | 2017 | — | — | ||||
| "Ethiopia"[34] | 2019 | — | — | Holy Colony Burning Acres | |||
| "Babylon Grows"[10] | — | — | |||||
| "All Your Ships Have Sailed"[2] | 2020 | 29 | 4 | The Ghost of Freddie Cesar | |||
| "Chronophobic Disco"[35] | — | 8 | |||||
| "First Take Strut" (featuring Neko) |
2021 | — | — | ||||
| "Call My Name (School)"[13] | — | 10 | Black Sea Golden Ladder | ||||
| "Sleep (Slumber)"[36] | — | — | |||||
| "He Ōrite"[37] (with the Nudge) |
— | 16 | Non-album single | ||||
| "Paparazzo"[38] | 2022 | — | 7 | Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs | |||
| "Bastard"[39] | 2023 | — | 14 | Time Wasters | |||
| "Through the Night" | 2024 | — | — | Non-album singles | |||
| "Matariki Hunga Nui (Calling Me Home)" (with Rob Ruha and Kaylee Bell) |
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 [40] |
NZ Artist [41] | ||||||
| "Aotearoa" (Stan Walker featuring Ria Hall, Troy Kingi and Maisey Rika) |
2014 | 2 | 1 | Non-album singles | |||
| "Look Up"[43] (Sorrento featuring Troy Kingi) |
2018 | — | —[B] | ||||
| "Ka Mānu"[45] (Bella Kalolo, Maisey Rika, Majic Pāora, Ria Hall, Rob Ruha, Seth Haapu, Troy Kingi, The Witch Dr.) |
2019 | —[C] | 20 | ||||
| "Stay"[47] (among Tūtahi) |
2020 | —[D] | 16 | ||||
| "Tūrangawaewae" (Tipene featuring Maisey Rika & Troy Kingi) |
2021 | — | —[E] | Heritage Trail | |||
| "Seedling"[50] (10:32 featuring Troy Kingi) |
— | — | Non-album single | ||||
| "The Way We Were"[51] (Blklist featuring Troy Kingi) |
2022 | — | — | TBA | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | |||||||
Promotional singles
Other charted songs
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 | Non-album song |
| "Abundance" | 2018 | Melodownz | Melo & Blues |
| "The View" | 2019 | L(())ve & Hope, Mara TK, Ed Waaka | Non-album song |
| "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"[54] | 2020 | Ka Hao | Mōhau (Live Visual Album) |
| "Break My Heart" | Spellspellspell | Non-album song | |
| "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 | Non-album songs |
| "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 | Tux | Also composed soundtrack[55] |
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. |
Notes
- A Te Reo Māori re-recording of Holy Colony Burning Acres.
- Māori language version of "Lest We Forget" from the Troy Kingi EP (2013).[52]