Troy Kingi

Album number eight of the 10 | 10 | 10 series - ‘Leatherman & the Mojave Green’ is a homecoming of sorts for Troy Kingi, returning to the genre of music that ultimately enticed him into the industry - rock music. Inspired in his mid-teens by so many artists that have come from or created in the Mojave Desert region (Kyuss, QOTSA, Eagles of Death Metal), it was an easy decision for Troy to record this album in the home of Desert Rock: Joshua Tree, in a studio synonymous with that sound 'Rancho de la Luna’.

The Recording Experience

Rancho is run by Dave Catching, a legend in his right (QOTSA, Eagles of Death Metal, The Mojave Lords, etc.), and being entrenched in that environment with such deep folklore and rich rocky tapestry, Troy's album seemingly formed itself - borrowing sweaty heat from the sandy desert, eclectic melodies from the sunlit mountains, ancient rhythms from sacred caves, and a sharp pointy punch from the Joshua Tree Cactus.

Storytelling and Themes

Troy Kingi is a storyteller, each album immersed in rich worlds, which inform the writing. ‘Leatherman & the Mojave Green’ takes us out into the desert, where we hear a myriad of stories, one in particular talking of the Sunshine Community Cult tattooing their eyeballs, allowing them to stare at the sun and receive its many blessings.

Accompanying Documentary

The album is accompanied by a four-part documentary series ‘Troy Kingi’s Desert Hikoi’, directed by Tom Hern (The Panthers, The Dark Horse, Guns Akimbo, Shadow in the Clouds), featuring Serj Tankian, Brant Bjork, Dave Catching, and many many more OG's of the Californian Rock scene. ‘Troy Kingi’s Desert Hikoi’ is out now on TVNZ+ on demand.

Reflections from Troy Kingi

Troy Kingi, on his time in the Mojave Desert:

“The trip to Joshua Tree was a timely Godsend - at a pivotal point where I had hit a wall, a blockage, I was waning, struggling creatively with where to go next with my music, the whole 10/10/10 thing, had it finally broken me?

Being in this place - one of the holiest of holies for me, the birthplace of the greatest rock album of all time ‘Songs for the Deaf’ - it was hard not to be inspired by it all - by the crazy Martian-like landscape, the people, the foreign-ness, songs started forming in my dreams, rushing to me from the heated horizon, I found my thing again - and it seemed to flow easily like it once did when I first started my journey 8 years ago. The sound we found is definitely different, it’s the most aggressive sound I’ve ever created.”