Troy Kingi and The Cactus Handshake 'Leatherman & the Mojave Green' Album Release Tour Announced

Troy Kingi's (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) genre-spanning vision quest recently took him to Joshua Tree, California for the recording of his forthcoming album Leatherman & the Mojave Green, the eighth instalment of his monumentally ambitious 10 10 10 Series ("to release 10 albums in 10 genres in 10 years"). The multi-award winning, Kirikiri-based songwriter / musician / screen star's time in the Mojave Desert's legendary Rancho de la Luna studio — "the birthplace of the greatest rock album of all time Songs For The Deaf" — is documented in the four part series Troy Kingi's Desert Hikoi (watch HERE), where he laid down his new desert rock opus with bandmates Ezra Simons (Earth Tongue), Treye Liu, Marika Hodgson, and producer / longterm creative ally TeMatera Smith.

Launching in full on 16th August and adorned by radioactive green artwork by BONEFACE, we've already been treated to the fuzz-fuelled riff-fiesta of lead singles from the record 'Ocelli' and 'Silicone Booby Trap' — you can order preorder Leatherman & the Mojave Green on limited edition gatefold vinyl LP and compact disc HERE.

Befitting his amp-frying latest creation, Troy Kingi is marking Leatherman & the Mojave Green's launch with a full-scale nationwide tour of Aotearoa, joined by his live band The Cactus Handshake. Channeling the stoner rock spirit of QOTSA, Kyuss and Eagles of Death Metal in synergy with his own inimitable songwriting skills, do not miss Troy Kingi and The Cactus Handshake letting rip tunes from Leatherman & the Mojave Green across the motu all through September — details below...

"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 were to go to next with my music, the whole 10/10/10 thing, had it finally broken me?

Being in this place — one of the holiest of holys 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." - Troy Kingi

Troy Kingi and The Cactus Handshake - Leatherman & the Mojave Green Nationwide Tour
with special guests

Friday 6th September - Whammy, Auckland
Saturday 7th September - Butter Factory, Whangarei
Sunday 8th September - Upsurge Festival, Turner Centre, Kerikeri
Thursday 12th September - San Fran, Wellington
Friday 13th September - Errick’s, Dunedin
Saturday 14th September - Loons, Christchurch
Thursday 19th September - Totara St, Tauranga
Friday 20th September - Last Place, Hamilton
Saturday 21st September - Cabana, Napier
Sunday 22nd September - Smash Palace, Gisborne

Ticket info at www.troykingi.com

Experience the video for latest single 'Silicone Booby Trap' directed by Mark Russell, from Leatherman & the Mojave Green...

Watch the trailer for Troy Kingi's Desert Hikoi...

'Leatherman & the Mojave Green' is out on Friday 16th August digitally, on compact disc and on vinyl LP via AllGood Absolute Alternative Records (AAARecords) / Border — preorder HERE.

Press release:

Album no.8 ‘Leatherman & the Mojave Green’ is a homecoming of sorts for Troy, returning to the genre of music that ultimately enticed him in to the music industry, rock music. Inspired in his mid teens by so many artists that have come from or created in the Mojave Desert regions ( 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'.

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, Troys 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.

In the midst of song writing Troy was asked to write and perform a song with Dave Catching on the forthcoming Rancho De La Lunas 30th Anniversary Album along side many of Troys musical Heroes. In addition, he will now be playing shows in Vegas and LA, along side those same legends.

Troy Kingi is a story teller, 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.

The album, is accompanied by a 4 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 Califiornian Rock scene. “Troy Kingi’s Desert Hikoi” Premiers on TVNZ+ on demand in May 1st.