Muroki has been bouncing from country to country for a couple of years, finding himself artistically and personally buoyed by travel, but he’s glad to be back in Aotearoa for a sustained period.
Muroki returned earlier this year with his highly anticipated debut album, Amber Skies, which was a truly global affair: he wrote and recorded the record while living a nomadic lifestyle between Berlin, the Portuguese coast, back with his family in Kenya, and in Raglan.
To celebrate Amber Skies, Muroki is currently trekking around New Zealand on his first national tour in three years.
Ahead of the tour, Muroki sat down with Rolling Stone AU/NZ to chat about his new album, life on the road, and much more.
“It just opens your eyes to so many different things, you know?” the Kenyan-New Zealand musician said about his busy nomadic lifestyle. “And you create all these stories along the way, which just create great songs.”
He also reflected on his uplifting return to Kenya.
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“The roads were pretty crazy too! It was my first time driving over there so that was actually the most shocking thing. But it was also really, really nice to just connect with my family over there again. Last time I went I was 16, so I see it through very different eyes now that I’m 24. So yeah, was [a] really beautiful experience.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Muroki revealed what’s life been like for him since he moved his home base from New Zealand to Germany’s cultural capital, Berlin.
“I shifted over there with my partner who’s from Berlin, and it’s been amazing, man,” he said. “[It’s been] really good for me… It can be pretty tough and challenging and that’s exactly what I was looking for. I think it’s been really good for me.”
Even though his breezy indie pop sound doesn’t initially scream “Berlin”, Muroki revealed that he’s managed to cope well being in the techno-crazy city.
“[T]here’s so much cool stuff going on… You can probably tell by the music that I make that I’m not like a huge techno guy, [but] I have found some cool musicians that are helping, like a little community to make some of the music.”
Muroki’s national tour heads to Matakana tonight (March 6th), followed by dates in Christchurch, Wellington, Queenstown, and Dunedin.
He also has two shows lined up in Auckland, including an extra special one at Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival, where he’ll join ‘He Manu Tīoriori’, a celebration of waiata reo Māori, on March 21st.
“Yeah, that’s gonna be really cool,” he said about the festival show. “[I] think I’m actually still working out a few things and I want to make it kind of special… I think I believe we’re gonna do the whole set in te reo Māori, which is gonna be pretty cool.”
You can read our full interview with Muroki next month.
Muroki’s previous hit “Wavy”, which went global in 2021, made it into our Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far list last year.
“[…] Muroki delicately combined multiple genres to groovy effect on ‘Wav’”, one of the early songs that first made his name,” we wrote.
Muroki Remaining 2026 New Zealand Tour Dates
The Stables, Matakana
Friday 6 March
Book tickets at moshtix.co.nz
Assembly, Christchurch
Saturday 7 March
Book tickets at moshtix.co.nz
San Fran, Wellington
Friday 13 March
Book tickets at moshtix.co.nz
Double Whammy, Auckland
Saturday 14 March
Book tickets at moshtix.co.nz
Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival
He Manu Tīoriori
Saturday 21 March
Book tickets at ticketmaster.co.nz
Yonder, Queenstown
Friday 27 March
Book tickets at moshtix.co.nz
Dropkicks, Dunedin
Saturday 28 March
Book tickets at moshtix.co.nz
