Tokona, live and in the studio, has played with a mountain of musicians including Weta with brother Clinton, Fly My Pretties, Bongmaster, Fat Freddy's Drop, The Adults and Cairo Knife Fight. He worked on a Kim Dotcom album as well but prefers to leave that partnership in the past.
He also worked a day job about 16 years ago, he says, after meeting Sarena, mother of his daughter, Asha. He studied accountancy and worked as a manager for his in-laws and can today "read a balance sheet and work Excel" when needed.
"I had to get a day job when I met my wife and we had Asha. I didn't want to be away from home on tour. I wanted to be close."
Asha, 13, is now eyeing an acting career, having earlier learned to play guitar.
"She's musical. She can't help it. Her mother's an opera singer and her father's a rock star guy, you know." His dad, Clifford Tokona, who died last year aged 63, was a blues harp player and musical influence for the family, including youngest son Tuma, a drummer.
Tokona dedicated the song Into The Sunshine to his father. The tune was the first single lifted and lends its name to the new album.
"Into The Sunshine was motivated and inspired by the old man.
"It was really important to me to get that song realised, out of the aroha I have for my dad."
He was taught to embrace his Maori heritage through being raised "a kapa haka kid" by a solo father and paternal grandparents steeped in Maoritanga.
Tokona had been "empowered as a Maori performer" from watching artists like Prince Tui Teka and Billy T James in the 1980s, he said.
"It had a beautiful effect for Maori, seeing Maori on TV and getting No1 hits, especially when you're learning to deal with what is primarily a Pakeha world.
"That did a whole lot for the cultural esteem - and for me - seeing our own up there. As a culture, we are awesome."
