David Duchovny is coming to New Zealand - but not to act

David Duchovny will embark on his first New Zealand tour in February.

David Duchovny is mostly known for his daring TV roles - as Fox Mulder in The X-Files, Hank Moody in Californication, or as Denise in the current season of Twin Peaks.

But it isn't a TV show or movie that will bring Duchovny to New Zealand in February.

The 57-year-old will be coming under a completely different guise.

Duchovny will be performing here as part of a tour behind his new album, with two shows planned at Auckland's Powerstation on February 20, and Wellington's San Fran on February 21.

In his first tour of the country, he'll play songs from his 2015 debut, Hell or High Water, and his new album, Every Third Thought, which he's currently working on and is due out later this year.

That makes Duchovny a busy man - he's currently starring in the new season of David Lynch's Twin Peaks, and the 11th season of his sci-fi hit show, The X-Files, is planned to air later this year or early next year.

His music, however, appears to be a new priority for Duchovny and he is "currently bunkered down in the studio" prepping his sophomore record.

Critics will be hoping it improves on Hell or High Water after it received mixed reviews, with many saying it was an album that paid tribute to better acts.

"You have to emulate before you can innovate, and as Duchovny continues to hone his musical chops, perhaps he'll transform the sounds of his heroes into something that's distinctly his own," said Consequence of Sound.

But the New York Daily News described it as a "credible rock album" and praised his singing as "sullen, inward, and broken".

Tickets for his show are on sale from August 14.