Triggar Happy has built a solid run of singles, ‘Zombies’, ‘Cowboy Power Rock’, ‘Sundown’ and ‘I Rock ‘N’ Roll’ among them, carving out his own patch of ground between country, rock and blues with a distinctly Kiwi twist. His new single ‘Crank It Up’ keeps that streak going: a rowdy country-rock track about heartbreak, horsepower, and the urge to just get out on the road.
It’s the latest chapter in what’s already a pretty remarkable story: Triggar grew up in the Waikato and spent years running six farms before swapping paddocks for a full-time music career, building up both a catalogue of music and a reputation for bringing serious energy to a live show.
That energy has translated into real chart success too: both Talk Is Cheap and Love Loyalty Respect topped the Top 20 Aotearoa Album Charts, and he picked up Impact Artist of the Year at the 2025 Independent Music Awards.
‘Crank It Up’ kicks off in rough shape: truck blown up, heart broken, weather turned foul, love gone. It doesn’t stay down for long, though. A few bars in, Triggar’s got the keys in hand, George Strait blasting, and the highway ahead of him. Built around an ‘all night long’ hook and a rhythm that just keeps moving, it’s ultimately a song about needing to escape, loud.
On the single, Triggar simply says: “Crank It Up to me means: go for it, have some fun.”
It’s familiar ground for him by now: plenty of energy, storytelling with a wink in it, and a country-rock sound that never gets too serious about itself. It’s clearly built with the stage in mind too, all country grit and rock attitude, with a chorus that all but forces you to turn it up.
Auckland fans can catch it live first: Triggar plays a free show with his three-piece band at Jolene Bar on tonight, from around 8 to 9pm. He then heads to Gisborne’s Smash Palace on Saturday 17 October, with tickets through Humanitix.
Between the chart-topping albums, the growing back catalogue and a reputation for doing things entirely his own way, Triggar Happy shows no signs of running out of road. ‘Crank It Up’ is streaming everywhere now.
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