Home Again

Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.

This is more than a rock story.

Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it.

From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this is the story of a relentless quest for musical greatness.

Beginning with his childhood and the formation of a band that would go on to become a cultural force, Jon Toogood takes us inside the chaos and camaraderie of life on the road – the rock ‘n’ roll antics, touring with icons, chasing global success, and the pressure to perform across the ages.

Digging into his past and sharing never-before-told stories, Jon Toogood opens the doors to the recording studio and the artistic process of songwriting, while reflecting on his long-term struggle with anxiety, the breakdown of relationships, and the moments that forced him to confront who he was beyond the stage.

There’s also a deeply personal story of redemption found through love. In the coming together of two different worlds, Toogood discovered a renewed sense of purpose, and the beginning of a new adventure shaped by family, connection, and an unexpected, hard-won peace.

At its heart, this is a book about why we create, how music becomes survival, and what is possible when the noise finally stops.

Intimate, searching and uncompromising, this memoir is the story of a rock icon and Kiwi legend.