About: Marlon Williams
Marlon Williams is an award winning singer-songwriter from
town of Lyttelton, New Zealand.
He released his debut solo album to critical acclaim in
April, charting at 4 in New Zealand, and 31 in Australia in its opening week.
The album has been called “captivating” by Rolling Stone, “a revelation” by
Metro Magazine and “wonderfully accomplished” by the New Zealand Herald in a
5-star review. It has also featured on countless ‘Best of the Year So Far’
lists including Double J, Fasterlouder, Herald Sun, The Music and Timber &
Steel
Williams’ sold out album release tour in June/July,
including an epic hometown show at the 1300-capacity Theatre Royal in
Christchurch. Performing with his band The Yarra Benders, the Sydney Morning
Herald review glowed “what a terrific show. Fun and funny, sad and blue, it had
flashes of modernity amid vast swathes of history and offered up the promise of
a future completely unpredictable and completely watchable”.
Williams will spend 2015 touring the album in Australia and
NZ, acting in several film and TV roles, and touring North America, UK and
Europe before he releases the album internationally in early 2016.
With one of the purest voices in modern music, and the
charisma and individuality to match it, the world is about to discover Marlon
Williams.
BACKGROUND
Marlon Williams grew up singing in the Christchurch
cathedral choir, before his punk rock dad turned him onto country music in his
teens.
He founded The Unfaithful Ways at 17, with his high school
friends and their science teacher, and quickly gained national attention,
playing the Big Day Out, touring with Band of Horses and Justin Townes Earle,
and picking up a Critics Choice award nomination at the 2011 New Zealand Music
Awards for their debut album Free Rein.
Williams met acclaimed country singer Delaney Davidson in
2011, and the pair began performing as a duo. Over two years they released
three volumes of the series, Sad But True: The Secret History Of Country Music
Songwriting, garnering critical acclaim, including the New Zealand country song
and country album of the year in 2013.
Relocating to Melbourne in mid-2013, Williams began
performing solo around town and built a cult following playing a residency at
local venue the Yarra Hotel. The buzz built nationally in 2014, with major
festival and television appearances leading to sold out tours of Australia and
New Zealand.
He released his debut solo album in April 2015 to critical
acclaim, and will spend the year touring internationally alongside film and TV
appearances.
ALBUM PRESS
“Picks his marks and hits them…captivating” Rolling Stone
“…his voice soars to the heavens and plucks at the
heartstrings.” The Australian
“One of the most impressive country records this year”
Tonedeaf
“At times impossibly fun, at others bone-achingly beautiful;
Marlon Williams has delivered a gem” The Music
“The whole record is remarkable…” Music Feeds
“…sublime” Herald Sun
“Williams is also a singular artist who mimics none of his
heroes, and has forged his own musical path” New Zealand Herald
“Williams’ combination of youthful enthusiasm, old-soul
wisdom, and solid songwriting makes this debut a wonderfully accomplished
record which justifies the hype he is getting” New Zealand Herald
“It’s a revelation: an album that will still be listened to
and enjoyed a decade hence” Metro Magazine
“Marlon Williams solo debut is so effortlessly great…” Metro
Magazine
“A big part of his charm is that voice, which almost
single-handedly brings back the type of emotive yet eloquent crooning touched
on by both Tim Buckley and his son Jeff, but which hasn’t really been done the
way it needs to be done since those first crooners of rock and roll, those
bedevilled songs of Bing like Elvis Presley and especially Roy Orbison” Metro
Magazine
“Well, I have something to say. Do yourself a favour and buy
this album. Buy it now, because it might just be one of the best
country/folk/alternative/whatever-you-want-to-categorise-it records you listen
to all year!” Speaker TV
Marlon Williams has one of the richest voices you’ll hear
anywhere in New Zealand.” Sunday Star Times
Though this solo debut has been a long time coming he has
built a strong reputation as a live performer across Australia and New Zealand,
and that experience has filtered through on this superb album that never
falters or loses its sense of wonderment across its thirty-five minutes” UTR
“Sorry, New Zealand – in the grand tradition of Crowded
House, Sam Neill and Russell Crowe, Australia will be claiming Marlon Williams
as our own. After all, the Lyttelton-born singer resides in Melbourne now, and
really, he’s just that good, we’re having him” The Age
striking poise and unique polish” Mess & Noise
One of New Zealand’s finest musical exports” Renowned For
Sound
DISCOGRAPHY
2011 – Free Rein by The Unfaithful Ways
2012 – Sad But True Vol 1 by Delaney Davidson & Marlon
Williams
2013 – Sad But True Vol 3 by Delaney Davidson & Marlon
Williams
2014 – Strange Things (Single) – Marlon Williams
2014 – Dark Child (Single) – Marlon Williams
2015 – Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams
Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders – Hello Miss Lonesome
(Live - 2015)
Hello Miss Lonesome – (Album: Marlon Williams – Feb. 2015)
Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders - Portrait of a Man
(Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover)
Strange Things - (Live on Radio NZ - 2015)
Lonely Side of Her – (Live @ The Black Bear Lodge – 2015)
Everyone’s Got Something to Say - (Live on Radio NZ - 2015)
Strange Things – (2014 Single) - (Album: Marlon Williams –
Feb. 2015)
Dark Child – (2014 Single)
The State Hospital – (Love on RocKwiz TV – 2014)
Ballad of Minnie Dean – (Balcony TV – 2013)
Marlon Williams – Official Website
Marlon Williams - Soundcloud
Marlon Williams - Wikipedia
Marlon Williams - Facebook
Marlon Williams - Twitter
VIDEO
Marlon Williams - YouTube
BUY MUSIC
Marlon Williams - iTunes
Marlon Williams – Amazon (Vinyl)
Marlon Williams - Bandcamp
Posts
