Marlon Williams talks with Charlotte Ryan about life in Lyttelton, singing and touring with Lorde and his new Christmas song collaboration on Paul Kelly's new Christmas album.
Marlon Williams Photo: Supplied
Because of the pandemic Williams didn't get to tour his latest album, last year's Plastic Bouquet, like he traditionally would have.
"It's been a bit stunted like that. It feels very bizarre to think that that was about year ago, and that not only have I still not toured or played shows around that album, but now there's another one.
"There's all this music happening without the normal natural process of relentlessly touring and exhausting yourself for the next record."
On previous tours Williams set an exhausting touring schedule for himself.
"One of the good outcomes of lockdown has been a few lessons in self-preservation I guess. It's going to take a lot to get used to going out there - and you've got to decide just how much do you want to punish yourself by trying to cram in this many shows in a week.
"It's definitely time to pause and reflect on the way things work."
During that time he's been writing new material, but says his next single is probably not likely to drop until mid-next year, partly because of big hold-ups in international production lines for vinyl.
Williams, and Lawrence Arabia artist James Milne both provided backing vocals for Lorde's new album Solar Power, and Williams is supporting Lorde for the album's European tour.
"Playing in castles and coliseums in Europe is a good way to re-enter the touring world. Me and my sound man trying to navigate Lorde stages around Europe.
"I think it'll be a fresh challenge trying to win some of her fans over from Europe. I'm not sure how it's going to play out, but I'm pretty excited."
Williams' calendar for 2022 is already packed, so heading into Christmas he's working on trying to "hurry up and relax, and sign off on what's been a pretty strange year."
As a boy he was a member of Christchurch's Cathedral Choir, and singing for midnight masses surrounded by incense is one of his favourite memories of Christmas.
"It supplanted Santa Claus for me... going into the cathedral, and the awe and wonder of the basilica."
However, he's not a fan of saturation use of Christmas carols during December, and says it's for the better they aren't played all year round.
"A lot of them are far too cheerful for my taste. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is my Christmas spirit," he laughs.
But his love-hate relationship with Christmas carols didn't slow him down from taking up legendary Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly's request to sing one as part of his compilation Christmas Train.
"Whenever Paul asks to do something I just agree without thinking about it," Williams says. "Whatever Paul does he does it with care and good taste.
"I had the idea for what carol I wanted to sing, and it all made sense that it was going to be a good idea. The man's just very deftly navigated so many musical worlds over the past 40 years. He's one of those writers who's just constantly changing up the game plan.
"He's one of those precious genre-floaters who leads by example and everyone follows, he's a national treasure of Australia for sure."
Williams sung 'Oh Holy Night' for the collection. He has been singing a te reo version for sometime, and became somewhat obsessed with making a Disney-esque children's choir version of it.
"Jess Hitchcock, who's a wonderful singer from Australia, got this choir together and made an arrangement around the vocal that I'd sent them. And then it came back to me in this magical form with a beautiful choir," he says.
"That's another little bit of magic that happens in Covid-world. You just send things back and forth and then all of a sudden you've got a complete product to put out to the world without having met people. It's very bizarre."
