Set to embark on a New Zealand tour, Marlon Williams sits down with the Herald to discuss acting, the magic of music and the sweet way he started getting his songwriting out into the world. Video / NZ Herald
Marlon Williams is a man of many talents.
Some know him for his laidback 80s disco-style tunes, while others know him for his onscreen moments including in the award-winning film A Star Is Born.
Staring alongside Bradley Cooper, the Kiwi-born singer reveals his time with the Hollywood heavyweight saw him learn a lot, and it wasn’t only isolated to acting tips.
“I learned how to sing from Bradley Cooper,” the 31-year-old says. “In the studio, because he was the music producer too, he came in and he’s just like ‘sing it like this’ and he sang and I was like, ‘you a**hole. How dare you come into my house and sing like that’,” the songwriter laughs. “It was just incredible from top to bottom.”
Speaking to the Herald at The Civic - where he’s performing on January 19 and 20 - the star is a real-life representation of his music. Laidback, personable and a little bit intriguing.
It’s the combination he believes is what won him his part in the popular 2018 film.
“I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into at the beginning, I didn’t even know if I was meant to have an accent or anything,” he explains.
“So, I just sort of went in so cold, and then I was like, okay, I’ll just be me and see what happens, and then they’re like: ‘Yeah, that’s the one. You’re really interesting’.
“I was just, like, I’m just from New Zealand,” he chuckles.
Marlon Williams.
Acting has become a popular side hustle for Williams, with 2023 seeing him starring in the upcoming second season of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth as well as Bad Behaviour alongside Jennifer Connelly. But a full acting schedule doesn’t mean he’s about to start neglecting his music.
For the first time since his 2020 performance at Laneway, Williams is set to embark on a full band tour around Aotearoa and the first performance will take place on his birthday at Wanaka’s New Year festival, Rhythm and Alps.
Having just completed an international tour with fellow Kiwi singer Lorde, Williams admits it’s “amazing” to be back on his home turf.
“We just sort of pinch ourselves at the privilege and the joy of touring around and doing it for a job and just being in each other’s company and just having a silly time the whole time.”
Music holds a special place in the singer’s heart, mainly because he sees it as one of the most magical ways to connect with others.
Williams recalls one of those magic moments from when he was on tour in Wyoming last year with his band. “We were just driving through this town and there’s a guy sitting at the bar with a cowboy hat on and he was looking at his phone and he was watching videos of himself playing violin on his iPhone.”
Williams and his band noticed the man seemed a little bit lonely and got the impression he wanted to play music. In a testament to their character, the musicians - already running slightly behind schedule - went back to the car, grabbed their guitars and took over the bar with him by their side.
“He just had the best day. Like these random Kiwis just turned up and start playing country songs with him, all the songs that he knows.” He laughs. “It’s just an instant way of cutting across any weirdness, any divide.”
Marlon Williams.
With shows in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin this summer, the Lyttleton-born singer and his band are looking forward to sharing a little bit of music magic with their audience and have announced a different supporting act for each show.
But there is one act with whom Williams is very excited to be sharing the stage.
The actor reveals his show in his home city of Christchurch was always going to be a special one but when it was announced the CBS Choir are the opening act, it felt even more important.
“I used to sing in that choir when I was in my teens and in my early twenties and it was really how I cut my teeth as a singer. So that was a really specifically special one for me to do. Hopefully, I’ll get to get up and sing with him and, oh, sing some Mozart.”
While Williams says his singing began with the CBS Choir, his songwriting started well before then and as it turns out making dollar mixtures during his job at the local dairy may have inspired some of his best work.
“I’d be like making dollar mixtures, and have all my lolly bags there with a pen and be serving customers and writing down lyrics.”
“I swear I was the most prolific as a songwriter when I was on a shift working at the dairy.”
