The Big Read: Marlon Williams: Prince of country

Musician Marlon Williams.

Bringing you our favourite features from 2015. If you missed them the first time around, now's the perfect time to catch up. And remember to come back tomorrow for the next instalment.

After earning his spurs in bands and collaborations, Marlon Williams is releasing a solo album. He talks to Lydia Jenkin.

If you haven't yet heard Marlon Williams sing, then you're missing out on one of the best voices this country has to offer. He's been widely described as having the voice of an angel (Billboard even said so), and nicknamed our Maori Elvis, but he's more than just a set of good pipes.

With his James Dean-ish good looks, the 24-year-old Lyttelton native could've been a movie star (see his Dark Child video for his big screen potential), but it's his easy way with telling a story through song, and his nuanced delivery that make Williams a singular artist.

Men and women of all ages have been swooning to his crooning at live shows over the past five years, first with four-piece band The Unfaithful Ways, and then Delaney Davidson, with whom he recorded Sad But True: The Secret History of Country Music Songwriting, volumes I, II, and III (Volume I was awarded Best Country Album at the 2013 NZ Music Awards).

He's been part of a tight pack of musos helping to restore the long-tarnished name of local country music, including his close collaborators Davidson, Tami Neilson and Aldous Harding (real name Hannah, who is now his girlfriend), all three of whom are finalists in this year's Taite Music Prize.

And now after nearly two years based in Melbourne, getting the Australians onside by playing 250 gigs a year, he's finally releasing his debut solo album.

Musician Marlon Williams.

Williams is humble about his talents and achievements, but it seems he was almost destined to be a musical star - his parents were flatting with Boh Runga when he was born in the bath at home on Cashel St in Christchurch, and his dad was a keen punk singer.

"Dad played a bit of keys and a bit of guitar, but he was mainly a punk singer. We do actually have similar voices, but they used to call him Frankie Teardrop after the Suicide song, so he was using it pretty differently. It's quite funny being the son of a punk singer, and singing country music. But he loved country music, and he certainly never put any pressure on me to play punk or anything." ...

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