Marlon Williams

A versatile singer/songwriter based out of New Zealand, Marlon Williams crafts narrative-driven, atmospheric indie folk songs that draw from a deep -- and often dark -- well of country, soul, bluegrass, and pop. Known for his commanding voice, which evokes artists like Richard Hawley, Porter Wagoner, Chris Isaak, and Roy Orbison, Williams emerged in 2015 with a sound that hewed closer to brooding folk and bluegrass. He shifted almost exclusively to soulful retro-pop on his chart-topping 2018 breakup album Make Way for Love. After a major international tour, Williams followed up first with a 2019 concert album, then a 2020 collaborative set, Plastic Bouquet, with Canadian duo Kacy & Clayton. The pop-driven My Boy, his first solo album of the next decade, appeared in 2022. He followed this in 2025 with the ambitious, culturally driven Te Whare Tīwekaweka, an album that celebrated his Māori heritage and was sung entirely in its language.