Marlon Williams Releases “Rere Mai Ngā Rau,” New Single/Video From Te Whare Tīwekaweka

Marlon Williams releases “Rere Mai Ngā Rau,” the third single and video from his first Māori language album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, out April 4th. In the five years that Marlon spent creating the album, family played an important role, as reflected by the album art, a painting made by Williams’ mother while pregnant with him. The nature of the project encouraged him to reconnect with his Māori heritage, including settling back into life in Lyttelton, his small hometown and an emotional first-time visit to his dad’s ancestral village.

Following “Kāhore He Manu E feat. Lorde,” today’s single reflects that familial influence on the album. “Rere Mai Ngā Rau” is about “inter-generational connection,” Williams explains. “I am lucky enough to still have a living grandmother; she was born in 1927. She has experienced 97 years of this world. As often as I can, I go and visit and sit with her. We do crosswords. When we go on small excursions out and about, she apologises for slowing me down. I apologise for speeding her up (a lot of the time I need slowing down). I ask her what rationing was like. She asks me whether she should bother learning how to use an iPhone (absolutely not). We are happily interdependent. Our worlds are enmeshed. Every time we share what we have and know with each other, the tensile strength increases.”

The song’s accompanying video is inspired by ‘90s hip hop music videos, “in particular, Māori collective Dam Native,” Williams says. “For the first time (that I can remember at least) I’ve decided to throw away narrative and embrace mood. It features me and a bunch of my mates hooning around Lyttelton in my lil hot hatch looking for fun, wearing sick outfits. Also featured are some incredible young local hip hop dancers in Sienna and Sophie who graciously let me boogie with them.”

Supported by long-time touring band The Yarra Benders, co-producer Mark Perkins, the He Waka Kōtuia singers and featuring a collaboration with Lorde, Te Whare Tīwekaweka is a collection at once contemporary and timeless, traversing Marlon’s familiar folk-country-bluegrass territory, while continuing his exploration of poppier waters and the inherent rhythms of Māori music.

Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds, the forthcoming documentary film by Ursula Grace Williams, will be released alongside the album. The film weaves together the various strands of Marlon’s experience – musician, actor, son, friend and student – as he reflects on his career so far and the challenges and pleasures of articulating his worldview in te reo Māori.

Williams will play two sold out shows celebrating Te Whare Tīwekaweka’s release: April 10th in New York at National Sawdust, and April 15th at Zebulon in Los Angeles. Williams will also play in-store performances in each city following the shows: one at Fire Talk Records in NYC and Amoeba Records in LA.

Marlon Williams Tour Dates
(New dates in bold)
Thu. Apr. 10 – New York, NY @ National Sawdust – SOLD OUT
Fri. Apr. 11 – New York, NY @ Fire Talk Records%
Tue. Apr. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon – SOLD OUT
Wed. Apr. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Amoeba Records %
Tue. Apr. 22 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East %
Wed. Apr. 23 – London, UK @ St. Pancras Old Church – SOLD OUT
Thu. Apr. 24 – London, UK @ St. Pancras Old Church – SOLD OUT
Fri. Apr. 25 – London, UK @ St. Pancras Old Church – SOLD OUT
Fri. May 9 – New Plymouth, NZ @ TBS Theatre *
Sat. May 10 – Palmerston North, NZ @ Regent On Broadway *
Mon. May 12 – Napier, NZ @ Municipal Theatre *
Tues. May 13 – Gisborne, NZ @ War Memorial Theatre*
Thu. May 15 – Tauranga, NZ @ Holy Trinity *
Fri. May 16 – Hamilton, NZ @ Clarence Street Theatre *
Sat. May 17 – Rotorua, NZ @ Sir Owen Glenn Theatre *
Thu. May 29 – Sydney, Australia @ Sydney Opera House
Wed. Jun. 4 – Melbourne, Australia @ Melbourne Town Hall – SOLD OUT
Thu. June. 5 – Melbourne, Australia @ Melbourne Town Hall – SOLD OUT
Sat. Jun. 7 – Wellington, NZ @ St James Theatre* – SOLD OUT
Sun. Jun. 8 – Wellington, NZ @ St James Theatre*
Sat. Jun. 21 – Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena *
Thu. Jun. 26 – Dunedin, NZ @ Regent Theatre *
Fri. June. 27 – Christchurch, NZ @ Christchurch Town Hall*
Sat. Jun. 28 – Christchurch, NZ @ Christchurch Town Hall* – SOLD OUT
* w/ KOMMI

% in-store performance

 

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