Marlon Williams just dropped the second single from his upcoming Māori language album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, featuring Lorde.
Along with the new single, Williams has announced an 11-date Aotearoa tour, where he’ll perform the album with his long-time band, The Yarra Benders. He’ll also headline Spark Arena in Tāmaki Makaurau this Matariki.
The new single, “Kāhore He Manu E”, came together effortlessly, with Williams noting, “Ella’s voice in a very real sense wrote the song. The distinct and striking characteristics in her voice cornering and demanding of the melody and phrasing what only her voice could.
“Singing with Ella is incredible; the amount of mind she’s able to pour into the vessel. We got to know each other through sharing the highs and lows of touring life, and in a real sense this song is an ode to the colourful but grim wormhole of road life, to the friends made and lost in the folds of time, ‘visions lost in the blur.’”
Lorde added, “Over the course of several years I watched Marlon pull at the threads that became Te Whare Tīwekaweka. I saw that the further he got into the album, the deeper my friend came to know himself, his whānau and his world at large. Marlon is an undercover perfectionist, and he was never going to embark on this journey without turning over every stone, crafting complex waiata that speak to the past while also braiding in his characteristic humour and X-ray vision.
“Singing with Marlon is one of my favourite things to do on earth, whether we are tipsy backstage by a pool table or in a luscious studio, and I was honoured he asked me to sing with him on this album. I’m so proud of my friend.”
Williams’ album tour runs from May to June 2025, with support from KOMMI. The tour will hit venues across Aotearoa, including New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Napier, Gisborne, Tauranga, Hamilton, Rotorua, Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin, and Christchurch. Pre-sale tickets for Ticketek database members start at 12pm NZST on Monday, March 3rd, with general tickets available from 12pm NZST on Wednesday, March 5th. For more info and tickets, visit marlonwilliams.co.nz.
Love Pop?
Get the latest Pop news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Earlier this month, Williams gave a first look at his forthcoming documentary Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds, ahead of its nationwide cinema release in New Zealand on May 1st (AUS/ROW dates to be announced soon).
Directed by Ursula Grace-Williams (Zealandia, Still Here, The King), the film is a four-year deep dive into Williams’ journey as he writes and records his first te reo Māori album (out April 4th).
Te Whare Tīwekaweka takes inspiration from the Māori proverb “Ko te reo Māori, he matapihi ki Te Ao Māori,” meaning “The Māori language is a window to the Māori world.” Williams says the process of creating these songs offered him a way to express himself – his joys, sorrows, and humour – in a way that felt deeply personal while also connecting him to his ancestors (tīpuna) and homeland (whenua).
Te Whare Tīwekaweka came together over five years, during which Williams connected with family, friends, and his hometown of Lyttelton after years spent traveling and performing around the world.
Marlon Williams’ “Kāhore He Manu E” featuring Lorde is out now. Te Whare Tīwekaweka is out April 4th.
