Marlon Williams On World Cafe

The first thing people notice about Marlon Williams is his voice. It's powerful and deep. There are the obvious comparisons to people like Roy Orbison, but it's clear Williams has more to offer than just a sound. His self-titled debut album made people realize, 'Hey, this guy can clearly write some songs.'

On his sophomore album, Make Way for Love, the songs Williams could write and the songs he needed to write converge. His new record was written following his December 2016 breakup with fellow New Zealand musician Aldous Harding. Williams wasn't planning on writing a breakup album, but he realized that's exactly what he'd done about halfway through. The penultimate track, "Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore," is a duet between Harding and Williams recorded long after the breakup. Marlon's a thoughtful guy and he recounts this understandably difficult situation with grace.

Williams makes his second appearance in the World Cafe Performances Studio in this session. We explore the space around writing a breakup album and why it's easier to write a sad song than a happy song. His band, The Yarra Benders, join us for the performances. Hear it all in the player above.

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