Melody Pool and Marlon Williams are teaming up for a headline Australian tour which brings them to X-Wray Café on Saturday, August 23; Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River, on Sunday, August 24, and Ellington Jazz Club on Tuesday, August 26. AARON BRYANS checks in with both artists.
Taking two completely separate and unique musical journeys, Melody Pool and Marlon Williams have managed to cross paths to perform what should be some incredibly haunting and harmonious shows across Australia.
For New Zealand’s Marlon Williams, 2013 was the extension of an already huge career for the up and coming artists. Having fronted country band ,The Unfaithful Ways, and performed as a duet alongside Delaney Davidson, Williams relocated to Melbourne to pursue a solo career, with his next release scheduled for October.
“I’ve been in Melbourne for almost a year now and it’s a fantastic place,” Williams exclaims. “There’s heaps of people in the scene, a lot of places to play and a lot of good music. My newest recordings are all finished, so we’re all good to go for a release in October so its all happening very quickly.”
The upcoming tour with Melody Pool will give Williams a chance to rehash his love for duets, and deliver some of his strikingly memorable and trademark harmonies. It’s something Melody is thrilled to embrace.
“I’m really excited,” Pool laughs. “I haven’t really known Marlon very well and we kind of just got put together on this tour and really liked each other’s music. But we did a few YouTube videos together and sang together and we get along really well musically, so I think it’s going to be really special.
“We’re going to play a separate set each and then we’re going to get together for a few songs. We’re probably going to do half a set of songs together.”
Melody Pool is fresh off her own huge success in 2013 in which she re-released her debut LP, The Hurting Scene. The album received excellent reviews for its emotional intensity and beautiful depth.
“It was pretty clear it was personal experiences,” Pool says, “but a lot of the time I created some stories around it, but the emotions all there and the feeling at the time.”
The album threw Pool into the touring circuit, including a visit to Nashville that provided engaging sets focused less on spectacle and more on the music.
“It was kind of the biggest step for me,” Pool explains. “Firstly I went to Nashville to do it by myself and didn’t really know anyone and it was kind of the biggest thing I’d done for myself and for my career. It was very creatively fulfilling and pushed some independence into me.
“It’s different to Australia. I feel like I have to talk slower because they can’t understand my bumbling bogan accent.
“I think I’m a little bit more like, cathartic to watch. I’m quite still when I play and it’s a lot of sad music, but lyrical based. I think people can be quite moved by it.”
With both Pool and Williams excited for the July/August tour which sees Williams is even more excited to return to his harmonious roots.
“As much as I like playing solo, I’m a harmony singer at heart. That’s the ultimate goal as a human is singing perfect harmonies. Whenever there’s anyone else there that’s what I like best, having two voices or more.”
