Marlon Williams has dropped the third single from his upcoming Māori language album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, out this Friday.
Following February’s “Kāhore He Manu E” featuring Lorde, today’s release reflects the album’s deep familial ties.
“‘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 track’s video takes inspiration from ‘90s hip-hop clips, in particular Māori collective Dam Native. “For the first time (that I can remember at least) I’ve decided to throw away narrative and embrace mood,” Williams says. “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.”
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.
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.
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.
Marlon Williams’ “Rere Mai Ngā Rau” is out now. Te Whare Tīwekaweka is out April 4th.
