Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams / Plastic Bouquet Vinyl LP - White

Marlon Williams and Kacy & Clayton, Plastic Bouquet on Vinyl LP (White).

Every December, Christchurch enjoys the start of summer as Saskatoon begins to freeze over. Far apart as these places may seem, you would never know it from Plastic Bouquet (New West Records), the debut collaborative album between Saskatoon duo Kacy & Clayton and Aotearoa performer and songwriter Marlon Williams.

Two separate paths united them. Building a discography of five albums since 2011, Kacy & Clayton delivered a pair of critically acclaimed records The Siren’s Song (2017) and Carrying On (2019) produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Beyond praise from Q Magazine, Uncut, and more, they racked up millions of streams and toured with Wilco and The Decemberists, to name a few. On the other side of the world, Williams went from performing with his first band The Unfaithful Ways and as a duo with Delaney Davidson, to launching his award-winning solo career. Between his self-titled full-length debut Marlon Williams (2015) and Make Way For Love (2018), he played many of world’s major festivals, toured and performed with Bruce Springsteen, Florence The Machine, Brandi Carlile and Lorde, and appeared on late-night TV shows CONAN and Later with Jools Holland. Williams has also won multiple New Zealand Music Awards and APRA Awards, and was handpicked by director Bradley Cooper to appear in Academy® Award-winning film A Star Is Born, in addition to roles in True History Of The Kelly Gang and upcoming film Lone Wolf.

Now, these three musicians find common ground between a lifelong shared passion for Western country, folk, and troubadour traditions.

“We wanted to see if we could meld hemispheres,” says Marlon. “I’m bringing this Pacific style of country music with the harmonies and choral elements. Kacy & Clayton have a super identifiable sound. They embody everything I love about North American folk. There’s a rural weariness where they’re telling tales that have been told a million times in their own way. I feel the strength in it.”

Kacy sums it up with a smile, “The three of us are just old timey kids.”

While on tour across Europe in 2017, Kacy & Clayton quite literally stopped Marlon in his tracks. As if playing by divine design on Spotify, the pair’s 'Springtime of the Year' immediately enchanted him. As soon as the song finished, he checked out their catalogue and fired off a DM.

“When I first heard it, I imagined it was a jam from the 60s that was somehow lost in time,” Marlon laughs. “Then, I found out they were younger than me. From there, I messaged them and gushingly praised what they were doing. We started chatting and decided to make an album together.”

“Clayton had heard of Marlon,” remembers Kacy. “We knew he was a great musician, and it felt really natural.”

Marlon hopped a flight to Saskatoon for Christmas 2018, and they wrote and recorded the bulk of what would become Plastic Bouquet over the course of just three weeks. They unlocked undeniable chemistry as Marlon underwent a transformation of his own. 

“I became a farm boy really quickly,” he chuckles. “I stayed on the ranch with Kacy’s family, and we had a power outage trying to chop wood. It was below 20 degrees and gave me a total shock! I completely jumped in their world. We found a dynamic that worked well, because we all love old Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard and have the same sense of humor. We’re kindred spirits.”

Their connection drives these eleven tracks. The first single 'I Wonder Why' pairs creaky guitar and airy slide with a fluttering hook, “You’re fooling ‘round with my heart. I wonder why.” Meanwhile, Kacy’s voice glides over acoustic strumming on 'Your Mind’s Walking Out' as Marlon responds with a warm harmony.

On the chorus, she offers an assurance, “Time is on your side, though you’re looking like you’re barely alive.”

“It was pretty honest,” recalls Kacy. “It captures something we were going through.”

Clayton’s artful six-string phrasing rings out between Kacy’s robust vocals on album-opener 'Isn’t It'.

“It’s one of my favorites. It’s a country song, but there’s aggression and symbolis