Marlon Shares Debut Single ‘Blood in the Water’
The track arrives after Marlon supported Hilltop Hoods on their sold-out Australian tour earlier this year.
Image Josh Geelan
Hailing from Darwin, emerging singer-songwriter Marlon has shared his captivating debut single, ‘Blood in the Water’.
Fresh from supporting Hilltop Hoods on their sold-out Australian tour, ‘Blood in the Water’ is a vibrant, modern neo-soul burst of feelings with a driving beat and seductive bassline that lays the foundation for Marlon’s infectious vocals.
“‘Blood in the Water’ speaks to the age-old analogy of ‘out of sight, out of mind’, making reference to the human habits of not acknowledging and speaking to things that do not affect us,” explains Marlon. “As humans, many of us walk, play, live in multimillion-dollar cities, and walk past homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse and disadvantage. More often than not, it is the disadvantage of my people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that we remain to be silent on, in a system designed to break them.”
Written in his childhood home, ‘Blood in the Water’ also includes input from Funkoars and A.B. Original member trials. “After writing the song on my acoustic guitar in my childhood home in Darwin, I made the call to friend/brother and mentor Daniel Rankine aka Trials, to bring the track to life,” shares Marlon. “We spent one session recording instrumentation/vocals and T turned it into what we have today. He’s a superstar, and for me, he’s the most efficient producer I’ve created with, and allows my concepts/ideas to shine.”
The single is accompanied by a music video directed by Richard Coburn (Hilltop Hoods, A.B. Original, Funkoars, Elsy Wameo) and produced by Coburn and Marlon. “I storyboarded the idea and pitched this to Richie Coburn who I met through shooting the ‘The Gift’ video with Hilltop Hoods,” explains Marlon. “We did it over about three shoots and the fire scene was shot in the middle of winter during Adelaide's wettest day in 25 years. We managed to incorporate some cool settings of the ocean, fire and Adelaide City streets to align with the concept of ‘Blood in the Water’.”
“I really wanted there to be some abstract visuals in the clip to leave enough space for listener interpretation,” adds Marlon, “which was signified by the red cloak beings with no face throughout the clip. For me these represented empty/lost souls within our universe. Richie did a great job incorporating this into the final product.”
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Growing up in the NT, Marlon (Motlop) might be familiar to AFL fans, with the former footballer having been on Port Adelaide’s list from 2008 to 2011, playing five games.
Since retiring from football in 2021 after a successful career in the SANFL and WAFL, Marlon has focused on his other passion – music. Surrounded by music as a child, Marlon learned how to sing and play the guitar with his father and siblings.
“My dad was a student studying music in Darwin and would teach myself, my older and younger brother how to play every night,” explains Marlon. “It was tough and a structured regime, but I'm so grateful for it because it showed the foundation of music and how to apply that to your everyday life through the principles of repetition and consistency. Around all of that, my family BBQs were sing-alongs, my whole family back home love music and from a traditional perspective, it's been in our DNA for a very long time.”
“Now, I just love to write and perform,” Marlon continues. “There’s nothing like being on stage and risking it all to connect with a room, festival or arena full of strangers, it’s the best. And I've come to realise that for me, the music isn't solely about me, or what I want. In some strange way, songs that come to me (like ‘Blood In The Water’) feel like they've been handed down from somewhere, and the best part for me is knowing how to get out of the way and letting the music shine.”
Despite only being a professional musician for several years, Marlon has already collaborated with Urthboy, A.B. Original, 3% and Hilltop Hoods, appearing on the latter’s hit single ‘The Gift’ and accompanying them on their recent Australian tour.
“Touring with Hilltop Hoods for their national tour last month was unbelievable,” shares Marlon. “I'm forever grateful for the support from the entire Hoods family, the vibe, and atmosphere they set allowed me to just perform freely and do what I love. The crowds were insane, their fanbase is something special and the whole guest party was an awesome vibe, amazing talents and amazing people.”
Inspired by his musical icons, including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Marlon is forging his own path with his soulful vocals and thought-provoking lyrics, and is one to watch in 2026.
‘Blood in the Water’ by Marlon is out now. Listen here.
