Michael Kiwanuka may not be a household name – yet. But we predict that, following his debut taping on June 10 for Austin City Limits, the British singer/songwriter will become a fast favorite. He’s bringing his distinctively lush folk/soul/pop sound to our stage for a taping that will also be streamed live. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel – http://www.youtube.com/
Growing up in London, Kiwanuka was exposed to a huge variety of music, becoming a fan of everyone from Radiohead to Nirvana to Jimi Hendrix. But it was his discovery of Bob Dylan and Otis Redding’s “Sitting On the Dock of the Bay” that put him on the path to his true voice, one comparable to soulful folk visionaries Bill Withers, Terry Callier and John Martyn. Starting as a session guitarist when he was just a teenager, Kiwanuka began writing songs at home for his own entertainment, eventually passing demos around in hopes of convincing someone to record them. But it was his voice that listeners connected with, which encouraged him to play shows, and eventually led him to a record contract and the Isle of Wight studio owned by British pop band the Bees. His debut LP Home Again reached #4 on the British charts and went top 10 around the world, earning him a gig opening for Adele’s 2011 tour and a slot at the 2012 ACL Fest.