"I Never Thought I Was Good Enough To Be A Singer," Says Michael Kiwanuka
Monday, 19 March 2012
Written by Elliott Batte
Award-winning songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has claimed that he’d never thought he’d make it as a singer – because he’d never thought he was good enough.
Kiwanuka, who picked up the BBC Sound of 2012 Award earlier in the year, released his debut record this week and has been enjoying a quick ascension to stardom since starting out as a session guitarist for the likes of Chipmunk and Bashy back in early 2011. Now, at the beginning of what looks like it’ll be a long and success-filled career, Kiwanuka has admitted that he never thought he’d become famous – and still gets shy when asked to sing.
“I never thought I was good enough to be a singer,” he told The Daily Star. “Even now, if someone says: 'Sing', I can't do it for shyness. If any of my gigs had gone wrong when I started, I'd probably have given up. There were a few dodgy moments, and I'd get really moody. I'd think I was rubbish, and friends had to remind me of the positives.”
He went on to talk about possibilities and ideas for his future albums, saying: “I'd love to do a wholly instrumental album one day. My concerts have big instrumental sections, so it wouldn't be that big a leap. And I definitely want to play a bit more electric guitar on my next album. I'm listening to Jimi Hendrix's slower songs – they are proving a big influence.”
You can catch Kiwanuka on one of his many up and coming UK tour dates this May. If you need tickets, check the dates and details below.
Sun May 13th 2012 - Old Fire Station, Bournemouth
Mon May 14th 2012 - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
Tue May 15th 2012 - Ritz Ballroom, Manchester
Thu May 17th 2012 - ABC 2, Glasgow
Sat May 19th 2012 - Academy Dublin, Dublin
Mon May 21st 2012 - Leadmill, Sheffield
Tue May 22nd 2012 - Junction 1, Cambridge
Wed May 23rd 2012 - Shepherds Bush Empire, London
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