Following the widespread praise for Michael Kiwanuka’s debut EP, May’s ‘Tell Me A Tale’, The ‘I’m Getting Ready’ EP presents three more songs that continue to justify the early acclaim and will add to the 23 year-old’s burgeoning reputation as a unique new British voice.

Abeano premiered the EP’s title track earlier this month. They said: “Soulful and utterly, utterly beautiful, Kiwanuka’s is a sound half world-weary, half languid joy and totally unbelievable. Picking up where he left off with ‘Tell Me A Tale’, ‘I’m Getting Ready’ is another piece of warmth and elegance, exquisite and engaging from the first finger pick to the last burr of Kiwanuka’s smooth voice.”

Kiwanuka is a singer and songwriter with such a genuine raw talent that this early acclaim is only natural. His headline gigs have all sold-out, he’s toured both the UK and Europe with Adele, and already received many offers from well-established, acclaimed artists to work with him on new material.

Originally lacking the confidence to sing his own songs, it was upon the discovery of Bob Dylan and Otis Redding, particularly their phrasing, that spoke to Michael above and beyond anything else he’d previously heard. It led him to the back catalogues of Bill Withers, Terry Callier and more recently Laura Marling, and his own work followed soon afterwards.

His song repertoire and confidence grew as his MySpace following built, and Paul Butler from The Bees invited him down to the band’s Isle of Wight studios to lay down the foundations for these introductory EPs of rootsy, folk-inflected modern soul. ‘Paul is definitely on the same wavelength as I am when it comes to musical ideas, and I love spending time building these songs in the studio with him. It’s become a kind of perfect alliance’, Michael recently commented.

Written and performed by Michael Kiwanuka, produced by Paul Butler and featuring an assortment of Isle of Wight musicians, as well as of course Michael on acoustic guitar, ‘I’m Getting Ready’, ‘I Need You By My Side’, and ‘Any Day Will Do Fine’ are songs that develop upon his debut EP, and presents a young songwriter with both a real ear for beautifully affecting music, and a vocal that has the potential to become a timeless entity in its own right.

Tracklisting:
I’m Getting Ready,
I Need You By My Side,
Any Day Will Do Fine

21st September – Bush Hall, London

More shows to be announced shortly.

“Uniquely brilliant” – Sunday Times Culture