Michael Kiwanuka: Lasan

Singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka gets back to his roots in this exclusive acoustic performance of “Lasan,” recorded last month in a north London loft. Known for his smoky, seductive vocals and folksy guitar riffs, Kiwanuka wrote the track, taken from his debut album Home Again, with Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys, and recorded the LP version at Kinks legend Ray Davies' studio in Muswell Hill, near to where Kiwanuka grew up. Since supporting Adele on her 2011 tour, Kiwanuka, whose sound has been compared to the likes of Otis Redding, Van Morrison and The Temptations, has steadily gained an impressive following of his own, with his videos getting millions of views online. This past January, the young musician topped the BBC Sound of 2012 poll, and since then has been busy touring the US, appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman along the way. "It was a big honor appearing on Letterman," he says. "He was very friendly and positive about my music and the entire day was a bit of a dream." Up next for Kiwanuka is a European tour, kicking off on November 9 at L’Aeronef, Lille, as part of the Festival Les Inrocks, as well as plans for his sophomore record. "You can't plan for something like this," says Kiwanuka. "I'll keep on writing and performing my songs, as I've always done, and see where the journey takes me."