Michael Kiwanuka has just shared “Summer Clothes,” the first track from FUDGE, his forthcoming fifth album out October 23, 2026
Listen to “Summer Clothes” HERE + Watch VideoHERE
“Summer Clothes” opens FUDGE, and is a gorgeously understated but lushly symphonic introduction to the record. Rich with heart and soul, and an almost avant-garde Scott Walker approach to emotional delivery, it’s a typically welcome return for one of Britain’s very finest singer-songwriters.
Michael found his initial inspiration in hearing an interview with the late American jazz pianist Chick Corea, quoting directly from it here, “You have to learn to be certain about what you like, not what you think sounds good to someone else… Whatever you think is beautiful, that’s what’s beautiful, and you have to pursue that.”
The video for “Summer Clothes” was directed by Yout, and inspired by what Michael sees as the quiet beauty of people finding creativity in the everyday, particularly the local tailors in Southampton – and by the creativity that can exist within a moment that might otherwise seem ordinary. It acts as a personal celebration of the instinct to make, create, and to find beauty in the world around us.
As recently announced, FUDGE was recorded in early 2025 with its release left pending for almost twelve months due to Michael’s ongoing battle with ill health which he addressed directly to his fans
FUDGE also marks a change in personnel behind the glass for the first time since his debut album (2012’s Home Again), with Michael taking the reins of its production rather than alongside his trusted collaborators Danger Mouse and Inflo. Working from a makeshift studio space in Southampton, Michael took those initial studio recordings to producer Dom Monks (Laura Marling, Big Thief) in Frome, and his long-standing strings collaborator Rosie Danvers to get the record completed.
FUDGE was written almost concurrently with the writing for 2024’s fourth album, Small Changes, and became a project in and of itself, without the bells and whistles of a big studio but something altogether more homespun. It’s a gorgeous and evocative listen.
All live commitments are on hold indefinitely.
FUDGE Tracklisting
FOLLOW MICHAEL KIWANUKA
*Fudge artwork by Stevie G.
