Michael Kiwanuka puts unique spin on Brittany Howard's '13th Century Metal'

Indie-folk artist Michael Kiwanuka has shared a new mix of Brittany Howard's song '13th Century Metal', taken from the Alabama Shakes singer's 2019 debut solo album Jaime.

Howard named Jaime after her sister, who died at 13 from a form of eye cancer.

Kiwanuka has followed the musician's work for years, so it was only a matter of time before he released a cover of one of her powerful alternative tracks.

“I was so excited to get to work on this project as I’ve always been a big fan of Brittany’s music,” Kiwanuka said in a statement.

“Knowing this particular track and being such a fan of her voice, I wanted to not meddle with her voice, and then to make it front and centre. She sounds so victorious when she sings and speaks, so the music I made was governed by that.”

After Kiwanuka won the 2020 Mercury Prize, Howard herself earned five 2021 Grammy nominations, including nods for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, Best R&B Performance, and Best American Roots Performance.

Listen to the mix from Michael Kiwanuka below: