Soul singer Michael Kiwanuka has revealed he nearly gave up a career in music due to doubts over his ability.

The 25-year-old, who won the prestigious BBC Sound of 2012 poll earlier this year, told the Daily Star that he was plagued with nerves when he first started performing on the live circuit:

"I never thought I was good enough to be a singer. 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."

The North London singer-songwriter also claimed that despite only releasing his debut album, Home Again, this week, he’s already started thinking about the follow-up:

“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.”