Cover Stories: Kiva Uhuru

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Set list:

“To Be Alone“ by Hozier
“Blame” by Kiva Uhuru

I’ve seen Kiva Uhuru play in Berkeley a few times now, and almost every time they cover “To Be Alone” by Hozier. They cites this song as one of the biggest influences on their guitar playing. Uhuru plays guitar like the instrument is a whole band, which makes sense because they’re usually the only person on stage when they play in Berkeley, at least up until Uhuru and Ben Meyer formed Savant Garde. Fortunately, Uhuru’s powerful voice and guitar style are more than enough to fill the room.

Uhuru’s original, “Blame,” is a tearful but uncompromising ode to their ex-lovers. It’s a fairly brief song, but I’m a sucker for catchy songs about interpersonal relationships and this one is no exception. The refrain “you could leave me, there would be no blame” is intensely relatable, and has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it. Uhuru and Meyer will be opening for The Limousines on December 22nd at The Ritz in San Jose. Their music is quirky, clever, and primarily improvised— try to make it out to see them if you can.

Follow Kiva Uhuru and Savant Garde on Instagram to stay up to date with their latest releases and upcoming shows.

Written by Walker Spence

Credits:
Creative Directors: Dylan Medlock, Walker Spence
Videographers: Kevin Wen-Kuan Huang, Frankie Eder, Dyde Schleppi
Producers: Quinn Hanschen, Dylan Medlock
Editor: Vivian Li
Set Design: Sam Chew
Titlecard Designer & Illustrations: Jackie Nam