KT Tunstall
Encyclopedia
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975, Edinburgh
) is a Scottish
singer-songwriter
and guitarist
from St Andrews
, Scotland
. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
" on Later... with Jools Holland. She has enjoyed commercial and critical success since, picking up three nominations before winning a BRIT Award
, and a Grammy Award nomination. She is also the recipient of an Ivor Novello Award.
She has released three studio albums internationally: Eye to the Telescope
(2004), Drastic Fantastic
(2007) and Tiger Suit
(2010).
, Scotland
. Kate never got to meet her biological father. Her adoptive father was employed as a physics lecturer at the University of St Andrews
, and her adoptive mother was a school teacher. Tunstall's family also includes an older brother named Joe and a younger brother named Daniel. Her parents had no interest in music and owned no records — the only tape her father owned was a comedy recording by mathematician and musical satirist Tom Lehrer
.
Tunstall grew up in St Andrews
, a town in Fife
, attending Lawhead Primary, then Madras College in St. Andrews, and the High School of Dundee
but she spent her last year of high school in New England
at the Kent School
, a selective prep school
in Kent, Connecticut
.
on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont
, and at a commune
in rural Vermont. Tunstall studied at Madras College
in St Andrews, Kent School
in Connecticut
, and at Royal Holloway, University of London
. She has said: "...My earliest memories are Californian...", attributed to a sabbatical that her father took at UCLA in 1979.
, (The Beta Band
, and The Aliens
), whom the song "Funnyman", on the album Drastic Fantastic
, is about. She toured with the Klezmer
band Oi Va Voi
, and stayed with them while they were making their album, Laughter Through Tears
.
British label Relentless Records
heard about Tunstall through their scouts and quickly put forward an independent offer. However, Tunstall had decided to sign with a US major, and initially passed up the offer. That deal did not work out and so she eventually decided to go with Relentless.
Although he recognised the potential in the quality of her voice and songs, at this point Relentless co-founder Shabs Jobanputra's assessment was that she "wasn't ready yet" and so together with her manager, Jobanputra discussed "the process of how we saw her happening and how we would work, why we thought the songs were great, why we thought she was great, and why it could really work if we took enough time." After the signing, a lot of time was spent developing certain songs and honing her live performance before she was ready for release.
, was released in late 2004. Tunstall's style of music varies from folk
to pop
. In Edinburgh
and St Andrews
, she played in a band called Red Light Stylus, which was regarded as one of the better bands to emerge from the limited Fife scene.
Tunstall's first appearance of note was a solo performance of her blues song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
" on Later... with Jools Holland. The performance was notable as she had only 24 hours to prepare after scheduled performer Nas
cancelled. Her performance caught the eye of many viewers, although she had previously performed it on French television only some weeks before, upstaging more established acts such as The Cure
, Embrace, and The Futureheads
; she then went on to top the post-show poll on the website for that episode.
Shortly after the Later appearance, Eye to the Telescope
was re-released and shot up the British charts, eventually peaking at #3 (on its first release it had entered at #73); it was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize
. It was released in the U.S. on 7 February 2006.
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was one of the most successful singles and most radio-played songs of 2005 in the United Kingdom. On the UK Singles Charts, the single made number twenty-eight on the charts and on the US Billboard Hot 100
, charted at number twenty. The next release from the album in the United Kingdom was "Other Side of the World
" whilst "Suddenly I See
" was released in the United States, which is the OP of the film The Devil Wears Prada. Further singles released from the album were "Under the Weather
" and "Another Place to Fall
" which were also successful.
Tunstall's North American break came when American Idol
contestant Katharine McPhee
contacted her asking to use "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" as her choice for a Billboard-themed week. At the time, the song was #79 on the Billboard charts. Tunstall had not been shy with her opinions regarding shows like Idol saying "The major problem I have is that it's completely controlled... they're told what to say. They're told how to sing." She chose to license the song as she felt that "no one on that show told Katharine McPhee to sing my song because no one knew it". Tunstall's belief was correct—the song was suggested to McPhee by Billboard
columnist and author Fred Bronson
. The song immediately jumped to #23 on the Billboard charts the week following McPhee's performance. She has later said "My status as a musician in America is pretty much cemented by Katharine McPhee, which is really interesting and funny for me because I've never been polite about how I feel about shows like that."
, which was first only available via mail order
from her website. The album was re-released in stores worldwide in October 2006.
Tunstall sang with Scottish band Travis
on their 2007 album The Boy With No Name
, on the track "Under the Moonlight", a song written by Susie Hug (late of Katydids
).
, premièred on 3 September 2007 in Scotland, followed a week later on 10 September 2007 with the London release for Britain and 18 September 2007, in the US. In its first week, Drastic Fantastic reached #1 on the Scottish Album Charts, #3 on the British Charts, and #9 in the American Charts. The album's lead single, "Hold On
", was released in the UK in August 2007, débuting at #34 there before peaking at #21. The song was also very successful in certain European nations peaking at #19 in Italy
, #19 in Norway
, #26 in Switzerland and #39 in Ireland. The album's second single, "Saving My Face
", was released in December 2007. The song did not make the UK Top 40 Singles Charts, but however did managed to peak at #50 on the UK Singles Charts, managing 3 weeks on the UK Charts. Despite missing the UK Top 40, the song made the Top 40 in Italy, making #23 and in Switzerland peaking at #93. The album's third single and final worldwide single, "If Only
", was released in March 2008, becoming the second single from the album not to make the UK Top 40, it managed #45 in audition.
In the United States, "Hold On" was moderately successful, charting at number ninety-five on the US Billboard Pop Chart and number twenty-seven on the US Billboard Adult Top 40. However, on the main Hot 100 charts, it stalled, failing to make impact inside the Top 100, causing it to chart at number one-hundred and four on the US Billboard Hot 100
. As for Drastic Fantasic, it became one of her best charting albums to date, charting at number three on the UK Album Charts, topping the Scottish Album Charts
and making the top ten of the US Billboard 200
album charts, charting at number nine. Further singles released from Drastic Fantasic were "Saving My Face
" and "If Only
" which were moderately successful, charting at number fifty and forty-five on the UK Singles Charts respectively.
Tunstall commented that the photograph for the album cover was influenced by the 1970s rock star, Suzi Quatro.
On 5 October 2007, the U.S. discount department store chain Target
, in association with NBC
, released a special KT Tunstall Christmas EP on CD. Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection
contains six exclusive tracks:
On 10 December 2007, it was released in Europe through Relentless Records
as a digital download
only, under the title Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas
.
In 2008, KT Tunstall recorded a song for the album Songs for Survival
, in support of the indigenous rights organization Survival International
. In a video for Survival International, she speaks of music as being a force for good, and about what she has learned about tribal people on this project. She also discusses various issues concerning our culture of consumption and greed, our relation to the earth and the importance of indigenous rights in the world today.
Tunstall also worked with Suzanne Vega
on her 2007 album Beauty & Crime
, singing backup on songs "Zephyr and I" and "Frank and Ava". It was revealed in the booklet by Vega that the two had never met during the process of making the album.
". She had started her time off by traveling through the Arctic, South America and India, so she had locked into a very primal, indigenous spirit by the time it came to recording.
Tunstall said that the album's title is inspired by a recurring dream she had, before discovering that 2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. The dream is about her, seeing a tiger in her garden and goes outside to stroke it. She returns indoors and is seized by the fear that she could have been killed. Over the years, it has occurred to her that the reason the tiger responds so passively is that she herself is disguised as a tiger, wearing a tiger suit. She said that while writing and recording the album, she found a new sound she called "Nature techno", which mixes organic instrumentation with electronic and dance textures, much like Bjork
has been doing since 1993. At a media showcase in London, KT Tunstall offered an unusual description of the songs from her forthcoming third album: "Like Eddie Cochran
working with Leftfield
".
On 11 February 2010, The Daily Record reported that Tunstall had recorded her new album in Berlin's Hansa Studios. The studio, next to where Berlin Wall stood, was used to make legendary albums including David Bowie's
"Heroes" and U2's
Achtung Baby
. Tunstall said, "I had an amazing three weeks recording in Hansa in Berlin in January and am finishing it all off in London." The album, titled Tiger Suit
, was released in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2010 and in the United States on 5 October 2010. The album's first single was "Fade Like a Shadow
" in the United States and "(Still a) Weirdo
" in the United Kingdom. These lead singles were released before the album.
On 8 March 2011, Tunstall recorded her first live record in London.
Tunstall is known for her live performances, in which she combines use of an Akai
E2 Headrush loop pedal, which she affectionately calls "Wee Bastard", with a full four-piece backing band (Luke Bullen
on drums, Arnulf Lindner on bass
, Sam Lewis on lead guitar
and Kenny Dickenson on keyboards
, trumpet
, percussion and various other instruments), as well as her two backup singers (Cat Sforza and Ami Richardson)
Similar to her initial début on music show Later... with Jools Holland, Tunstall first débuted in the United States
performing on various talk shows, although it was not until The Ellen DeGeneres Show
that she was interviewed. Since her talk show days, she has performed at numerous large concerts such as the Hogmanay
Edinburgh Concert in 2005, the American leg
of Live Earth
in 2007, and the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
also in 2007. Tunstall said prior to the Hogmanay performance that "This is the gig of a lifetime... This Hogmanay party is probably the best-known and best-loved in the world, and I've been here a few times over the years dreaming of being the one entertaining the crowds. Until we're on that stage I won't believe we're allowed on it."
, which eventually went to Antony and the Johnsons
; and was awarded Best Track for her composition and performance of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by Q magazine
.
In January the following year, 2006, she received three BRIT
nominations - British Live Act, British Breakthrough Act, and British Female Solo Artist - eventually gaining the award for British Female Solo Artist, remarking that she wished to share it with fellow nominee Kate Bush
. Later the same month she was given a European Border Breakers Award
, which recognises the top-selling European Union
artists outside their home country. Also, in 2006 she won the Ivor Novello
Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Suddenly I See", along with Scottish Style Awards "Most Stylish Band or Musician".
She gained more nominations in 2007 and 2008: a 2007 Grammy Award
nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (eventually going to Christina Aguilera
for "Ain't No Other Man
"), and another BRIT
nomination for British Female Solo Artist – the same accolade she had won in 2006.
) to differentiate herself from fellow singer Katie Melua
.
Tunstall sparked some controversy in 2005 when she publicly criticised singer/songwriter Dido
, stating that the artist "can't fucking sing" after several fans compared the two musically. Tunstall later apologised, stating that she did not want to be involved in a public feud. Later, she denied rumours or assumptions concerning her sexual orientation and said the rainbow patterned braces on her début record cover were not intended as a statement of identity or politics as she was unaware of the symbolism at the time.
In April 2007, Tunstall underwent surgery to correct an undersized kidney, a problem caused by a childhood infection.
In 2003 Tunstall began dating Luke Bullen
, the drummer in her band. On Christmas Day, 2007, Bullen proposed to her at her parents' home in St Andrews, Scotland, and the couple were married on 6 September 2008 at the Flodigarry
Country House Hotel on the Isle Of Skye in Scotland.
In September 2008 Tunstall joined the Disko Bay Cape Farewell expedition to the West Coast of Greenland. Cape Farewell
is a British based arts organisation that brings artists, scientists and communicators together to instigate a cultural response to climate change.
In 2010, Tunstall publicly disowned her stepfather, David Orr, because of Orr's decision to run as a British National Party
candidate in the general election for Livingston
. Orr is the husband of Tunstall's birth mother, Carol Ann Orr, who gave her up for adoption just days after she was born.
In 2007 Tunstall gave her backing to climate change
campaign Global Cool
.
Video:
Audio:
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
from St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and is featured on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. It was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single from the album, charting at #28 in the UK Singles Chart...
" on Later... with Jools Holland. She has enjoyed commercial and critical success since, picking up three nominations before winning a BRIT Award
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, and a Grammy Award nomination. She is also the recipient of an Ivor Novello Award.
She has released three studio albums internationally: Eye to the Telescope
Eye to the Telescope
Reviews for Eye to the Telescope were positive. Mark A. Price of PopMatters gave the album a score of 7 out of 10, noting that it manages to sound "both new and familiar", mixing influences from artists like Melissa Etheridge and Fiona Apple while adding some originality of her own...
(2004), Drastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic is the second studio album by Scottish Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records on 10 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and 18 September 2007 in the United States and Canada. The album was leaked on P2P networks on 3 September 2007. "Hold On", the...
(2007) and Tiger Suit
Tiger Suit
Tiger Suit is the third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records in Ireland on 24 September 2010, in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2010 and in the United States and Canada on 5 October 2010...
(2010).
Early life
Kate has a half-Chinese, half-Scottish mother and an Irish father. She was 18 days old when she was adopted by an English family in St AndrewsSt Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Kate never got to meet her biological father. Her adoptive father was employed as a physics lecturer at the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
, and her adoptive mother was a school teacher. Tunstall's family also includes an older brother named Joe and a younger brother named Daniel. Her parents had no interest in music and owned no records — the only tape her father owned was a comedy recording by mathematician and musical satirist Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
.
Tunstall grew up in St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, a town in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, attending Lawhead Primary, then Madras College in St. Andrews, and the High School of Dundee
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in the city of Dundee, Scotland which provides both primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils...
but she spent her last year of high school in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
at the Kent School
Kent School
Kent School is a private, co-educational college preparatory school in Kent, Connecticut, USA. The Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, Order of the Holy Cross, established the school in 1906 and it retains its affiliation with the Episcopal Church of the United States.Students at Kent come from more...
, a selective prep school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
in Kent, Connecticut
Kent, Connecticut
Kent is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, alongside the border with New York. The population was 2,858 at the 2000 census. The town is home to three New England boarding schools: South Kent School, Kent School and The Marvelwood School. The Schaghticoke Indian Reservation is also located...
.
"After school, having learned the pianoShe spent time buskingPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, and guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, she left her native St Andrews to take up a scholarship at Kent School in Connecticut, New England, where she formed her first band, The Happy Campers."
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, and at a commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
in rural Vermont. Tunstall studied at Madras College
Madras College
Madras College is a secondary school in St. Andrews, Fife in Scotland.-History:Madras College, founded in 1832, takes its name from the system of education devised by the school's founder, the Rev Dr Andrew Bell....
in St Andrews, Kent School
Kent School
Kent School is a private, co-educational college preparatory school in Kent, Connecticut, USA. The Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, Order of the Holy Cross, established the school in 1906 and it retains its affiliation with the Episcopal Church of the United States.Students at Kent come from more...
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and at Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
. She has said: "...My earliest memories are Californian...", attributed to a sabbatical that her father took at UCLA in 1979.
Career beginnings
Throughout Tunstall's 20s, she played in Indie music bands including Elia Drew and Tomoko. She focused on songwriting, as well as performing with members of the fledgling Fence Collective. KT Tunstall had lived with Gordon AndersonGordon Anderson
Gordon Anderson may refer to:* Dr Gordon Anderson , author and Secretary-General of the Professors World Peace Academy* Gordon Anderson , former Member of the Australian House of Representatives...
, (The Beta Band
The Beta Band
The Beta Band were a British musical group who received much critical acclaim and achieved cult status amongst avid followers of the underground and experimental music scene...
, and The Aliens
The Aliens
The Aliens are a Scottish band consisting of former Beta Band members Gordon Anderson , John Maclean and Robin Jones...
), whom the song "Funnyman", on the album Drastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic is the second studio album by Scottish Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records on 10 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and 18 September 2007 in the United States and Canada. The album was leaked on P2P networks on 3 September 2007. "Hold On", the...
, is about. She toured with the Klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
band Oi Va Voi
Oi Va Voi
Oi Va Voi is a British band that takes its name from a Yiddish-derived exclamation popular in modern Hebrew meaning, approximately, "Oh, dear!" It is an experimental band from London, England, which formed in the late 1990s...
, and stayed with them while they were making their album, Laughter Through Tears
Laughter Through Tears
Laughter Through Tears is the second album released by London, England based experimental band Oi Va Voi. Some of the tracks on the album were originally on the band's debut Digital Folklore, one example is the Hungarian folk song "A Csitári" whose vocals were performed by a male singer in the...
.
British label Relentless Records
Relentless Records
Relentless Records, founded by Shabs Jobanputra and Paul Franklyn in 1999 is now a part of Sony Music based in London, UK. Having achieved large scale successes with Joss Stone, KT Tunstall and several urban artists such as Artful Dodger and So Solid Crew, the label is now building a small focused...
heard about Tunstall through their scouts and quickly put forward an independent offer. However, Tunstall had decided to sign with a US major, and initially passed up the offer. That deal did not work out and so she eventually decided to go with Relentless.
Although he recognised the potential in the quality of her voice and songs, at this point Relentless co-founder Shabs Jobanputra's assessment was that she "wasn't ready yet" and so together with her manager, Jobanputra discussed "the process of how we saw her happening and how we would work, why we thought the songs were great, why we thought she was great, and why it could really work if we took enough time." After the signing, a lot of time was spent developing certain songs and honing her live performance before she was ready for release.
Eye to the Telescope (2004–2006)
Her début album, Eye to the TelescopeEye to the Telescope
Reviews for Eye to the Telescope were positive. Mark A. Price of PopMatters gave the album a score of 7 out of 10, noting that it manages to sound "both new and familiar", mixing influences from artists like Melissa Etheridge and Fiona Apple while adding some originality of her own...
, was released in late 2004. Tunstall's style of music varies from folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
to pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. In Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, she played in a band called Red Light Stylus, which was regarded as one of the better bands to emerge from the limited Fife scene.
Tunstall's first appearance of note was a solo performance of her blues song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and is featured on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. It was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single from the album, charting at #28 in the UK Singles Chart...
" on Later... with Jools Holland. The performance was notable as she had only 24 hours to prepare after scheduled performer Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
cancelled. Her performance caught the eye of many viewers, although she had previously performed it on French television only some weeks before, upstaging more established acts such as The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, Embrace, and The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
; she then went on to top the post-show poll on the website for that episode.
Shortly after the Later appearance, Eye to the Telescope
Eye to the Telescope
Reviews for Eye to the Telescope were positive. Mark A. Price of PopMatters gave the album a score of 7 out of 10, noting that it manages to sound "both new and familiar", mixing influences from artists like Melissa Etheridge and Fiona Apple while adding some originality of her own...
was re-released and shot up the British charts, eventually peaking at #3 (on its first release it had entered at #73); it was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
. It was released in the U.S. on 7 February 2006.
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was one of the most successful singles and most radio-played songs of 2005 in the United Kingdom. On the UK Singles Charts, the single made number twenty-eight on the charts and on the US Billboard Hot 100
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, charted at number twenty. The next release from the album in the United Kingdom was "Other Side of the World
Other Side of the World
"Other Side of the World" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and is the opening track on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. It was released 9 May 2005 as the second single from that album and became her first UK Top 20, charting at #13 in the UK Singles Chart...
" whilst "Suddenly I See
Suddenly I See
"Suddenly I See" is a song by British singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and is featured on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. It was released on 29 August 2005 as the third single from the album, charting at #12 in the UK Singles Chart . The single was a hit in Australia where it charted at #6 on...
" was released in the United States, which is the OP of the film The Devil Wears Prada. Further singles released from the album were "Under the Weather
Under the Weather
"Under the Weather" is an alternative rock song performed by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and Tommy D and produced by Steve Osborne for Tunstall's debut album Eye to the Telescope . It was released as the album's fourth single on 5 December 2005...
" and "Another Place to Fall
Another Place to Fall
"Another Place to Fall" is an alternative rock song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne for Tunstall's debut album Eye to the Telescope . It was released as the album's fifth and final single on 13 March 2006...
" which were also successful.
Tunstall's North American break came when American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
contestant Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
contacted her asking to use "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" as her choice for a Billboard-themed week. At the time, the song was #79 on the Billboard charts. Tunstall had not been shy with her opinions regarding shows like Idol saying "The major problem I have is that it's completely controlled... they're told what to say. They're told how to sing." She chose to license the song as she felt that "no one on that show told Katharine McPhee to sing my song because no one knew it". Tunstall's belief was correct—the song was suggested to McPhee by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
columnist and author Fred Bronson
Fred Bronson
Fredric M. Bronson is an American journalist, author and writer. He is best known for his appearances on American Idol, the weekly "Chart Beat" column in Billboard magazine, and as the author of books related to Billboard charts.Born to Irving and Mildred Bronson and raised in Culver City,...
. The song immediately jumped to #23 on the Billboard charts the week following McPhee's performance. She has later said "My status as a musician in America is pretty much cemented by Katharine McPhee, which is really interesting and funny for me because I've never been polite about how I feel about shows like that."
Acoustic Extravaganza (2006–2007)
Tunstall released a new acoustic album in May 2006, KT Tunstall's Acoustic ExtravaganzaKT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza
-Track listing:CD# "Ashes" – 3:34 # "Girl And The Ghost" – 4:14 # "One Day" – 5:02 # "Golden Age" – 5:00...
, which was first only available via mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
from her website. The album was re-released in stores worldwide in October 2006.
Tunstall sang with Scottish band Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
on their 2007 album The Boy With No Name
The Boy with No Name
The Boy with No Name is the fifth studio album from Scottish Indie pop band Travis. The album was released on May 7, 2007. The album sold over 442,900 copies worldwide.-Background:...
, on the track "Under the Moonlight", a song written by Susie Hug (late of Katydids
Katydids (band)
Katydids were an English band, founded by the vocalist Susie Hug and guitarist Adam Seymour, adding Dan James on guitar, David Hunter on bass guitar, and Shane Young on drums in the late 1980s. In December 1989, NME had commented that Katydids were one of their tips for stardom in the 1990s...
).
Drastic Fantastic (2007–2008)
Tunstall's second album, Drastic FantasticDrastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic is the second studio album by Scottish Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records on 10 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and 18 September 2007 in the United States and Canada. The album was leaked on P2P networks on 3 September 2007. "Hold On", the...
, premièred on 3 September 2007 in Scotland, followed a week later on 10 September 2007 with the London release for Britain and 18 September 2007, in the US. In its first week, Drastic Fantastic reached #1 on the Scottish Album Charts, #3 on the British Charts, and #9 in the American Charts. The album's lead single, "Hold On
Hold On (KT Tunstall song)
"Hold On" is an alternative rock song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne for Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic . The song was released as the album's first single on 16 July 2007 in the United States and on 13 August 2007...
", was released in the UK in August 2007, débuting at #34 there before peaking at #21. The song was also very successful in certain European nations peaking at #19 in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, #19 in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, #26 in Switzerland and #39 in Ireland. The album's second single, "Saving My Face
Saving My Face
"Saving My Face" is a song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne for the Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic...
", was released in December 2007. The song did not make the UK Top 40 Singles Charts, but however did managed to peak at #50 on the UK Singles Charts, managing 3 weeks on the UK Charts. Despite missing the UK Top 40, the song made the Top 40 in Italy, making #23 and in Switzerland peaking at #93. The album's third single and final worldwide single, "If Only
If Only (KT Tunstall song)
"If Only" is an alternative rock song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and Jimmy Hogarth for Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic . It was released as the album's third single in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2008...
", was released in March 2008, becoming the second single from the album not to make the UK Top 40, it managed #45 in audition.
In the United States, "Hold On" was moderately successful, charting at number ninety-five on the US Billboard Pop Chart and number twenty-seven on the US Billboard Adult Top 40. However, on the main Hot 100 charts, it stalled, failing to make impact inside the Top 100, causing it to chart at number one-hundred and four on the US Billboard Hot 100
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As for Drastic Fantasic, it became one of her best charting albums to date, charting at number three on the UK Album Charts, topping the Scottish Album Charts
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and making the top ten of the US Billboard 200
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
album charts, charting at number nine. Further singles released from Drastic Fantasic were "Saving My Face
Saving My Face
"Saving My Face" is a song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne for the Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic...
" and "If Only
If Only (KT Tunstall song)
"If Only" is an alternative rock song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and Jimmy Hogarth for Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic . It was released as the album's third single in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2008...
" which were moderately successful, charting at number fifty and forty-five on the UK Singles Charts respectively.
Tunstall commented that the photograph for the album cover was influenced by the 1970s rock star, Suzi Quatro.
On 5 October 2007, the U.S. discount department store chain Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, in association with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, released a special KT Tunstall Christmas EP on CD. Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection
Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection
Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection is a 2007 EP studio release from KT Tunstall, later retitled Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas. It was released in partnership with NBC and was originally only available at the American discount department store chain Target as a physical CD...
contains six exclusive tracks:
- "2000 Miles2000 Miles"2000 Miles" is a song by The Pretenders released in 1983 as the preceding single to their 1984 album, Learning to Crawl. In the US, it was released as both 7 inch 45 as the B-side of the single "Middle of the Road" and a 12 inch remix. It was most popular in the UK, where it charted at #15...
" - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"Christmas " is a Christmas holiday song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 Christmas compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records. The song was written by Phil Spector, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the intentions of being sung by Ronnie...
" - "Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas In Hawaii)Mele Kalikimaka"Mele Kalikimaka" is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song that takes its title from the Hawaiian phrase, "Mele Kalikimaka," meaning "Merry Christmas." The phrase is borrowed directly from English, but, since Hawaiian has a different phonological system "Mele Kalikimaka" is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas...
" - "Sleigh RideSleigh Ride"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person,...
" - "Fairytale of New YorkFairytale of New York"Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
" - "Lonely This ChristmasLonely This Christmas"Lonely This Christmas" was a popular single by the English glam rock band Mud, that topped the UK singles chart in 1974 and reached Christmas number one.-The song:...
"
On 10 December 2007, it was released in Europe through Relentless Records
Relentless Records
Relentless Records, founded by Shabs Jobanputra and Paul Franklyn in 1999 is now a part of Sony Music based in London, UK. Having achieved large scale successes with Joss Stone, KT Tunstall and several urban artists such as Artful Dodger and So Solid Crew, the label is now building a small focused...
as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
only, under the title Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas
Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection
Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection is a 2007 EP studio release from KT Tunstall, later retitled Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas. It was released in partnership with NBC and was originally only available at the American discount department store chain Target as a physical CD...
.
In 2008, KT Tunstall recorded a song for the album Songs for Survival
Songs for Survival
Bruce Parry Presents Amazon - Tribe - Songs for Survival is a double album released by Kensaltown Records in support of a tribal peoples charity.-Background:...
, in support of the indigenous rights organization Survival International
Survival International
Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples, seeking to help them to determine their own future. Their campaigns generally focus on tribal peoples' fight to keep their ancestral lands,...
. In a video for Survival International, she speaks of music as being a force for good, and about what she has learned about tribal people on this project. She also discusses various issues concerning our culture of consumption and greed, our relation to the earth and the importance of indigenous rights in the world today.
Tunstall also worked with Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
on her 2007 album Beauty & Crime
Beauty & Crime
Beauty & Crime is the seventh studio album release by New York-based singer/songwriter and musician Suzanne Vega. It is her first album of new material since 2001's Songs in Red and Gray and is also her first for Blue Note Records. It was released on July 17, 2007...
, singing backup on songs "Zephyr and I" and "Frank and Ava". It was revealed in the booklet by Vega that the two had never met during the process of making the album.
Tiger Suit (2009-present)
On 11 February 2010 reported that, " 'KT TUNSTALL has recorded her new album in Berlin's famous Hansa studio. The studio, beside the site of the Berlin Wall, was used to make legendary albums including David Bowie's Heroes and U2's Achtung Baby. KT said: "I had an amazing three weeks recording in Hansa in Berlin in January and am finishing it all off in London." The Scots singer, who has been quiet of late, reassured fans she has been busy. She added: "I am still very much alive and have every music-making limb and muscle working in my laboratory of fierce-new-album-ness." Before her album comes out, KT played a stripped-down set at the Haiti fundraising gig at the Roundhouse in Camden on Thursday 25 February. She hoped to jump up with her old pal Seasick Steve for a song or two. Kt added: "My shizzle will feature some new faces and definitely some new songs, so come and have a listen and chuck some dough at a good cause." She stated down the line from a promo stop in Minneapolis that she doesn't write on tour, "so it was essential that I took time out from her previous album Drastic FantasticDrastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic is the second studio album by Scottish Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records on 10 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and 18 September 2007 in the United States and Canada. The album was leaked on P2P networks on 3 September 2007. "Hold On", the...
". She had started her time off by traveling through the Arctic, South America and India, so she had locked into a very primal, indigenous spirit by the time it came to recording.
Tunstall said that the album's title is inspired by a recurring dream she had, before discovering that 2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. The dream is about her, seeing a tiger in her garden and goes outside to stroke it. She returns indoors and is seized by the fear that she could have been killed. Over the years, it has occurred to her that the reason the tiger responds so passively is that she herself is disguised as a tiger, wearing a tiger suit. She said that while writing and recording the album, she found a new sound she called "Nature techno", which mixes organic instrumentation with electronic and dance textures, much like Bjork
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
has been doing since 1993. At a media showcase in London, KT Tunstall offered an unusual description of the songs from her forthcoming third album: "Like Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
working with Leftfield
Leftfield
Leftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
".
On 11 February 2010, The Daily Record reported that Tunstall had recorded her new album in Berlin's Hansa Studios. The studio, next to where Berlin Wall stood, was used to make legendary albums including David Bowie's
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
"Heroes" and U2's
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
Achtung Baby
Achtung Baby
Achtung Baby is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 19 November 1991 on Island Records. Stung by the criticism of their 1988 release Rattle and Hum, U2 shifted their musical direction to incorporate alternative...
. Tunstall said, "I had an amazing three weeks recording in Hansa in Berlin in January and am finishing it all off in London." The album, titled Tiger Suit
Tiger Suit
Tiger Suit is the third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records in Ireland on 24 September 2010, in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2010 and in the United States and Canada on 5 October 2010...
, was released in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2010 and in the United States on 5 October 2010. The album's first single was "Fade Like a Shadow
Fade Like a Shadow
"Fade Like a Shadow" is a 2010 song by Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released as the U.S. lead single for her third studio album Tiger Suit in August, 2010. Tunstall performed an acoustic rendition of the track in July 13 at the Hiro Ballroom in Manhattan, using live looping to...
" in the United States and "(Still a) Weirdo
(Still a) Weirdo
" Weirdo" is a song by Scottish recording artist KT Tunstall. It was released as the UK lead single from her third studio album Tiger Suit , on 26 September 2010. Written by Tunstall herself and Greg Kurstin, and produced by Kurstin, the song is an acoustic rock ballad and talks about still the...
" in the United Kingdom. These lead singles were released before the album.
On 8 March 2011, Tunstall recorded her first live record in London.
Live performances
Akai
Akai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
E2 Headrush loop pedal, which she affectionately calls "Wee Bastard", with a full four-piece backing band (Luke Bullen
Luke Bullen
Luke Bullen is an English drummer and percussionist. Bullen studied at top London drum school Drumtech and joined the band Addict in 1995; the band was signed to V2 Records in 1996...
on drums, Arnulf Lindner on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Sam Lewis on lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and Kenny Dickenson on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, percussion and various other instruments), as well as her two backup singers (Cat Sforza and Ami Richardson)
Similar to her initial début on music show Later... with Jools Holland, Tunstall first débuted in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
performing on various talk shows, although it was not until The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
that she was interviewed. Since her talk show days, she has performed at numerous large concerts such as the Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
Edinburgh Concert in 2005, the American leg
Live Earth concert, New York City
The Live Earth concert for North America was held at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA on July 7, 2007.-Running order:In order of appearance:*Kenna - "Out Of Control", "Face The Gun", "Sun Red Sky Blue"...
of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in 2007, and the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
Nobel Peace Prize Concert
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December, one day after the date of Alfred Nobel's death, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in the Oslo City Hall, while the concert is in the Oslo Spektrum Arena, with the...
also in 2007. Tunstall said prior to the Hogmanay performance that "This is the gig of a lifetime... This Hogmanay party is probably the best-known and best-loved in the world, and I've been here a few times over the years dreaming of being the one entertaining the crowds. Until we're on that stage I won't believe we're allowed on it."
Awards and nominations
In Tunstall's breakthrough year, 2005, she received a nomination for the Mercury Music PrizeMercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
, which eventually went to Antony and the Johnsons
Antony and the Johnsons
Antony and the Johnsons is a music group presenting the work of Antony Hegarty and his collaborators.-Career:British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Antony's music through his Durtro label. The debut album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released...
; and was awarded Best Track for her composition and performance of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by Q magazine
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
.
In January the following year, 2006, she received three BRIT
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
nominations - British Live Act, British Breakthrough Act, and British Female Solo Artist - eventually gaining the award for British Female Solo Artist, remarking that she wished to share it with fellow nominee Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
. Later the same month she was given a European Border Breakers Award
European Border Breakers Award
-Organization:The EBBA Awards were launched by the European Commission and are a European Union award. Selection and the award ceremony of the EBBA Awards are organized by Noorderslag Foundation, which has the mission to encourage the circulation of European pop music.-Partners:*European...
, which recognises the top-selling European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
artists outside their home country. Also, in 2006 she won the Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Suddenly I See", along with Scottish Style Awards "Most Stylish Band or Musician".
She gained more nominations in 2007 and 2008: a 2007 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (eventually going to Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
for "Ain't No Other Man
Ain't No Other Man
"Ain't No Other Man" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Charles Roane, DJ Premier, Harold Beatty, and Kara DioGuardi for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics...
"), and another BRIT
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
nomination for British Female Solo Artist – the same accolade she had won in 2006.
Personal life
Although her first name is Kate, she chooses to go by KT as her first name, saying "[Kate] just makes me think of a buxom lass baking bread for her man working in the fields. I have no problem with that, but it's just not really how I pictured being a rock star." Also, Tunstall spells her first name KT (as opposed to KatieKatie
Katie is an English feminine name. It is a pet form of Katherine, Kate, Kaitlynn and their related forms. It is frequently used on its own. It may refer to:In sports:* Katie, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Rally Monkey...
) to differentiate herself from fellow singer Katie Melua
Katie Melua
Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003...
.
Tunstall sparked some controversy in 2005 when she publicly criticised singer/songwriter Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
, stating that the artist "can't fucking sing" after several fans compared the two musically. Tunstall later apologised, stating that she did not want to be involved in a public feud. Later, she denied rumours or assumptions concerning her sexual orientation and said the rainbow patterned braces on her début record cover were not intended as a statement of identity or politics as she was unaware of the symbolism at the time.
In April 2007, Tunstall underwent surgery to correct an undersized kidney, a problem caused by a childhood infection.
In 2003 Tunstall began dating Luke Bullen
Luke Bullen
Luke Bullen is an English drummer and percussionist. Bullen studied at top London drum school Drumtech and joined the band Addict in 1995; the band was signed to V2 Records in 1996...
, the drummer in her band. On Christmas Day, 2007, Bullen proposed to her at her parents' home in St Andrews, Scotland, and the couple were married on 6 September 2008 at the Flodigarry
Flodigarry
Flodigarry is a scattered settlement on the north east side of the Trotternish peninsula on the island of Skye, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland....
Country House Hotel on the Isle Of Skye in Scotland.
In September 2008 Tunstall joined the Disko Bay Cape Farewell expedition to the West Coast of Greenland. Cape Farewell
Cape Farewell
Cape Farewell can mean:* Cape Farewell, New Zealand, northernmost point of the South Island.* Cape Farewell, Greenland, southernmost point in the territory of Greenland....
is a British based arts organisation that brings artists, scientists and communicators together to instigate a cultural response to climate change.
In 2010, Tunstall publicly disowned her stepfather, David Orr, because of Orr's decision to run as a British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
candidate in the general election for Livingston
Livingston (UK Parliament constituency)
Livingston is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to which it returns one Member of Parliament . Elections are held using the first-past-the-post voting system....
. Orr is the husband of Tunstall's birth mother, Carol Ann Orr, who gave her up for adoption just days after she was born.
In 2007 Tunstall gave her backing to climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
campaign Global Cool
Global Cool
Global Cool is a green lifestyle campaign run by the Global Cool Foundation, a registered climate change charity in the United Kingdom. Global Cool works with celebrities and the media and entertainment industries to promote green behaviours such as using public transport and taking flight-free...
.
Studio albums
- 2004: Eye to the TelescopeEye to the TelescopeReviews for Eye to the Telescope were positive. Mark A. Price of PopMatters gave the album a score of 7 out of 10, noting that it manages to sound "both new and familiar", mixing influences from artists like Melissa Etheridge and Fiona Apple while adding some originality of her own...
- 2006: KT Tunstall's Acoustic ExtravaganzaKT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza-Track listing:CD# "Ashes" – 3:34 # "Girl And The Ghost" – 4:14 # "One Day" – 5:02 # "Golden Age" – 5:00...
- 2007: Drastic FantasticDrastic FantasticDrastic Fantastic is the second studio album by Scottish Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records on 10 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and 18 September 2007 in the United States and Canada. The album was leaked on P2P networks on 3 September 2007. "Hold On", the...
- 2010: Tiger SuitTiger SuitTiger Suit is the third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records in Ireland on 24 September 2010, in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2010 and in the United States and Canada on 5 October 2010...
Other albums
- 2001: Tracks In July
- 2007: Have Yourself A Very KT ChristmasSounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday CollectionSounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection is a 2007 EP studio release from KT Tunstall, later retitled Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas. It was released in partnership with NBC and was originally only available at the American discount department store chain Target as a physical CD...
- 2011: Live in London March 2011Live in London March 2011Live in London March 2011 is a 2011 live album studio release from KT Tunstall.She is currently selling this double CD live album through her online store.-Track listing:Disc One# "Come On, Get In" - 5:14...
- 2011: The Scarlet Tulip EPThe Scarlet Tulip EPThe Scarlet Tulip EP is a 2011 EP studio release from KT Tunstall.KT Tunstall wrote all the songs. She is currently selling this EP exclusively through her online store.-Track listing:# "The Punk"# "Skinny Lou"# "Hidden Heart"# "Scarlet Tulip"...
External links
- KT Tunstall official website
- U.S. Official Billboard Chart History
- KT Tunstall on the cover of 19 February 2008 issue of iProng Magazine
- KT Tunstall interview at Scottish Style Awards 2006
- KT Tunstall at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- "KT Tunstall: Eyes to the Skies" interview by Jay S. Jacobs
- Glastonbury Festival interview (22 June 2007)
- The Outsider Festival interview (24 June 2007)
- Hold On Review
- Interview with Rob Townsend
Video:
- CBS Sunday Morning interview: Scotland, her home town, parents, and getting started 2007-09-16 (CBS)
- K.T. Tunstall Eco-tips interview
- K.T. Tunstall Interview on The Hour with George StroumboulopoulosGeorge StroumboulopoulosGeorge Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...
- Later with Jools Holland – KT Tunstall performs 'Hopeless' watch video and embed on your MySpace or Blog
- Cover version of "Walk Like an EgyptianWalk Like an Egyptian"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a number-one hit from the album Different Light by The Bangles in 1986.-Origin:Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. The opening lyrics state, "All...
" (originally by The BanglesThe BanglesThe Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
) at Yahoo Music - Video of "Suddenly I SeeSuddenly I See"Suddenly I See" is a song by British singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and is featured on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. It was released on 29 August 2005 as the third single from the album, charting at #12 in the UK Singles Chart . The single was a hit in Australia where it charted at #6 on...
" at Virgin Media - KT Tunstall music videos and interview on the PBS Arts website – "Fade Like a Shadow," "Madame Trudeaux" and "Uummannaq" for SOUND TRACKS presents "Quick Hits" November 2010
Audio:
- NPR interview (2 February 2006)
- NPR interview (4 February 2006)
- Interview and performances at AOL Music