KT Tunstall

from:               St. Andrews, Scotland
website:           www.kttunstall.com
myspace:         www.myspace.com/kttunstall

Everyone who knows me, listens to my show, or reads my site on a regular basis pretty much knows I'm crap when it comes to describing music.  To me, music is an experience that can't be summed up in words - feelings that I can't put into adjectives.  "Excellent" is probably my favorite descriptive term, and I'd really rather someone listen to something and form their own opinion.  So please forgive me as I make an attempt to talk about KT Tunstall.

The first thing I thought while listening to Tunstall's debut, Eye to the Telescope, is that her voice is flexible.  What do I mean by that?  Well, I started off thinking she sounded like someone, thinking her voice fit into a particular style, and then she rapidly surprised me several times in a row, by switching to another sound entirely.  The album doesn't really jump around stylistically, but the deeper you venture, the more you realize she could be capable of singing any style she wants - pop, soul, country, jazz - pretty much anything.  I don't often listen to female vocalists (another conversation for another day), but this is a girl I could listen to.  Often.

KT (not short for anything, just a different way to spell "Katie) was born in Scotland, where she was adopted at birth and raised by a physicist and a school teacher in the small town of St. Andrews, Fife.  She began playing both flute and piano at a young age, and reportedly taught herself to sing by listening to Ella Fitzgerald - which is possibly the source of jazz style that creeps into her voice.  After years of writing songs and performing in small independent bands, the singer released Eye to the Telescope in the UK in 2005, drawing comparisons to Dido, Fiona Apple and Kate Melua, and sparking a tour across Europe.  Early 2006 saw the release of the album in the United States.

Tunstall's live shows have earned the musician a reputation for being a one-woman-band - she uses an Akai Headrush foot pedal during performances to spot record and loop sections to play over, much like Howie Day.  I have heard that it makes an interesting contrast to the glossy sound of the album, and I look forward to having the opportunity to hear for myself in Austin this year.

"Suddenly I See" (from Eye to the Telescope)
"Through the Dark" (from Eye to the Telescope)

Comments

[anonny]

KT is great, thanks for the post!

[Michelle and Karly]

OMG.............Kate we are your BIGGEST fans EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....WE luv you so much ......please come to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan(Canada), for a concert...and we would love VIP passes JJ lol..Luv u!!!
-Biggest Fans EVERRR