KT Tunstall – An Xperience Interview

KT Tunstall – 20th Century Edition. An Xperience Interview – by Neoptolemus.

The last time we saw KT Tunstall was at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, on April 29, 2023. It was an exquisite performance. When she finished her set, I remember thinking, “That woman is made of music.”

KT Tunstall, along with Vertical Horizon, will be supporting headliner Toad the Wet Sprocket on the Good Intentions tour, pulling into the Palace Theater in Albany, NY on October 3rd. {https://www.palacealbany.org/events/detail/toad-the-wet-sprocket]. Doors at 8 PM.

Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of her bunkerbuster album, “Eye to the Telescope” (released January 2005 in the US; certified quintuple platinum), KT’s always got a lot on her plate. Later this year, she will be headlining at the Cotton Club in Tokyo, Japan (November 18th and 19th), playing the entirety of “Eye.” KT will perform two 70-minute shows each night. Sorry, but this concert will not be streamed.

KT also wrote the music for “Clueless: The Musical,” now playing in London’s West End theater district.

And even if you’ve never heard “Eye,” you’ve probably still heard some of her songs. For example, “Suddenly I See” opened the movie “The Devil Wears Prada.”

KT graciously agreed to an interview with The Xperience Monthly. (A special thanks to publicist Alexander Preston for facilitating this interview)

RRX: You’re supporting Toad the Wet Sprocket on this tour. How did that come about?

KT: I am always interested in joining other artists on their tours – it’s a lot of fun, you always learn a lot, and get to play for a whole crowd of new people.

All of us musicians have managers and agents that talk to each other and try and make great tours like this happen!

RRX: Can we expect any surprises in your set (such as new songs)?

KT: Absolutely! I’ll be playing the song, “Eye to the Telescope,” and will soon be playing my new radio single. It’s all about a star sign …

RRX: Your first album, “Eye to the Telescope,” was released in the US 20 years ago (January 2005), so this is a big anniversary for you. But there is some unusual history there, yeah? You first broke through to the public eye with an appearance on the Jools Holland Show, performing “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” You’ve said elsewhere that your messages blew up after that appearance. But “Horse” was recorded after “Eye to the Telescope” was already in the can. How did “Horse” get added to “Eye”?

KT: When I got offered the Jools Holland slot last minute, my label boss suggested I play my brand new song, “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” I had written this song as a way of learning how to use a loop pedal so I could sound like a band even though I couldn’t afford one. I agreed to play it, even though I was confused and thought it would be a good song for the second album, maybe. The audio from the TV show was used on the first 10,000 copies until I recorded a studio version.

RRX: “Eye” literally exploded after its release. It eventually went quintuple platinum (5 million copies sold). Was there a specific point in time or event when it dawned on you that “Eye” was a big hit?

KT: I think the year I won my Brit Award in 2006 was a huge moment. The ceremony felt amazing that year; I was in a category with Kate Bush and PJ Harvey, and Prince was presenting and played that evening. It was an incredible night. Winning Best Female felt like a big tipping point.

RRX: You were 30-ish when, like Lord Byron, you awoke to find yourself famous. What was that like? What were some of the good and bad things about becoming famous?

KT: l have never coveted fame — it has always felt very strange to me, and still does. I don’t live a very “famous” life. I’m able to go about my business pretty anonymously.

But the great thing about it is getting to spend my life being a working musician. Early on, I also used to get gifted amazing clothes and make-up, which was fun!

There really aren’t many bad things about it when you don’t chase it.

RRX: You’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Eye” in different ways. One is a special release of anniversary vinyls and CDs (available at KT Tunstall Official Store). And you’ll be appearing for two nights (November 18th and 19th) at the Cotton Club in Tokyo, Japan. You’re performing the entirety of “Eye” in two 70-minute shows each night. Is this a live-only event, or will it be streamed? Will there eventually be a DVD of the performance available for fans?

KT: There are no plans for the Tokyo shows to be streamed — but I have asked my manager to request that the venue film the shows, so that we can put some footage online. Hopefully they agree!

But failing that, my three UK (sold-out) 20th Anniversary shows were filmed, and some of the footage is already online, with more to follow.

RRX: Will you be dedicating the anniversary concerts to your dad, who was an astronomer?

KT: My Dad was actually a physicist, and while I don’t usually dedicate gigs to anyone, I always feel like he is there in the air.

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