KT Tunstall

Infobox musical artist
Name = KT Tunstall
Background = solo_singer

---

Img_capt = KT Tunstall performing inside at the 2005 Summer Sundae, Leicester.
Birth_name = Kate Victoria Tunstall
Born = birth date and age|df=yes|1975|6|23
Origin = St Andrews, Scotland
Died =
Genre = Alternative
Folk
Acoustic
Pop
Instrument = Guitar, drums, flute, piano, vocals
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = Relentless, Virgin
(2004-present)
URL = [http://www.kttunstall.com/ www.kttunstall.com]
spouse = Luke Bullen (2008 - present)
Notable_instruments = Gibson Firebird

Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She broke into the public eye with a 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 BRIT Awards and one Grammy nomination. [cite web|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2006140003-2007390324,00.html|title='I didn't want to be a pop star'|accessdate=2007-08-30|author=Jacqui Swift|date=2007-08-24|publisher=The Sun]

Childhood and beginning

, and her adoptive mother a school teacher. Tunstall's family also included an older brother named Joe and a younger brother named Daniel.

Tunstall grew up in St Andrews, a town in Fife, attending Lawhead Primary, but spending her last year of high school in New England at the Kent School, a selective preparatory school in Kent, Connecticut. [cite web|url=http://www.harpmagazine.com/articles/detail.cfm?article_id=6170|title=KT Tunstall: Never Going Home|accessdate=2007-08-30|author=Mark Guarino|year=2007|month=Sep/Oct|publisher=Harp] [Thomason, Carmel. [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/world_music/s/176/176311_kts_got_one_eye_on_the_future.html "KT's got one eye on the future"] , "Manchester Evening News", 10 March 2005. Accessed 24 February 2008. "After school, having learned the piano, flute and guitar, 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."] She spent time performing on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont, and at a commune in rural Vermont. Tunstall studied at the High School of Dundee in Dundee, Madras College in St Andrews, Kent School in Connecticut, and at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Recording and performing career

Throughout her twenties, she mostly played in independent bands including [http://www.optigon.co.uk/341FE4BF-D9E3-4A17-BBFD-83D55A961F57/Elia%20Drew.html Elia Drew] and Tomoko, and focused on songwriting, as well as performing with members of the fledgling Fence Collective including work in the Skuobhie Dubh Orchestra with King Creosote, who recently supported her UK tour. She also lived with Gordon Anderson (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 featured on their album, "Laughter Through Tears". Her debut album, "Eye to the Telescope", 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 famed blues song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on "Later... with Jools Holland".cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4719272.stm|title=KT ecstatic at Brit Award success|accessdate=2007-08-29|date=2006-02-16|publisher=BBC News] The performance was notable as she had only 24 hours to prepare after scheduled performer Nas cancelled. [cite web|url=http://www.sundayherald.com|title=Almost Famous: By the end of the summer KT Tunstall will be huge|accessdate=2007-08-29|author=Barry Didcock|date=2005-05-01|publisher=Sunday Herald|archiveurl=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20050501/ai_n14610204
archivedate=2005-05-01] 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 UK 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.

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.Citation|title=KT Tunstall: Grey’s Music Mainstay|publisher=greysanatomyinsider.com|accessdate =2007-09-05] 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."cite web|url=http://www.mp3.com/news/stories/10018.html|title=KT Tunstall: Slightly More Esoteric|accessdate=2007-09-05|author=Chris Rolls|date=2007-08-26|publisher=MP3.com] 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.cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/chart_beat/chat_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003725821|title=He's Just Seen A Face|accessdate=2008-04-04|author=Fred Bronson|date=2008-03-14|publisher=billboard.com] 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."cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/music.cfm?id=258872007|title='KT breaks into US market to become an American Idol'|accessdate=2007-09-03|author=Fergus Sheppard|date=2007-02-17|publisher=The Sun]

Tunstall released a new acoustic album in May 2006, "KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza", 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).

Tunstall's third album, "Drastic Fantastic", premiered on 3 September 2007 in Scotland, followed a week later on 10 September 2007 with the London release for the UK and 18 September 2007, in the US. In its first week, "Drastic Fantastic" reached #1 on the Scottish Album Charts, #3 on the UK Charts, and #9 on the U.S. Charts. [http://www.kttunstall.com/ KT Tunstall – Home ] ]

On 5 October, Target in association with NBC, released a special KT Tunstall Christmas album with 6 exclusive tracks:
*"2000 Miles"
*"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
*"Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas In Hawaii)"
*"Sleigh Ride"
*"Fairytale of New York"
*"Lonely This Christmas"

In October, she will be touring in Brazil. She'll go to São Paulo on 15.

Live performances

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 Linder on bass, Sam Lewis on lead guitar and Kenny Dickinson on the keyboard, the trumpet and other various instruments) , as well as her two backup singers (Cat Sforza and Ami Richardson)

Similar to her initial debut on music show "Later... with Jools Holland", Tunstall first debuted in the United States performing on various talk shows, although it wasn't until "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that she was interviewed.Fact|date=July 2008 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 [cite web|url=http://nobelpeaceprize.org/concert/|title=Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2007|accessdate=2007-12-11|publisher=nobelpeaceprize.org] . 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." [cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1020&id=2196372005|title=What KT did next|accessdate=2007-09-06|author=Joan McFadden|date=2005-11-05|publisher=The Scotsman]

Awards

In 2005, Tunstall won Best Track Q Music Award for "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree". [cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1020&id=2070952005|title=KT Tunstall caps year of success with Q award|accessdate=2007-08-30|author=Edward Black|date=2005-10-11|publisher=The Scotsman]

Mercury Prize

She received a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize, though lost to Antony and the Johnsons. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4217140.stm|title=Antony and Johnsons win Mercury|accessdate=2007-08-29|date=2005-08-15|publisher=BBC News]

Brit Awards

Tunstall received three BRIT award nominations when they were announced on 11 January 2006. Nominations included Best British Live Act, British Breakthrough Act, and British Female Solo Artist. At the ceremony on 15 February 2006, Tunstall performed "Suddenly I See" and won the award for Best British Female Solo Artist, remarking that she wished to share it with fellow nominee Kate Bush.

European Awards

On 22 January 2006, she was awarded a European Border Breakers Award, which awards the top-selling EU artists, discounting sales in their home state (in this case, discounting UK sales). [cite web|url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/tunstall_breaks_borders_0|title=Tunstall Breaks Borders|accessdate=2007-08-31|author=JH|publisher=MTV UK] Also, in 2006 she won the Ivor Novello Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Suddenly I See" [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5017190.stm|title=Tunstall single tops Ivor awards|accessdate=2007-08-29|date=2006-05-25|publisher=BBC News] along with Scottish Style Awards "Most Stylish Band or Musician [http://www.stv.tv/out/showArticle.jsp?source=opencms&articleId=/out/hotnow/music/newArticle9362187 - Interview here] ."

Grammy Awards

She received a 2007 Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", but the award went to Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man." [cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/bal-artslife-grammylist1207,0,816734.htmlstory?coll=bal-features-specials
title=Complete list of 2007 Grammy winners and nominees|accessdate=2007-08-29|date=2007-02-12|publisher=Baltimore Sun]

Another Brit Awards

Tunstall received a BRIT award nomination on 14 January 2008 for British Female Solo Artist - the same accolade she won in 2006. [cite web|url=http://www.brits.co.uk/nominations/38/
title=Brit Awards British Female Solo Artist|accessdate=2008-01-14|date=2008-01-14|publisher=BRIT Awards] She was nominated alongside Bat For Lashes' Natasha Kahn, Kate Nash, Leona Lewis and PJ Harvey.

Other credits

Tunstall appears on the Sophie Solomon song "Lazarus", on the album "Poison Sweet Madeira", and provided guest vocals for three tracks, "Ladino Song," "Refugee," and "Yesterday's Mistake," on the Oi Va Voi album "Laughter Through Tears" (2003). She has also performed "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliott, "My Doorbell" by The White Stripes at a school performance in Scotland and "The Prayer" by Bloc Party at Live Lounge. Tunstall's seventh single, "Another Place to Fall," featured a cover of Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees". She appears in the 2006 album "Wave" of the Japanese singer Yuki, where she wrote "Yume Miteitai" and "Birthday". She also provided backing vocals for the Travis song 'Under The Moonlight' and recorded lead vocals for the Leo Abrahams song 'City Machine'.

Excerpts from other tracks were subsequently used in "Ugly Betty", "Grey's Anatomy", and "Will & Grace". The singer's breakthrough hit "Suddenly I See" was used in the opening scene of the 2006 fashion satire "The Devil Wears Prada".

"Suddenly I See" was also used as a backing track on the second series of American dance competition show "So You Think You Can Dance" and was featured in the September 2007 Next television advert 'Ali's Party'.

"Suddenly I See" was also one of Hillary Clinton's campaign songs; although Tunstall stated that she supported Barack Obama for president she did not mind fellow Democrat Clinton using her song.Fact|date=June 2008

"Suddenly I See" was also used in the video game, "Thrillville".

In 2007 KT came into The DL Show [http://www.spinner.com/2007/09/24/kt-tunstall-gets-her-nerd-on/] and showcased her knowledge of Star Trek Trivia.

Personal life

While her first name is Kate, she chose 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."cite web|url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/|title=KT Tunstall|accessdate=2007-08-29|author=Tim Blanks|year=2005|month=September|publisher=Interview (magazine)|archiveurl=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_11_35/ai_n15950795
archivedate=2005-12-01] Also, Tunstall spells her first name KT (as opposed to Katie) to differentiate herself from fellow singer Katie Melua. [cite web|url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/|title=TUNSTALL HATES MELUA COMPARISON|accessdate=2007-09-17|author=| publisher=contactmusic.com| url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/tunstall%20hates%20melua%20comparison_1041625 | date=2007-08-24]

Tunstall sparked some controversy in 2005 when she publicly bashed singer/songwriter Dido, stating that the artist "can't fucking sing" after several fans compared the two musically. Tunstall later apologized, stating that she did not want to be involved in a public feud. [cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/tunstall%20apologies%20to%20dido
title=Tunstall Apologies to Dido|accessdate=2007-08-30|date=2005-08-19|publisher=contactmusic.com]

Tunstall denies rumors or assumptions that she is a lesbian [cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/features/tm_objectid=15865102&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=mercury-is-still-rising-on-red-hot-rocker-kt--name_page.html
title=Mercury Is Still Rising on Red-Hot Rocker KT|accessdate=2007-08-29|author=John Dingwall|date=2005-08-17|publisher=The Daily Record] by expressing gratitude to her gay and lesbian following, and says the rainbow patterned suspenders on her debut record cover [cite web|url=http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_1715459.html?menu=entertainment.pop|title=KT's lesbian following|accessdate=2007-08-29|publisher=Ananova] 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. [cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1020&id=612812007|title=KT Tunstall has kidney operation|accessdate=2007-08-30|author=Toby McDonald|date=2007-04-21|publisher=The Scotsman]

In 2003 Tunstall began dating Luke Bullen, the drummer in her band.cite web|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-439.html|title=KT Tunstall: I'm proud of my lesbian following|accessdate=2007-08-29|author=PinkNews.co.uk writer|date=2006-02-28|publisher=pinknews.co.uk] On Christmas Day, 2007, Bullen proposed to KT at her parents' home in St Andrews, Scotland, [cite web|url=http://www.kttunstall.com/diary/2008-01/ |title=KT Tunstall - Diary January 2008] and the couple were married on 6 September 2008 at the Flodigarry Country House Hotel on the Isle Of Skye in Scotland. [cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1053153/KT-Tunstall-weds-drummer-boy-Isle-Skye.html |title=KT Tunstall weds her drummer boy on the Isle Of Skye ]

Discography

Albums

Early recordings

*2000: "Tracks in July"
*2003: "Toons March '03"

tudio albums

*2004: "Eye to the Telescope"
*2006: "KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza"
*2007: "Drastic Fantastic"

ingles/EPs

*Notes:
#"Throw Me a Rope" was released as a 7" vinyl only and was limited to 300 copies.
#"False Alarm" was released as an EP.
#"Other Side of the World" charted at Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks in 2007.

References

External links

* [http://www.kttunstall.com KT Tunstall Official website]
*myspace|kttunstall
* [http://www.emimusic.jp/intl/kt/ KT Tunstall Japan Official website]
* [http://billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=646480&model.vnuAlbumId=761102 U.S. Official Billboard Chart History]
* [http://iprong.com/article.php?id=3125 KT Tunstall] on the cover of the 19 February 2008 issue of iProng Magazine
* [http://www.stv.tv/out/showArticle.jsp?source=opencms&articleId=/out/hotnow/music/newArticle9362187 KT Tunstall interview at Scottish Style Awards 2006]
*imdb name|id=1787566|name=KT Tunstall
* [http://www.tv.com/kt-tunstall/person/406576/summary.html?q=K.T.%20Tunstall&tag=search_results;title;0 KT Tunstall] at TV.com
* [http://www.popentertainment.com/tunstall.htm "KT Tunstall: Eyes to the Skies" interview by Jay S. Jacobs]
* [http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news.aspx?id=589 Glastonbury Festival interview] (22 June 2007)
* [http://www.stv.tv/content/out/ The Outsider Festival interview] (24 June 2007)
* [http://comfortcomes.com/?page=reviews&id=1924 Hold On Review]
* [http://kingbobbysix.blogspot.com/2008/03/kt-tunstall-interview.html Interview with Rob Townsend] Video:
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/14/sunday/main3261180.shtml?source=RSSattr=Entertainment_3261180 "CBS Sunday Morning" interview: Scotland, her home town, parents, and getting started] 2007-09-16 (CBS)
* [http://sessions.edenproject.com/kt-eco-tip.php K.T. Tunstall Eco-tips interview]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1732 K.T. Tunstall Interview] on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/later/series30/episode07/kt_tunstall/ Later with Jools Holland - KT Tunstall performs 'Hopeless' watch video and embed on your MySpace or Blog]
* [http://music.yahoo.com/promo-42778155-53-20080128-autoplay Cover version] of "Walk Like an Egyptian" (originally by The Bangles) at Yahoo Music
* [http://www.virginmedia.com/music/musicvideos/kttunstall_suddenlyisee_hi.php Video] of "Suddenly I See" at Virgin Media

Audio:
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5186208 NPR interview] (2 February 2006)
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5187870 NPR interview] (4 February 2006)
* [http://music.aol.com/artist/kt-tunstall/692094/main# Interview and performances at AOL Music]