Recording and performing career
She started her career in 2000. Throughout her twenties, she played in indie bands including 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 guested on their album, Laughter Through Tears.
Music career
Eye to the Telescope (2004–2006)
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.[10] 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 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. 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."
KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza (2006–2007)
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).
Drastic Fantastic (2007–2008)
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. The album's lead single "Hold On" was released in August 2007, debuting at #34 in the UK, before peaking at #21 in the United Kingdom. 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.
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:
* "2000 Miles"
* "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
* "Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas In Hawaii)"
* "Sleigh Ride"
* "Fairytale of New York"
* "Lonely This Christmas"
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.
Tiger Suit (2009-present)
On February 11, 2010 The Daily Record 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 will be playing a stripped-down set at the Haiti fundraising gig at the Roundhouse in Camden on Thursday February 25. She hopes 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." '
According to her website, Tunstall has finished recording her third studio album. The album has been titled Tiger Suit.
All The Time
KT Tunstall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel it as the sunlight hits my lungs
And the water gets reflected in the windowpane
Where the construction guy's been working day after day
And I can't help but be impressed
He knows what to do
He's just building up that building
And it reminded me of you
Reminded me of you
And I think about you all the time
I think about you all the time
I'm watching the breeze move a spider's web
How I love getting tangled up in all the things you said
And I'm feeling ever grateful for the mess in my head
And being in the warmth of my own body in my bed
But it reminded me of you
Reminded me of you
Why do I live
Like I'm gonna die full of regret?
Why do I live
As if I need
All the time
That I can get?
I think about you all the time
I think about you all the time
Yeah, yeah
All the time
Oh, I think about you all the time
Yes, I think about you all the time
In the song "All The Time" by KT Tunstall, the lyrics convey a sense of reflection and longing for someone who is not present. The opening lines describe the singer's physical sensations, like burning their tongue on coffee and feeling sunlight in their lungs, which serve as metaphors for the impact this person has on them. The water being reflected in the windowpane symbolizes the passing of time and everyday routines, possibly drawing a parallel to the construction worker who diligently goes about their work. The singer is impressed by the worker's ability to progress and move on to new projects, which triggers memories of the person they are thinking about.
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the constant presence of thoughts about this individual. The following stanza describes the singer observing a spider's web being moved by the breeze, representing the delicate nature of their emotions and the entanglement caused by the person's words. Despite the "mess" in the singer's head, they find gratitude in being within the comfort of their own body in bed. This warmth reminds them of the person they are constantly thinking about.
The song then asks introspective questions about the way the singer lives. They question why they live with the constant fear of living with regret and why they behave as if they need all the time in the world. These inquiries suggest that the absence of this person in their life has made them realize the importance of making the most of the present moment. The chorus repeats once again, emphasizing the all-encompassing nature of their thoughts.
Overall, "All The Time" captures the experience of longing for someone and the constant presence of their thoughts, prompting the singer to reflect on their own existence and the significance of living in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
I notice it as the coffee burns my tongue
I am aware of the sensation when the hot coffee scorches my taste buds
I feel it as the sunlight hits my lungs
I experience a profound sensation when the warm sunlight embraces my respiratory system
And the water gets reflected in the windowpane
I observe the water's image being mirrored on the surface of the window
Where the construction guy's been working day after day
The diligent construction worker labors consistently in this location
And I can't help but be impressed
I cannot suppress my admiration
He knows what to do
He possesses the knowledge and expertise to complete his tasks
He's just building up that building
He is steadily constructing that structure
And moves onto something new
Once finished, he proceeds to his next endeavor
And it reminded me of you
This scenario brought forth memories of you
I'm watching the breeze move a spider's web
I am observing with fascination how the gentle wind causes a spider's web to sway
How I love getting tangled up in all the things you said
I derive immense joy from becoming entangled in the profound words you once uttered
And I'm feeling ever grateful for the mess in my head
I am continually thankful for the chaos present in my thoughts
And being in the warmth of my own body in my bed
Finding solace in the comforting embrace of my own physical being while lying in bed
But it reminded me of you
Nevertheless, it served as a reminder of you
Why do I live like I'm gonna die full of regret?
Why do I exist with the constant fear of departing from this world with overwhelming remorse?
Why do I live as if I need all the time that I can get?
Why do I lead my life with the belief that I require an abundance of time?
Yeah, yeah
Yes, certainly
All the time
Continuously, without interruption
Oh, I think about you all the time
Oh, I ponder upon your existence incessantly
Yes, I think about you all the time
Indeed, I contemplate your presence at every moment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KT Tunstall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind