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.
Another Place to Fall
KT Tunstall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blind to me trying to be kind?
Volunteering for your firing line
Waiting for one precious sign
The flicker of a smile
You should try it just once in a while
It's simply too easy to do
And you might not see it through
Find yourself another place to fall
Find yourself up against another brick wall
See yourself as a fallen angel
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
Are you proud?
To have founded a brand new behavior
With hatred and hurt as your savior
But nobody's choosing to follow
So you choke back the tears and you swallow
Men who have ruined your life
You consume them with minimum strife
But now you have got indigestion
The antacid comes as a question
Find yourself another place to fall
Find yourself up against another brick wall
See yourself as a fallen angel
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
There isn't much more I can say
For I don't understand the delay
You're asking for friendly advice
And remaining in permanent crisis
Affection is yours if you ask
But first you must take off your mask
When you're backs turned I've decided
I'll throw it away just like I did
Find yourself another place to fall
Find yourself up against another brick wall
See yourself as a fallen angel
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
The song "Another Place to Fall" by KT Tunstall is a powerful ode to self-reflection and personal growth. In the lyrics, Tunstall addresses someone who is blinded by their own negative behaviors and is in need of finding a new path. The words tackle themes of anger, hurt, and the power of forgiveness.
In the first verse, Tunstall speaks to the person's negativity towards her and explains how kindness isn't seen as a weakness. She encourages them to try and smile more often and to not just see the world in a negative light. The chorus then highlights the importance of finding another place to fall, meaning finding a new way to deal with their problems or negative behaviors as opposed to continuing on the same path, hitting the same wall.
The second verse delves a bit deeper into the person's situation, addressing their negative behaviors towards others and how it's isolating them from society. Tunstall says that there isn't much more she can say to help them if they don't want to help themselves, but she's offering her support if they take off their mask and make a change.
Overall, "Another Place to Fall" is an empowering song that encourages listeners to reflect on their own negative behaviors and find a way to grow and improve.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you blind?
Are you unable to see the kindness I am showing you?
Blind to me trying to be kind?
Are you unaware of the fact that I am trying to be kind to you?
Volunteering for your firing line
Subjecting myself willingly to your criticism
Waiting for one precious sign
Looking for any signal of positivity from you
The flicker of a smile
Just a small smile can make a big difference
You should try it just once in a while
You should attempt to smile sometimes
It's simply too easy to do
Smiling is not a difficult thing to do
And you might not see it through
And even though it is easy, you may not bother to try it
Find yourself another place to fall
Find a new way to cope with your problems
Find yourself up against another brick wall
Find yourself hitting another dead end
See yourself as a fallen angel
You see yourself as someone who has failed, despite your pure intentions
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
I don't see any obstacles in the way, but you do
Are you proud?
Are you feeling proud of yourself for creating destructive behaviors?
To have founded a brand new behavior
To have introduced a new way of coping with things
With hatred and hurt as your savior
By relying on negative emotions to get through things
But nobody's choosing to follow
But no one is following your example because it is not working
So you choke back the tears and you swallow
So you suppress your emotions and move on
Men who have ruined your life
People who have caused you harm
You consume them with minimum strife
You deal with them with very few problems
But now you have got indigestion
But now you are feeling the negative effects of dealing with these issues
The antacid comes as a question
You wonder how to alleviate your emotional pain
There isn't much more I can say
I have no more advice to offer
For I don't understand the delay
Because I don't understand why you are not taking my advice
You're asking for friendly advice
You request advice from a person you consider friendly
And remaining in permanent crisis
But you are continuing to suffer and experience hardships
Affection is yours if you ask
People will offer you affection if you are open to accepting it
But first you must take off your mask
But first you have to be honest and authentic with yourself
When you're backs turned I've decided
When you are not looking, I have made a decision
I'll throw it away just like I did
I will get rid of the mask I am wearing, just like I got rid of yours
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATIE TUNSTALL, KT TUNSTALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Joemerry1603
So few people have heard of her music. They're missing out on so much. Eye to the telescope was definitely her best album. We still have it on the memory stick in our car 😊. I was born in 03 so have heard these songs pretty much from the word go and still love them in 2020.
@raffi_veiga
Been listening to this song for more than 10 years now. I'm so grateful that I found out about KT and bought her first album at the age of 15. She's just incredible, such talent and voice, just love her. Love from Brazil, KT and KT fans. 😘
@hellogoodbyeandallinbetween
Same here!
@pininef
Same here, Poland ;)
@xFallenAngel75
She is a musical GENIUS; a total inspiration.
@talister106
Been following her since '04, what a beautiful, talented singer songwriter that has given me a lot of joy in her music. Thanks.
@nicholasburatti5082
I've ALWAYS liked KT and this album. This song has more meaning to me since the end of my last relationship with a woman I tried dearly with. Generally, videos can ruin a song for me but I have become more enamored with KT's acting and facial expressions. And let's face it, she absolutely gorgeous!!!
@rushokim
Love the video... it's a tunnel of life
@lequinntessential
The bridge gives me goosebumps, and the punch of the synths, drums, handclaps and guitar at the start paints the mood of this song so well.
@bengelder
She should be on the radio more than some of the shite I hear 20 times a day. Always loved her music from day one. Damn good