CROFT NO 5 Oran Mor, Glasgow Sat 27 Nov: Bongo Club. Edinburgh. Sun 28 Nov
l ill) r l( it) THE ROOTS Carling Academy, Glasgow, Tue 23 Nov
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SINCE H SONGS/HIM ll KT TUNSTALL The Exchange, Edinburgh, Fri 19 Nov
There are a lot of boring female singer songwriters out there, but KT Tunstall isn’t one of them, as her recent television debut on Later With Jools Holland proved. Using a guitar, a loop pedal and her extraordinary voice she created a visceral, compelling scuzzy-blues performance that clearly blew the pants off everyone else that night, including Anita Baker and the Cure. Think a more tune-savvy Polly Harvey or Joni Mitchell with a hint of Bjorkian madness, and you’re getting close to the impact this wee Scots lass has.
The 28-year-old (whose first name is Kate) was raised in St Andrews, has spent time with Fife’s Fence Collective, and is now based in London. Having signed with Sony offshoot Relentless, Tunstall is gearing up to release her debut album, Eye to the Telescope, produced by Steve (U2/New Order) Osborne. It’s been a long trek since she started songwriting in her teens, but Tunstall admits that her impending success is all the sweeter for that.
‘If this had happened to me when I wanted it to, ten years ago, I just would’ve been a fool,’ she says in a ridiculously cheery Fife accent. ‘I wouldn’t have had a clue about what I wanted to do and other people would’ve made all my decisions. I’m so glad I’m not that young.’
Tunstall certainly doesn’t fit the Dido mould. Instead of citing all the usual tedious singer songwriter influences, she happily prattles on about the songs from The Muppet Show and Sesame Street (‘classic pop songs’) and her current favourites include Super Furry Animals and Flaming Lips. And she's determined to make her mark on her own terms.
‘A lot of girls’ music gets sweetened and polished up,’ she says. ‘It’s born out of record company fears that people aren’t going to like a girl with attitude. Hopefully we can prove them wrong.’ (Doug Johnstone)
1‘: lie; 2 Dec 27/. THE LIST 79