KT Tunstall: Latest Tour Will Celebrate 20 Years Of Her Debut Album
KT Tunstall discusses her 2025 tour, old hits and what has kept her inspired throughout two decades of song-writing and performing.
In December 2004, KT Tunstall released her debut album Eye to The Telescope, which went on to become a multi-platinum seller worldwide featuring various hits including ‘Black Horse and a Cherry Tree’.
“With the 20th anniversary of the first album coming around, you sort of get quite nostalgic,” the singer, whose real name is Katie, explains. “There’s a lot of looking back over what’s happened in your career. What’s amazing to me really is thinking back to the 10 years before I got my record deal.”
“I got my record deal when I was 29, which on average is pretty old to get your first deal,” she continues. “The juxtaposition of that time against what I’m now doing – I’m so grateful to my younger self that I just persevered.
“When I look back at it, it’s because I didn’t really care if I made money or if I got famous. That was what I wanted to spend my time on Earth doing, and I still feel exactly the same.”
According to the long-time musician, her work ethic stems from her father’s career as a physicist. Witnessing him embark on numerous research experiments taught Katie that sometimes we don’t get to see the end result of our work, yet the work is essential.
“As a scientist, you’re rarely going to be the person who finds out the answer,” Katie explains. “You’re one of the people contributing to looking for it and I think that’s such a beautiful mirror with creativity – there’s never an answer. You can have these small victories of writing songs and creating things that you’re extremely proud of, but are you spending your time doing something that feels vital?”
In 2024, KT Tunstall won the Ivor Novello award for ‘Outstanding Music Collection’, she went on tour with fellow Scottish legends Texas, and she even penned some songs for the score of a new UK production of Clueless the musical.
“Life has been such an amazing ride. I’m doing things that excite me,” Katie says. “You go through a really crazy trajectory when you have success, but I think I’ve got back to that really important place. Of course you want things that you do to do well. But you have to enjoy it. You have to be in it for the process and the journey, not the destination.”
“I suppose what I mean is I love that I’m not coasting,” Katie adds. “I’m not just dining out on a few songs that got ridiculously popular.”
KT Tunstall is going on tour in 2025
To celebrate the anniversary of her hit debut album, KT Tunstall will playing gigs across the UK. This includes two shows this month as part of Celtic Connections in Glasgow – The Royal Concert Hall on January 30, and the Barrowland Ballroom on January 31.
“Back when I was thinking about how to celebrate the record, before the Celtic Connections gigs were booked, I already thought ‘I have to do something in Scotland first’,” Katie explains. “It’s the only thing that really makes sense. And so, you put that out in the Universe and trust that it’s going to sort itself out – and it did!”
According to the singer, while the album will be played in full at both upcoming shows, the performances will differ. The Royal Concert Hall show will feature regular breaks for songs that inspired her, while at the Barras gig will feature newer material.
To honour the fans, KT says it’s vital that the older hits are played as close to the original recording as possible.
“I love that saying about children: they come through you, but they’re not for you,” the star says. “I always thought that was a really lovely way of describing albums, as well.
“The most emotional part is that I have people all over the world telling me these amazing, incredibly emotional, stories about what these songs mean to them.
“It’s becoming rarer that material is being celebrated for a long time. I feel really lucky to be in that gang where I’ve got a piece of work that people are still listening to a lot and feel it’s relevant to them.”
KT Tunstall is big on supporting other Scottish artists
Alongside other Scottish creatives, including Maeve Higgins and Pictish Trail, KT Tunstall is on the bill for the tour Tae Sup Wi’ A Fifer. The artists will play at a series of small venues across Shetland, Inverness, Crieff, Peebles and St Andrews. Notably, the folk artist will return to the Byre Theatre in St Andrews – the first stage she ever performed.
“These small venues are the nurseries for all of the music that we love. Without them, none of the music happens,” the star explains. “Where do people go who live in these areas? If you’re a real artist writing your stuff and performing, you’ve got to start somewhere; you’ve got to cut your teeth.
“So, I really think it’s important for us who’ve done well to come back and play these small venues as a thank you to keep them going and to keep them alive.”
