Aberdeen-bound KT Tunstall looked to have it all with hit records and tours, but inside she was miserable.
On the surface the acclaimed Scottish rock/folk singer appeared to tick all the boxes – but deep down she was suffering a “terrifying identity crisis”.
KT, who will play Aberdeen’s Music Hall on Tuesday, revealed she looked at herself in the mirror and accepted something had to change. Now 47, KT admits that was the toughest thing she has ever had to endure.
That was in 2012 and KT took a break to reset and recharge. Thankfully she returned refreshed and has recently released acclaimed album Kin to complete an ambitious three album project.
KT said: “In 2012 I had a horrible identity crisis where I realised all the boxes I wanted to tick, I had ticked them. But I was totally miserable.
“It was terrifying. The most difficult thing I have gone through, just looking in the mirror and saying we have to sort this out. I had got to a place where I didn’t really know who I was anymore.
“It was such a shock as I was my own boss and it wasn’t like anyone was telling me what to do. I made all the decisions. I knew that was really bad so I had to take a breather for a while.
“It was a very important lesson to learn that achievements and cash are not everything.”
Recording of a ‘self-help trilogy’ says KT ahead of Aberdeen gig
KT first came to prominence in 2004 when performing Black Horse and the Cherry Tree on influential television show Later… with Jools Holland.
It was the catalyst that ignited her career.
Later that year debut album Eye to the Telescope hit number three in the British charts and also broke into the top 40 in the United States.
There were a further four albums until KT embarked on the ambitious album trilogy of Kin (2016), Wax (2018) and Nut (2022).
KT said: “It’s a self-help trilogy. A soundtrack to some huge changes in my life. Kin was written after my dad had died and I had split up from my marriage, sold everything I owned and moved to America.
“Wax was about the body, losing my hearing and worrying about what was going to happen. Then the world went mad (with the coronavirus pandemic).
“For the Nut album, we had to do it remotely so there were all these different hemispheres.”
‘I feel bereft that it is now done’ – KT on her new album
Each album in the trilogy focuses on a particular theme, Body (Wax), Spirit/Soul (Kin) and Mind (Nut).
KT started working on the record in Los Angeles during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Her fellow musicians were on the other side of the Atlantic.
The Wax, Kin, Nut is an ambitious body of work spanning a transformative period in KT’s life and career.
Did the sheer scope of recording a trilogy bring added pressure?
“No, it felt like the opposite to be honest,” replied KT. “It gave me a framework. I love making thematic records and I feel bereft that it is now done.
“What do you make records about if you are not making a concept album? I really enjoyed that part of it and it made it easier knowing what I was writing about and that there were constraints around the subject matter.
“It was more exciting for me. It was to avoid this big rollercoaster dip you get in between making records.
“I thought I will just make something that is much longer and immersive for me where there isn’t this peak and trough. Just do my thing and enjoy myself doing something bigger that lasts longer than nine months.”
KT Tunstall remembers freezing hands in the Granite City
KT will make a welcome return to Aberdeen when she plays with a full band at the Music Hall.
It brings back memories of travelling to the Granite City in the formative years of her career.
KT said: “My first gig in Aberdeen was with the Skuobhie Dubh Orchestra, with Kenny Anderson who is now King Creosote. I remember getting in a van and driving up to The Lemon Tree. It was such a big gig for me.
“I got the gear out of the van and my fingers stuck to the mic stand because it was so cold. I have always loved coming up to Aberdeen as it is a really good music crowd.
“It is so nice to be back out on the road again as it is a long time since I played with the band. Early 2019, which seems like about 75 years ago.
“It is a total thrill to be onstage with bandmates and they are really amazing on this tour.
“However during the pandemic, we were probably 20 months deep into it and thinking ‘I’m not missing it (touring) yet’. It was the first time in 15 years that I have had a chance to not feel like I should be touring.
“I desperately needed some downtime and really revelled in the opportunity not to play. I was able to reset a bit as I was gigging too much.
“It has really helped me work out how much I want to do. Touring can be exhausting. Your home life suffers.”
KT Tunstall will play the Music Hall in Aberdeen on Tuesday March 14. For information and tickets visit aberdeenperformingarts.com
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