When folk rock singer/songwriter, KT Tunstall, steps onto the stage at Llangollen’s International Eisteddfod with a full orchestra behind her, it will be a far cry from her previous visit to the festival.
For when the Brit award winner visited in the 1990s she drove down from Edinburgh in a van to sell goods from her friend’s ‘hippie shop’ on the Eisteddfod field.
On July 10, she will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of her first and multi-million selling album, Eye to the Telescope, with a 2025 tour that includes a very special, one off concert in the pavilion.
The tracks including Other Side of the World and Suddenly I See have been set to a completely new orchestral score thanks to a link up with the Eisteddfod’s artistic director, Dave Danford who will conduct The Absolute Orchestra.
“He contacted me to explain the idea and I had to say yes,” she said. I’m so excited.”
“This will be the only chance people will have to see my music set to an orchestra. The album, with celebrates its 20th anniversary this year is very stripped back music with four to five musicians. To have an orchestra with me will be mind blowing.
“It is also out of my comfort zone as I am a bit of a control freak over my music so I have had to to learn to let go the reins.
“I have been to the Eisteddfod before. It was 1996/7 and my friend had a hippie shop in Edinburgh. She also attended festivals and I agreed to come down to the Llangollen for her.
“I drove down in a van and spent the week at the Eisteddfod selling things like candles and incense. I loved it. I didn’t leave the van very often but I got to see the performers from all over the world walking around the site in their colourful costumes.”
“I love Wales i used to come with my family every year to Llanfairfechan and I used to have a Welsh bassist who taught me some Welsh.”
KT Tunstall’s big break came when she was 29 and appeared on Jools Holland.
“I started in the folk music scene and Bob Dylan is my hero.”
She has collaborated with other singers over the years including releasing the album, Face to Face with 70’s rock star, Suzi Quatro in 2023.
“She is amazing. I have always been a fan and met her at an Elvis tribute show in Hyde Park. She said we should do something together but it wasn’t until the beginning of the end of lockdown that we had the time. When we made the album we would sit chatting for hours on end. I love the way our voices work together the result is so much bigger than the sum of the parts.”
The run of concerts this year include one at London’s Royal Albert Hall on KT Tunstall’s 50th birthday.
“I was thinking about getting a few friends round with a six pack and instead I will be celebrating with 5,000 people.”
“I have to pinch myself sometimes when I think it is the 20th anniversary of the album and am incredibly grateful for all that I have done. But I am also looking forward and very excited about the future.”
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This article was written by Sue Austin and was first published in the Shropshire Star.