KT Tunstall Is Playing The Suffolk in Riverhead October 9

KT Tunstall is an energetic force of nature, filling up the stage with her strong presence and powerhouse contralto vocals. This Grammy-nominated Scottish singer-songwriter and musician launched into international stardom in 2004 with her multi-platinum debut album Eye to the Telescope and hits like “Suddenly I See” and “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” On Oct. 9, Tunstall will burst into The Suffolk in Riverhead with her one-woman show celebrating the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough album.

Tunstall, who has been thrilling audiences for two decades with her mix of folk rock, pop rock, indie rock and alternative rock, is currently headlining a packed tour that stops throughout the U.S. before heading to Japan and then returning to the States for more shows. Joining her on some of these stops is alternative rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket, while other stops like The Suffolk are solo, which she enjoys immensely because “I like to keep it dynamic, and it’s part of the fun of playing solo,” she says. “I can take the audience on a journey. I always craft my set list so that you’re not just getting one flavor of songwriting, because I’ve never done that. I’ll start big, then take you through some storytelling, then into folk-inspired stuff, and then back up to party stuff that you have to dance to. If people haven’t seen me before, it’s a lot of storytelling as well as songs, and I love having a laugh, so I have been told it’s 50% comedy show. I love talking to the people at the show and finding out a little bit about where I am. It’s really fun.”

Tunstall is known for her versatility. She’s a one-woman band accompanying herself on an Akai E2 Headrush loop pedal that allows her to create complex, layered arrangements on the spot. “You’ve got to have perfect timing for it to work,” Tunstall says. “It’s an exciting piece of gear to use because, even though I’ve played these songs a million times, I have to get it right. So there’s pressure on me, and then there’s also a lot of humor if it goes wrong, because it does go wrong.”

Tunstall’s artistry has taken her into the theatre world, having composed the music for the stage adaptation of the film Clueless, which premiered February 2025 in London, with plans to tour the U.S. in the works. She is currently collaborating with Craig Ferguson on a musical called Saving Grace, the title of his 2000 film.

This exclusive interview took place during a stop on Tunstall’s Eye to the Telescope: The Stargazer Edition Tour, which heads to The Suffolk on Oct. 9.

A Chat with KT Tunstall

When Eye to the Telescope was first released, were you ready for the kind of success it brought?

I don’t think anybody is ready. It’s such a strange experience, and the funny thing was I wasn’t looking for that kind of massive success. My goal was to be a musician. There wasn’t a big ambition in me to be hugely famous or massively rich, but I did want to tour the world. I wanted to use my music to travel, which was my second love. Getting suddenly well-known was definitely a very odd experience, and kind of still is. I keep my head down and try and stay being a musician, because that’s what really excites me.

Why did you choose to rerelease your debut album with the title change Eye to the Telescope: The Stargazer Edition?

The Stargazer Edition has three additional songs from the original release, and they were all actually written at the time that I was writing this record, but were never released. One of them was the title track, which I didn’t finish because at the time I wanted a big, brassy song that would make a statement, and the song that I had been writing was gentle and tender. BMG, my label, said, ‘Why don’t you finish it now?’ So that one took 20 years to finish. One of the other songs, “Anything At All,” is actually my vocal from the demo I did 20 years ago, and I’m singing backing vocals as a 20-years-older version of myself.

And didn’t you revisit your song “Cancerian?”

Yes, “Cancerian” is the single, and it’s a fun song. I think because Eye to the Telescope at the time felt very personal and quite intimate, a fun song wasn’t going to add to it. I’m glad I held it, because it feels like a little gift was left for me to put out now.

How was it to perform at the Royal Albert Hall for your 50th birthday?

It was incredible! It was a real vision board. I had the idea three years prior, and I was thinking, ‘I’m either going to do this with a small group of friends or do this big,’ and I decided to go big because it’s also the anniversary of the record, so it made sense. It was amazing playing this album, and this was a complete surprise birthday party for everyone who came, unlike a usual surprise birthday party, which is for the person whose birthday it is. We had Rick Astley, Roger Daltry, Natalie Imbruglia and Mel C, Sporty Spice, from Spice Girls. No one knew those guests were going to be coming. It was awesome!

Did you ever take formal voice lessons?

No, I learned from listening to Ella Fitzgerald, to her unbelievable control. The ease and flow of it is spiritual-level communication. It’s fantastic! I never had guitar lessons either. I got piano and flute lessons from a young age, so I learned music theory.

Were you surprised when your appearance on the Long Lost Family show turned up your two half-sisters?

Yes, you’re finding other human beings who are linked to you, and once you step over that threshold of finding them and getting in touch with them, you can’t go backwards. I was just unbelievably lucky that it was my sisters, because they’re the most beautiful people, and we’re close. I love them and it enriched my life so much.

You were diagnosed with permanent deafness and tinnitus in your left ear. How have you been able to adapt to your hearing loss when performing and recording?

It was a big shock at first, and for about three months I had bad vertigo so I couldn’t perform. The worst part was not having balance. I was so relieved when the vertigo subsided. I thought, ‘I’m good, I can do anything now.’ That attitude comes from my parents, who were from a resilient generation. I also grew up with a younger brother who was born profoundly deaf. So I think it was a bit less frightening to me because of having that in my family. I thought, ‘You’ve got your other ear, you can still play, you can still perform, you can still write, so quit complaining and get on with it.’

What final thoughts would you like to leave with fans about your Eye to the Telescope: The Stargazer Edition 20th anniversary tour?

After 20 years there are still so many people who love this record. The most beautiful part is they have 20-year-old kids who tell me they have listened to it their whole life and they play music because of that record. The best thing ever is knowing that kids are taking up instruments, singing and writing music because you’ve been part of their childhood. So I’m going out and properly celebrating that record.

Tickets are available online at thesuffolk.org; The Suffolk, 118 E. Main Street, Riverhead, 631-727-4343.

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Barbara Anne Kirshner is a freelance journalist and photographer whose celebrity interviews, theatre reviews, features and human interest stories appear in major publications. She is author of the children’s chapter book, Madison Weatherbee The Different Dachshund, Madison Weatherbee The Musical and a host of one-act plays that have been produced across Long Island.