KT Tunstall at the Jazz Cafe

Kicking off a series of intimate shows, KT Tunstall’s sold-out gig at the Jazz Cafe in Camden was the perfect setting to unveil tracks from her new album, Wax. The Scottish musician’s career was catapulted into the limelight in 2004 after she appeared on Later… with Jools Holland, and now her sixth record is part of a trilogy, with the first album, KIN, released in 2016. The trio reflect mind, body and spirit and seem a cathartic release of Tunstall’s experiences with life on the road.

The singer-songwriter was accompanied by an all-female quartet of rock chick musicians who took to the stage under a simple set of spotlight projections and a wisp of smoke swirls. Tunstall opened with If Only, a song taken from her second album, Drastic Fantastic. The setlists glued to the stage floor were soon covered in boot prints as Tunstall and her band rocked out with heavy guitars, powerful vocals and hard-hitting drums. The audience was instantly beguiled by their feisty start.

Promising to pepper her set with a mix of old and new tracks, the artist soon treated the crowd to her haunting new single The River, which marks a change of direction for Tunstall with it’s 80’s synth-led melodies and stripped-back rhythm section. She announced her second single, Human Being, with flashy strobe lights and rocky guitars, her vocals adding a delicate pairing to such a heavy song. Soon enough, she led into a breathtaking solo performance of Invisible Empire, showcasing her soaring vocals and reminding us that this tiny songstress can captivate with her voice alone. The addition of the violin, played by Sophie Solomon, on The Mountain was ingenious and gripped the concertgoers, adding another dimension entirely and making the performance really quite beautiful to watch.

Throughout, Tunstall charmed the crowd with her affable nature and humorous anecdotes, cementing why she has become a mainstay of the UK’s rock/folk scene. She left the audience with a rousing rendition of Suddenly I See, which took the roof off this intimate evening, after declaring “What a special night!” – and it certainly was.

Ezelle Alblas
Photos: Ewa Ferdynus

For further information and future events visit KT Tunstall’s website here.

Watch the video for the The River here: