Behind the wheel with KT Tunstall

Words: Danny Scott

Where’s your favourite road trip destination? 
I spent my last year of college in Connecticut on a scholarship. After we finished our exams, my best friend Amanda and I hired a basic Honda Accord and drove to Denver. No reason – just to go on a road trip. And it was everything I’d hoped it would be. Crossing the Mississippi in a lightning storm, the vastness of Kansas, the Rockies exploding out of the earth. America is the spiritual home of the road trip. 

Where’s top of your bucket list?
Even though I’ve never been, I keep being magically drawn to Iceland. It feels so wild and primal, like how the earth would have been before the Ice Age. And I love the fact that its education system is so rooted in fantasy and storytelling. As if the whole population has retained a childlike view of life – full of enchanted beasts and epic journeys. 

What’s your ultimate travel song? 
It must be one of those punch-the-air, Pacific Coast Highway anthems like Tom Petty’s ‘Free Fallin’. It’s not a particularly clever or wordy song, but every time I hear it, it sets my soul free. If you want a song that captures the joy of travel, this is it. 

What is your most dramatic road trip story? 
In 2015, I made a short film with the great Scottish actor James Cosmo. It was based on a song of mine called ‘Carried’ and it told the story of a road trip from London to Scotland. There were no explosions or anything like that, but the drama came from the journey itself. A road trip is a metaphor for change. It’s about leaving your old life behind and searching for something else. 

What are your three packing essentials and why? 
I always, always, always carry a notebook and pencil. I have been journalling since the age of 12 and will happily write on planes, trains, backstage at gigs... anywhere. It’s my back-up hard drive of all the things I’ve been lucky enough to experience. And number three essential is a bag of my favourite snacks. I even carry my own peanut butter! 

Do you have any clever travel hacks? 
I can’t stand all the bright LEDs in hotel rooms... there’s the Wi-Fi, the TV, the phone, the aircon, the AC adapter. Whenever I’m on the road, I order a roll of black stickers and cover anything that disturbs the darkness. I can only sleep if it’s pitch black. 

What’s your dream car? 
Of course, I’d love an Aston Martin or a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, but it would have to be a top-of-the-range RV. A home on wheels that’s big enough for my Irish Wolfhound. Where would I drive it? No map, no plan. Just hit the road and see where it takes us. 
 
Do you think you’re a good traveller?
Good? I reckon I’m in the top 0.1% of the world’s best travellers. I was born with wanderlust, and I hope I never stop moving. 

What’s been your craziest travel experience to date?
In 2008, I was asked to join an expedition up the west coast of Greenland. It was a bunch of artists and scientists getting a proper look at how climate change was impacting our world. We got up to 77° north and saw the northern lights, bioluminescence, a landscape of giant icy fingers threatening to scoop us out of the water. It was wonderful to see that there are still some places where nature is in charge.