Personally, I was introduced to Tunstall when I went to see her perform at one of Seattle's dingiest rock music bars. Despite the unfathomable digs, Tunstall drew a crowd through word of mouth that rivals what I remember from back when Ani Difranco was playing in bars.
Her CD Eye to the Telescope was released soon after that show and, before I knew it, the undeniable woo-hoo that characterizes her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was heard on every commercial and in the background for television shows. It also seemed to be on everyone's lips, be they folk fanatics or no.
In the end, Tunstall garnered a devoted following in the states and a Grammy nomination. Not too bad for a folk-rock girl on the first time around.
