One Track Sunday: KT Tunstall Dons Armor For Invisible Empire

KT Tunstall’s newest single “Invisible Empire” is a subtle, softly sung song filled with pretty imagery. In the song our singer is moody and aching, which is sort of fitting for the track and its part in an album that was recorded during a time when Tunstall’s father was ill and dying and the singer herself was in the process of divorce. What’s surprising about the “Invisible Empire” video is the fight inherent, which helps to counterbalance the sadness and loss present in Tunstall’s voice in the song.

In the video, Tunstall changes costumes a few times, but the best is her fierce warrior outfit, which puts her in armor and padding, but also gladiator sandals and some flowy fabric to keep things soft. She’s alone in the video for a long time, but has the sheer drive to persevere and when she meets an armor-clad enemy, they spar and block until her will eventually beats the knight’s physical prowess. She’s a Ygritte and a Veralidaine Sarrasri, a kick-ass heroine in a magical world. If you don’t have any inner love for fantasy, this may not be the best video to check out, but it works perfectly for the “Invisible Empire” track.

Tunstall noted via Twitter earlier this week that shooting the video was no picnic and took plenty of physical work on her end. With swords and horses to work with, this makes sense, but it totally seems worth it for the fabulous look of the video.

“Invisible Empire” is the newest single off of Tunstall’s recent fourth album, which was released back in June under the similar title Invisible Empire/ Crescent Moon. As the video above shows, the album’s a little more folk in sound than the Scottish singer usually prefers, so if you are into her more blues and pop-oriented stuff, including “Suddenly I See” or “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree,” you may not like “Invisible Empire” quite as much. I always think its better when artists are willing to branch out and try new things, but it’s only fair to learn going in that this track is very different from some of the other stuff the singer has produced.

Invisible Empire/ Crescent Moon can be ordered over at iTunes. Additionally, you can take a look at other One Track Sunday videos, here.