CARRIE T-G

Carrie T-G

Carrie T-G has just come off the stage where she single handedly opened up the Keynestock ’11 festival. Armed with just a guitar she performed the unenviable task of warming up the crowd for the festival ahead while simultaneously competing in her own right to win today’s talent competition.

“I think it went really well,” she says. Her fingers wouldn’t agree. She’s nursing them after pummelling them on her guitar strings just now. Carrie would be the first to say they’re looking a bit raw. “It was good to be up there and seeing all my friends supporting me,” she says. “And to get a good response from everyone.

“People sometimes forget that there isn’t this pane of glass between you and them, dividing us. So it’s good to see everyone getting involved. Today was a really good crowd.”

Almost as good, in fact, as when she and an old band played for the switching on of the Tunbridge Wells’ Christmas lights. “We were filling in for a band that had just split up and we hadn’t been together for long ourselves,” she says. “There were 3,000 people watching us. It was amazing.”

The High Wycombe native is here at the University of Kent studying English and American Literature with English and Linguistics. When not busying herself with that (simply saying the names of her courses takes a while), she’s busy leading her double life as a singer songwriter.

And it is just that: a double life. “I’m quite a shy person normally,” Carrie T-G says (full name, Turner-Gould). “I don’t go out clubbing and I’m quite reserved usually. People don’t understand where the stuff I do when I’m singing and being on stage comes from. But I do it – I sing because I have to. Because I love it.”

Today’s performance featured various covers (The Jackson Five’s “Want You Back”, The Eagles’ “Hotel California” and Foo Fighters’ “My Hero”), but her two self-penned songs, “Helplessly” and “Promises” were the songs that really shone out. Beautiful, reflective songs – full of grace and hints of melancholy.

“I find people need a bit of warming up before I do my own stuff,” she say. “They feel better when they hear something they know and can respond to. You know: lazy sunny afternoon music. That’s why I did the Jackson Five song.

“When I started out I wanted to avoid doing the girly thing,” she explains. “People see you with a guitar and go, ‘Oh, I suppose you want to be Eva Cassidy.’ I was always sure I wouldn’t do that, but I can see there’s something of that there.”

There is, though, something of the Alanis Morissette about her approach as well, I suggest. “Yeah, a lot of people say that,” Carrie responds. “I take it as a huge compliment. She’s one of my idols.”

And what of Carrie T-G’s plans for the future? “I want to carry on as much as I can. There’s some great venues in Canterbury: The Beercart Arms and Lady Luck. I’d like to play there. You have to be careful though. People will say they can make you a start and lead you a merry dance. I just want to see how far I can go with it.”

Find out more about Carrie T-G on her Myspace page, www.myspace.com/cazturnergould

Carrie T-G