“As soon as you try and control something, it lessens what it should be.”
Interview Emeli Sandé
Emeli Sandé’s debut album, Our Version Of Events, was the biggest selling album of 2012 in the UK, a year in which she also performed at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. She followed that by winning a brace of Ivors the following year, when Next to Me scooped both the PRS for Music Most Performed Work and Best Song Musically and Lyrically awards. After a year away from the limelight, she’s now working on a follow-up album for release later this year…
Emeli Sandé How did it feel to be acknowledged by your fellow songwriters at The Ivors last year? It means heaps. Because I was a writer before being an artist, having respect between writers is really important to me. I remember when I saw Amy [Winehouse] winning the same award for Love Is A Losing Game [in 2008], which is one of my favourite songs, so it really felt like a dream come true. Were you ready for the success of Our Version Of Events? No, I wasn’t ready at all! I wrote an album I really loved with people I loved working with and then it was a bit of an explosion. Now that I’ve had this time off, it’s been the first time I’ve really been able to look at the awards and think, “Wow, now I’m out of this crazy storm, that was amazing”. I’m very grateful, but it was very unexpected. Was it important for you to take time off after that success? Absolutely. It got to a point where I was loving doing the shows, but I felt like I wasn’t evolving. I wanted to be in a position where I could live and then come back with something that’s interesting to hear. Being a celebrity has never really been something that I’m comfortable with. What I’m comfortable with is creating and I wanted to be a better musician, so not having the time and space to do that started to really frustrate me. When you sit down to write a song, do you know if it will be for yourself or for someone else? I’ve learned that it’s the one thing you can’t control. As soon as you try and control something, it lessens what it should be. I just write, stuff comes out and then suddenly you think, “Oh, that would be amazing for that movie” or, “That voice would sound amazing on it”. Sometimes I’m singing about a very personal story but usually everything’s open. But if I’m working with another artist, that’s a completely different process. That’s more helping them to say what they want to say. Which songwriters have most inspired you? Carole King, who I met last year. That was really incredible – she’s someone who really knows their craft, she can write for anybody and her songs can be interpreted in so many different ways. I also love Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder… Mainly because they’re storytellers. Being a celebrity was the last of their priorities, it was just about telling these stories and helping people feel less lonely. Is making an album a different process the second time around? It’s different because, the first time, nobody knew me. We were just kids putting out music and it really surprised us what happened. There’s definitely expectation and anticipation, but I really like how it’s sounding. This time, it’s about not focusing on that expectation, because that’s when the best music comes out. I’ve also been working on an EP and I really want to write a musical. And where do your keep your Ivor Novello Awards? They made it to the top of my piano ‘cos that’s where it starts, music and lyrics. I love those two ladies, they’re an inspiration.
The 2014 Ivor Novello Awards 26
The 2014 Ivor Novello Awards 27
