Emeli Sandé discusses her musical journey with Claire Elliot

After spending time pursuing another career path in Renfrewshire, Emeli Sandé has become immensely successful. In an in-depth with Claire Elliot, she discusses her musical journey, breaking records and more

With powerhouse vocals which have reverberated all across the globe, lyrics that touch the hearts of those in every corner of the world, and melodies that have become instant classics, the success of Emeli Sandé’s incredible career cannot be understated. 

For two decades, Sandé’s music has helped people from all walks of life feel seen, understood, and uplifted. Raised in Alford in Aberdeenshire after moving from Sunderland at the age of four, Sandé is no stranger to the town of Paisley.

Having studied medicine at the University of Glasgow before her music career took off, the town played a part in her humble beginnings. “A lot of my hospital and GP placements were in Paisley,” she says. “It’s probably where I got most of my experience. I was back up in Glasgow this past weekend, and it really just feels like coming home.” 

Before making a name for herself as a performer, Emeli Sandé was already racking up songwriting credits for some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Katy Perry. 

“I was writing for myself without a label, so I didn’t know if I’d ever have the opportunity to release music myself. But when I was writing for Alicia Keys, it gave me this massive boost of confidence because she was someone I had looked up to forever.

“I remember seeing her in Glasgow when I was 13, sitting way up the back and looking at this tiny figure on stage, thinking ‘wow, I want to be able to do that’.”

Sandé credits time spent in the studio with her idol as a large part of what helped her to take the leap herself: “She definitely gave me a lot of encouragement.

“I think then, when I wrote the song Clown, there’s something so special about that song and performing it that made me feel like, ‘I’ve really got to push to be on my own, to be an artist and to sing this myself’.” 

Clown then featured on her debut album, Our Version of Events, which was released in February 2012 and quickly became an international hit.

The album, which features other hits such as Read All About It, Pt.III, Heaven and Next to Me, became the UK’s best-selling album of 2012 and even broke the record for most consecutive weeks in the Top 10 for a debut album, a record previously held by The Beatles’ Please Please Me. 

“It was a huge shock, I was really just hoping to try and get in the Top 5,” she laughs. “It was a surprise, but a wonderful one, as I had spent so long just trying to get my foot in the door.

“I had a bit of imposter syndrome, wondering, ‘Should I really be here?’ All these years, people had been telling me no, people thought I was crazy to even try, so the success of the album was really self-affirming. It gave me the courage to keep dreaming the impossible, because you never know.” 

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The theme of imposter syndrome comes up a few times throughout the conversation, with Sandé discussing how it’s only recently that she feels she’s able to take her level of fame in her stride. “It’s definitely an adjustment.

“Even though it wasn’t on such a large scale, I’d had experience releasing an EP in Glasgow and having my own shows, but to be recognised on the street and having people take interest in my life beyond just the music, that was a big learning curve, for sure.” 

“I had been allowed to take a year out from uni before the first album came out, so it wasn’t until about two weeks before the release that I had to decide whether to go back to med school, or whether to become a musician.

“So for those first few years, I still felt like a med student, even though I was on stage and doing all these amazing things, it wasn’t until a few years in that I started feeling like I could own being a musician professionally.” 

“When I was writing for Alicia Keys, it gave me this massive boost of confidence because she was someone I had looked up to forever”

However, in those few years, Emeli Sandé had not only released her own successful album but had gone on to perform at both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics, as well as at the White House during the Obama administration, in a ceremony honouring Carole King, another of her idols.

“The Olympics were my first experience of that level of pressure, and I actually compared it to my uni exams. There was only one exam for the whole year, so it felt like a similar focused pressure on that one moment, and it really taught me how to focus my mind. Even though it was nerve-wracking, I really enjoyed that experience.” 

“Performing at the White House, that was definitely a pinch-me moment,” she reflects. “On top of that, the event being about honouring someone who is such an inspiration to me as a female songwriter, it felt like a dream.” 

Reflecting on the contrast between massive events such as these and more intimate events that she performs, Sandé talks about how community-based endeavours are often some of her and her band’s favourite gigs to play.

“There seems to be more of an organic connection. I feel like the band and I can get more involved in why we’re there. Sometimes at these massive events, it feels a bit impersonal.

“The older I get, the more I realise how important community is, and that’s where everything begins. We have all these grand ideas of changing the world, but those have to start at a grassroots level, in the community.” 

With new music set to be released later this year, and album number six expected to be released next year, Sandé is excited to get back in front of crowds: “I always love playing in Scotland. Every time I perform in Scotland, there’s so much love and support; it really means the world. I can’t wait to reconnect and give that love back.”

Advice to Renfrewshire’s creative scene from Emeli Sandé:

“It’s important to be realistic. It’s a big risk. Try to have something in the background that can support you, you know, so you can eat (laughs).

“But if it’s something within you that you know you have to do, and you really have that driving desire within you, then do it. We need big dreamers.

“It’s part of being human to express ourselves, and that shouldn’t only be for the rich. We all have stories to tell, and some of the most important stories come from humble beginnings, so never feel like you shouldn’t be in that space, but be careful about it.” 

For news and updates on Emeli Sandé, visit her website here, or follow her on Instagram.