The Bossticks - Ellie Goulding On Life As A Musician, Career Advice, Songwriting, Routines, & Staying In Shape On The Road

Episode Date: April 24, 2023

#563: Today we're sitting down with chart topping artist, activist, philanthropist, and mother, Ellie Goulding. Over her incredible career, Ellie has sold over 27 million albums, 216 million singles and amassed over 43 billion streams worldwide. Ellie joins us today to discuss her past, how she got started in the music industry, and how she deals with trolls and creepy fans. She also gets into her songwriting process, how female artists are put under exceptional pressure to maintain their physique in Hollywood, and the other pressures that artists go through from the media & public. We also get into a conversation about her routines, how she stays disciplined & balances everything from her social life & motherhood, to her career plus more, and she gives us insight into what she's currently working on and what her fans can expect from her in the future.   To connect with Ellie Goulding click HERE To connect with Lauryn Evarts click HERE To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM To Call the Him & Her Hotline call: 1-833-SKINNYS (754-6697) This episode is brought to you by The Skinny Confidential This episode is brought to you by Sakara Sakara delivers science-backed, plant-rich nutrition programs and wellness essentials right to your door. Their ready-to-eat meals are nutritionally designed to deliver results—from weight management and eased bloat to boosted energy and clearer skin. Go to Sakara.com/skinny or enter code SKINNY at checkout to receive 20% off your first order. This episode is brought to you by Just Thrive Just Thrive products have more clinical research than just about anyone else in the industry. Pair the award-winning, gut nourishing Just Thrive Probiotic with the stress-busting, mood uplifting power of Just Calm. These two products are game changers in helping you take control of your mental health AND overall health. Go to justthrivehealth.com and use code SKINNY90 at checkout to save 20% on a bottle of Just Calm + Just Thrive Probiotic. This episode is brought to you by LMNT LMNT is a tasty electrolyte drink that has everything you need and nothing you don't. It contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio: 1000mg sodium, 200mg potassium, and 60mg magnesium. Get a free sample pack with any purchase at drinkLMNT.com/SKINNY This episode is brought to you by Wella Wella Professionals just released its most luxurious hair care line; Ultimate Repair. You can purchase The Ultimate Repair Miracle Hair Rescue at Ulta stores, or go to wella.com to learn more. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace From websites and online stores to marketing tools and analytics, Squarespace is the all-in-one platform to build a beautiful online presence and run your business. Go to squarespace.com/skinny for a free trial & use code SKINNY for 10% off your first purchase of a website domain. This episode is brought to you by the Natural Diamonds Council From Canada to Africa to Australia, the natural diamond industry has transformed local communities from which the diamonds originate with healthcare, education, and infrastructure over the last two decades and is committed to continued progress. Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com/thankyou Produced by Dear Media

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And now Lauren Everts and Michael Bostic are bringing you alone for the ride. Get ready for some major realness. Welcome to the skinny confidential, him and her. You know, when the Me Too movement happened, there were very obvious changes and different. to the way things were working. I just noticed there was a lot, there was a lot more professionalism. In the beginning, you know, I had a few situations.

I've been very open about it, so I think it's important, where I walked into the studio as a young, like 20, 21 year old and, you know, it didn't feel safe. I have noticed, like, better, you know, good changes. It's a shame that the change had to be made in the first place, but I think we're all feeling in every industry. We're like slowly gaining a bit more respect.

The respect we should have had all along. long. Here we go again. Welcome back to the skinny confidential him and her show. That clip was from our guest of the show today, chart-topping artists, activists, philanthropist, and mother, Ellie Golding. And today we are diving into all things music, all things music career with one of the best in the business. If you're unfamiliar with Ellie, she has sold over 27 million albums, 216 million singles and amassed over 43 billion, yes, billion with the B streams worldwide. Ellie joins us today to discuss her past, how she got started in the music industry, and how she deals with trolls, creepy fans, all the above. She also gets into her songwriting process, how female artists are put under

exceptional pressure to maintain their physique in Hollywood, and other pressures that artists go through from the media and public perspective. We also get into a conversation about her routines, how she stays disciplined and balances. So if you're an Ellie Golding fan, or if you're a music fan, or you're about to be a fan, this one's for you. We cover a lot of ground as always. And we really enjoyed talking to Ellie. She was so down to earth, so humble. And listen, she's got a lot going on right now. One thing to mention before we jump into this episode with Ellie is to definitely check out her higher than heaven album. It's brand new. It's out now. You can listen on all major streaming platforms. So check it out, support her. She's got bangers on there as always. With that,

Ellie Golding, welcome to the skinny confidential, him and her show. This is the skinny confidential, him and her. So when you come in for the press that you're about to do, do you, do you you have to prep your mind for this? Like, I feel like you have to recharge your battery before you do this. Yes, I should. Have I? No. So I often find myself afterwards being like, damn, I wish I'd said that instead of that.

I often come up with things afterwards, which is why I always rewrite lyrics, because I come up with like a something. And then when I come out of the studio, I'm like, no, no, no, it had to be that. So I'd like go back and redo it. So, yeah, I should really. I just don't think I have time. at the moment. I mean, I keep getting told to meditate, but that means like waking up significantly earlier than I do, and I prefer the sleep at the moment.

You know what? I'm going to tell you my meditation that I do while I'm sleeping. What is that? Like I'm sleeping and listening to a meditation, so impassively multitasking. Listen, I'm still trying to figure it out. No, it works. No, I listen to the car map stories. I listen to the one in outer space and the Nordic train journey and the one about horses in Virginia or something, I don't know, but it's all very calming, and I listen to those to go to sleep. Your voice is very calming. I feel like you could do a meditation app to add to everything you're doing. Maybe I could do. I've got some music, like mixes on there. So yeah, maybe I could. But I keep getting told not to speak in this lower register because it's just stopping me from like being able to sing as high.

So I keep getting told by my vocal coach was stop talking like this and keep going back up to where you were. No, I like when you talk about this. It's very relaxing. Wait, show me how, how, how you're going to be. I'm just. I'm talking about. It's very relaxing. Wait, show me how you talk and show me how they want you to talk. Okay, so I'm actually making an effort to talk higher than usual. So I would probably start going lower again if I got back into the habit. But like I've, so usually I talk like here. And then I need to talk way higher, like kind of up here.

Like the way I talk. Yeah, I like the way you talk. Just go to California and stay in California for a little bit. It'll rub right off on you. I want to go back to when you were young. When was a moment that you realized that you were really into singing and songwriting? Can you remember a moment, an epiphany? I remember hearing songs on the radio and wanting to sing those songs.

And one of them was when Mariah Carey covered, you know, Can live if Liban is without you. That was like the biggest song of that time, I think, especially in the UK. I don't know. I think I realized quite young that I was really passionate. passionately into music, but I just assumed everybody was passionately into music. And so I'd sort of, you know, be constantly asking my friends about songs and wanting them to do like backing vocals with me on them. And I was wanting to do performances in school. And I mean,

I was pretty shy, but I just loved to sing so much. But I just thought maybe everyone just loves to sing and I'm nothing special. When did you realize you had talent? Did your parents tell you? Did outside people tell you? Did my parents tell me? I don't know if they did. Again, it was like, it kind of took me to get out of, I grew up in a really small village, like pretty much in the middle of nowhere, kind of on the border between Wales and England, like right slap, bang in the middle. So it was like mountains to my left, flat fields of England to my right. So right there.

And then only really when I got to university did I, like, people were like mouth open watching me sing, you know. That was the first time that I really had that reaction because back in the village I was playing in like the little open mic nights and stuff, people were like, you know, it was just like a small town and like just didn't get much of reaction. But then it seemed like as soon as I got to a place where people would come from all over the world to learn and suddenly it just clicked. When you're playing to people who are not in the small village as you grow, are you putting a lot of work into your talent? Are you just naturally talented or is it a medley? Probably more of a medley. I mean, you can, yeah, you can have lots and lots of raw talent, I guess, but if you don't have

other things, it can just kind of stay in one place. Whereas I guess I was quite, I even know if ambushes are the word. I feel like we've been taught as women to like not, you know, we shouldn't be ambitious. And that word has suddenly become like a bad word or something. So whenever I say it, I kind of cringe a bit, which is a shame because we should be able to. to just say, yeah, we're ambitious and yeah, we want to go far in life. I think I was just always a very determined kid, and that kind of then ended up in my determination, wanting to be a performer. And so there are lots of different. It's like a cocktail you need to have, really, if you've got, because clearly I could sing and I could write and I could play. And then it really, it was like

everything else that I needed to kind of get me to a certain place, eventually signed a record deal. What are some sacrifices that you made early on for what you do? The first thing that came to my head then was I didn't really have that many friends. And not because I wasn't like, people didn't want to hang, people wanted to hang out with me, but I was kind of an awkward person and I would spend every day playing guitar and then I'd go for like, I'd have to run like 10K a day. Then I'd have to go do like weights. And then I was like, I was busy, you know, I'd go and do like,

I'd get on the train and do an open mic night in London, come back, study, go for a run and just write music. So I was quite anti-social. So people did, I think people wanted to hang out. with me, but I just didn't, I didn't end up doing that. So I had like two friends by the end of it, really. And did you run 10K a day just because, like, it made you feel good? Was that a part of what you were doing to make you be a peak performer? Yeah, I think so. I think it was just a ritual that got into my head and I couldn't shake it off. And then, you know, I was quite superstitious. So if I didn't do it, I would, I still do it now, really. I don't run 10K a day, but I have to do

something every day. I actually relate to that. I've never heard anyone articulate it like that. I, not an OCD, but it's just, it's like something you want to check off your list. I get like that too with my workout. Yeah. Like some people, when I've said that to people will be like, oh, that's unhealthy to be, to be. Unhealthy to be healthy? And I'm like, how is that unhealthy? Like, you know, it's probably the healthiest ritual that I could have come up with. And yeah, you know, the idea that if I don't do it, then I'm screwed, that maybe that's slightly more unhealthy. And I've got, I've lost that now, But back then, yeah, it was just something I felt I had to do every day to then be able to study and write. And yeah.

It also clears your head and, in my opinion, makes you a more effective performer when you are performing. Yeah. Well, it's, everyone knows exercise is good for you, but I guess we don't go in depth with it that much in that it literally makes you feel better. Literally elevates your mood, creates all kinds of other, what do you call it, neural pathways or, I don't know, the technical terms. but it literally releases endorphins straight into your body. And I don't know if you notice after a workout, but in the morning when you wake up just feeling crap and you just like kind of in a bad mood

and you get, you know, somebody will want me to approve something like, and then you do a workout and suddenly you're like, and you're like, you feel productive and you feel like you. So as much as I, you know, I never want to do a workout, but then afterwards I've never, like, regretted it ever once. Obviously we're in a different world than you are, but I feel like once you do the workout, you know, from a business context, I always get my most creative ideas after.

It's like a fog slip and you connect things that you weren't connecting before. But that's not a coincidence. That's like literally your brain has opened up things to help you be more creative and productive. When did you have your first big break? When could you taste it? What did that look like? I guess it was when I signed a record deal. I was trying to sign for like a good couple of years in London.

It was just like a moment. Maybe I wrote a new song out of frustration and not being signed. And I really thought I was going to have to just sort of go back to the day job. I had like three day jobs. You did? Yeah. You really thought you had to go back. So this is why I had no friends because when I was at uni, I transferred my jobs from where I grew up to my university.

So I was working at the theatre there selling tickets and a clothes shop for monsoon. So that kind of took up a lot of my time. And I thought, oh, I can just go back there because I've got like decent jobs, you know. And then finally, just so I run out of money, I signed a record deal. And that's when I was like, I'm safe, saved. When you sign a record deal, is there like a list of requirements that they, and I put this in quotes, make you do? Like, are they telling you you have to do this workout? You have to eat this.

You have to have your hair, this color. Or is it kind of you do what you want? I don't think they would ever say stuff like that, especially to like a male artist or a male band back then. but I would say that there were certain things that were maybe assumed, maybe encouraged, but weren't necessarily directly given to you like keeping in good shape and looking. You know, I could never go on something without makeup on or wearing something feminine. I think they wanted to kind of market me as like a feminine thing, girl next door thing maybe. Is that what you wanted or was that uncomfortable?

Not really. I've always been quite sort of androgynous, I get. Not androgy, it's not the word. We used to say like tomboy back in the day. That was kind of what I was. And I was like on a girls football team. And obviously, I like, you know, I like to lift weights. And so no, I never really saw myself as like a feminine person.

Because I was so elated and I was so grateful to have signed to a major record label that I just kind of went with it and thought, well, I'm just lucky to be here. So, yeah, I'm just going to do what they, you know. And also, you know, it's partly me because, it took a few years of just figuring out what I wanted for myself as an artist anyway. So it was like partly them and then maybe partly me just like needing a bit more kind of conviction in what I was doing. How does this work for you from a writing perspective?

Do you write the lyrics first and then later figure out a melody or do you hear a melody in your head and then have to kind of like add the lyrics to it? Because I've heard it explain different ways. Michael's about to sing for you. No, I'm just kidding. You don't want to end the podcast. It's usually a melody that trades. like a lyric idea. Like you hear a melody in your head. Yeah. Well, sometimes something happens that's so

shit and then I, so, and I, and I just come up with the, I come up with a lyric there and then, that just kind of somehow summarizes what, what I'm feeling. But that's kind of rare, like it takes like a rare kind of emotional, I don't know, moment to do that. But usually, yeah, I hear melodies and then, and then something kind of, it triggers something in my head that then kind of comes up with lyrics. And so it kind of all works together. And are you mostly drawing from personal experiences or observations from other people's experience. Like what is, I always get curious about like the process of how people come to create the music they create.

It's definitely a bit of both. In the beginning, it was all me. You know, I was fascinated by, I mean, I was like falling in love from like age of 10 or something, you know, with everyone. And so that was kind of, you know, I was obsessed with my own experiences and my childhood. And then I opened myself off a bit. You know, I got to travel. I got to meet people, meet people from.

different worlds and I started to maybe be a bit more of an empath and wanting to explore, you know, what other people were going through. And now it's really a combination. And some of my friends and people I know go through craziest, you know, situations with partners and with family and just with work and that I can't help but like be inspired by that. If you've been listening to this podcast and you have not tried Just Thrive products, you're missing out. I've been using this probiotic for the last two years. We even had a microbiologist on the podcast to discuss the benefits of an incredible probiotic, and he recommended this one. And there's a reason. It actually survives the trip to the gut. So just thrive products to give you a little background,

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family and friends to manage this life that's like you're becoming famous? You're having all this stuff thrown at you and kind of like have whatever you want. But then you also come from this small town. so you want to balance that too. Well, I've kept the same friends from what we have primary school in the UK. I don't know what you guys. I think you have like. It's like elementary school, right? I don't know.

How old are you in primary school? Like maybe like? I started when I was, I think, five? Yeah, yeah. Five to 11. Elementary school. Yeah. I'm very cultured.

So yeah. So I still got those friends. They have never been affected by what I do at all. It's almost like they always knew that I was kind of a performer. And it just, it wasn't. like a shock to them and they know me, you know, they saw me growing up and we went through so much together as kids. It would be very strange for them to just be like, oh my God, like what's it like doing what you do? Like they just don't. They know you for you. Yeah. And I know them for them

and it's just like a bond that we have and I don't think I've changed. Well, certainly when I see them, I'm just back to like myself. I have to maybe shake off some of the stuff I've picked up along the way and then I'm like back to me again. But then, I think that's the same with the people around me. Surround myself with women pretty much. I feel like it really helps me. Most people just get it and just go with it. And then there might be some in the early days

that were perhaps a bit like alienated by it. Probably affected, you know, friendships. But also I realize that you just, you do, you know, lose friendships along the way. It's not like a bad thing. It's not like it just happens, just life, you know. You change, they change. Same with relationships, I guess.

Be honest here. And I don't want you to be humble at all. when I daydream, I'll like, listen, if I did anything else, if I had one ounce of musical talent, which I don't, unfortunately, doing what you do, being a musician at the skill, it has to be the most fun career job path in the world. And I hate when people sugar could be like, it's fun. You're having fun, right?

Well, me as a musician. Like, it's got to be the most fun thing. Like, I think about it all the time. Like, get up there, you perform, you're going to do your thing, get to party a little bit, you go to make people happy, right? Yeah. That's the fun bit. Yeah.

Being on stage, anxiety-free, in front of, people that love you and sing along to your music, there really isn't a feeling like comparable to that. The other stuff not so fun. What's the other stuff? Luckily like the fun outweighs the anxiety and everything else. Yeah, you know, it's you realize like you put yourself out there and you are never going to be, you know, anonymous. You're never going to, there are like worse things that that can happen to you. But there are definitely some things that I would maybe take away if I had the option. Like what are your edits? If you were to edit this,

like a song, what are you editing out? Being photographed constantly. I would love that. This is a safe place. You mean like when you're out and about and feeling like there's just always someone watching you. That's not a nice feeling. Yeah, because I imagine in the beginning, it's a controlled environment. You're going to smaller crowds

and you're kind of getting what you're expecting, right? like you're going to have these few people see you, but then as it gets bigger and bigger and all of a sudden you're on the street and there's just cameras everywhere like that. I always think about that. It's like there's maybe a level of when it gets so big that you can't reverse it. Well, I think people see that still still see that as like the glamorous thing.

Like, oh my God, imagine just being photographed in your outfits and looking great. I mean, but it's not like that. You know, it's quite an uncomfortable kind of feeling. And I think now like the level of scrutiny has reached this peak

of just craziness. where you're watched and listened. Every single thing you say, everything you do, you have risk of... The risk has become so high now of just, like, messing up because of, like, you know, the culture. So you just become more and more scared

of what you're saying. And I know whether people are just having to become robots now, you know, to deal with it all and take away. You have to preface everything. Yeah. Even online, I'll see people be like, I know I'm really lucky to have this. and then they'll go into like,

you have to preface everything. Yeah. I've noticed it the most with like my activism because I often talk about climate change. I often talk about plastic problem, talk about how there's going to be more plastic in the ocean than fish in like 10 years' time and like mad, things like that.

And half the people will say, you know, call me things like hypocritical because of what I do and the amount I fly. The other half will say thanks for like, telling me that and thanks for being, you know, using your platform, blah, blah. So it seems like everything you do is, is going to come with someone or a few people saying, like, not agree. You could say the nicest thing in the world. You could say the truest thing in the world and still somebody will say that it's... Yeah, if there's one thing we've learned doing this for as long

as we've done it, like, there's no way to appease everybody. So you're just kind of kind of be yourself, right? Like, it's like the only thing. I know that word authenticity gets thrown around, but it's true. You just like kind of be like, well, this is who I am. I'm going to make some missteps is what it is. But I think about the level of fame or notoriety that you've achieved. And we have all different kinds of people on the show. And I think there's a certain point where you can't turn it back. And what I mean by that is like, we do the show a lot and it gets, it gets a notoriety. But I still feel we're at the point where like if we said, hey, we're done and we don't want any kind of platform. Like we could turn it back and that would be

it. But there's a certain level once you cross it, you can't turn it back. And I imagine that's a challenge for some people because to your point, many people glamorize it and say like, you know, they dream of a life like that. They have never experienced it. But once you have it and you can't turn it back, it's like you're in it now for probably the rest of your life. Yeah, it is definitely a way of life when you have become, I don't know, public figure, somebody that people follow, somebody that people look up to.

And it is, yeah, it's probably quite a lot of pressure by trying not to think about. And then also, you know that turning your back on it would probably mean not being able to do the thing you love. So it's really like, it's a bit of a sacrifice. But if I can always be a musician and write music and perform, then, you know, I really took it for granted during lockdown. I really struggled with not before. I didn't realize how much it was like holding me together until it all stopped, you know,

and didn't perform for like two years. Yeah, I forgot about that because the music industry just fully shut down. What does your life look like in lockdown when it just stops? I'm sure so many people are curious. So I just finished Brightest Boom, my fourth. album and it was the proudest album of my career and I was like right can't wait to get out on tour can't wait to you know explain this music and and break it down and and to do like I want to do all these different visuals and I wanted to do a whole a cappella series with it and with a choir and

I had all these big ideas and then suddenly you know it was announced that there was going to be this lockdown and so we just all went away and I lived in a tiny cottage in a village just outside of Oxford. So like an hour of London. And that's kind of where I was. And I like, I was training, like running every day, making cakes, which I like counteracted that. And I don't know. I like I tried to stay healthy and happy, but it was tough. You know, I realized that everything has stopped and we had no idea when it was going to start again. I did quite a few shows from the bathroom. I was doing like TV shows, like live TV from like toilet. It was really weird. Yeah.

Yeah, I was going to say because like podcasting kind of had this little boom during that time. Oh, yeah. People could zoom. Yeah. But for musicians, it was tough. And I imagine it in a way kind of awkward in your bathroom just like kind of strumming away, right? It was. But I mean, it made me probably better at what I do because I had to, you know, I couldn't

overcompensate with like big performances and outfit. So I just had to be like good again. I had to like pick the guitar up again and actually go back to, you know, just being a musician again and not all the bells and whistles. You have to get very creative. What's something you wish you knew about. the career path you've chosen that you didn't know until you kind of found yourself here, if anything.

In the beginning, it was probably a bit tougher just because it was still very male-dominated and found myself like being very apologetic and feeling a bit like I had to sort of pander a lot to people maybe. Are there musicians or a record label? No, just, yeah, like record label people, people behind the scenes. So I just, I don't know. I guess it's not really the answer. said to the question, but maybe I wish I'd been a bit tougher in the beginning. But then,

you know, everything's worked out. Like, yeah, there's, there's been like, you know, a few bumps and a few times that were tougher than others. But, you know, I'm still here, like, releasing music. So it's quite hard to, like, think, oh, I wish, but, you know, if I, if there was, like, like, a young musician starting out, you know, I would say to make sure you surround yourself with people you feel safe with, like, maybe like me, like all women, and make sure that you're taking enough time to get in the same. inspiration to write and not just like be on the grind and suddenly you find yourself like having panic attacks because you haven't caught your brain hasn't caught up with your body vice versa so

I'd probably say that I probably I mean I have so much advice that gives like young musicians but it would take another whole other podcast I think it seems like the behind the scenes of the record industry is very male dominated and like a lot of a lot of men in suits giving their opinion to what people like my age or millennials want to hear you. which doesn't make any sense. Yeah. And when it comes to owning your own music and all of this control that they sort of have behind the scenes, how have you managed that?

Because it seems like you've done a really beautiful job of it. Thank you. A lot of work. It's been challenging at times. I think any female musician, even now so many non-binary musicians artists coming through, which is amazing. And things really changing and picking up pace. and it's good. I think we're just still in this kind of transition stage with everything.

You know, I still think we're trying to figure out the world is changing so fast, and I just think the kind of infrastructure isn't there yet to help it. Things might be happening, but then there's not like laws to assist that. So it's like I think we're still in this time where we're trying to just piece things together. And so it's the same, you know, when the Me Too movement happened, there were very obvious changes and differences to the way things were working. And so I think that was such an important movement. Like, what do you mean?

I just noticed that... I noticed there was a lot... There was a lot more professionalism. That's nice. Yeah. Wasn't as sleazy as an operation. I mean, I was going to say that, yeah. A lot less paviness.

These men are the worst. Yeah. It just, it was in the beginning, you know, I had a few situations. I've been very open about it, so I think it's important where I, you know, walked into the studio as a young, like, 20, 21-year-old and, you know, it didn't feel safe. And it's like, it doesn't, doesn't mean that they're, like, leching on you or, like, touching your leg. It's just a feeling that we have that, where you just don't feel completely safe. And then it kind of becomes a bit of a trigger and a bit of

a minute bit of trauma that just stays with you. And so, just something's off. Something's off. Yeah. And then... Everyone can feel you're a pervert if you're a pervert. Even if you don't touch someone, we can feel you're a pervert. Yeah. It's the eyes. It's the... It's the energy. It's the energy. Like, don't try to, like, graze my leg. Like, no. No. Like, every, if you're a pervert, we can feel it just so you don't.

And the pervert's listening. Yeah, exactly. Any favs is saying to take note. For all of our perverts in the audience. But no, and I have noticed, like, bad, you know, good changes. It's a shame that the change had to be made in the first place. But I think we're all feeling in every industry. There is, you know, we're, like, slowly gaining a bit more respect.

The respect we should have had all along. but I'm just so grateful for that whole movement. I watched them. She said the other day. Have you ever seen it? It's good. It's just like, you know, badass female journalists just uncovering, you know, at the risk of their own lives even, uncovering all this information about people behind the scenes.

Thank God for them. Well, I think the biggest thing, too, is like, and sometimes this works against us, but in this case it doesn't. Like, there's so much transparency and visibility now where like a lot of this stuff that used to live in the shadows, it can't anymore. It's like, you can't be a creep these days. You're a creep. You're going to get caught.

in two seconds, right? Exactly. I feel like money and power don't necessarily work for you anymore. It doesn't go as far as it used to. Who is the coolest, most talented artist that you've worked with? And I mean cool behind the scenes, too,

not just in front of a crowd. Honestly, every artist I work with has been for a reason. Like, I meet them and I straight away know they have good vibes, good energy, kind. No perv. No perves, no.

I mean, maybe you're like in the early days. But then, you know, I sussed them out and then like, and then like started working with the good ones. You know, Calvin is, is always amazing and just supremely talented. I always say,

like, I would try and give him, like, have an opinion on something, like a bit of the track or a bit of the vocal, and he, he listens, but, you know,

I already know that he's just got it locked in, and he knows exactly what he's doing. He doesn't need to take anyone else's advice, which is amazing. It's just such a, it's such a powerful thing to have when you just don't, it's like the Max Martin guys, you know,

made some of the biggest songs of all time, and, you know, songs that have literally changed people's lives. And they just all, like, live in Sweden to just chill over there. And, you know, write a hit and then go back to their lives. I think that's amazing. And then, you know, I've worked with, like, everyone from, like, Juice World, big Sean, God, who else have I done things with? Kygo, Scrillex.

I mean, a lot of electronic artists because that's, I grew up listening to electronic music. So that was sort of my first thing that I wanted to do. So I went straight to all those guys. Well, a professional has just released its most luxurious hair care line ultimate repair. So here's the deal. I went on vacation and I had a lot of moving parts. I had the kids. I was on a boat. I didn't have time to really wash my hair and blow dry it. I was constantly moving. We were on a boat. So what I did is I just decided for the full week. I was basically going to wear my hair in a bun. You can see it on my Instagram. My hair is in a tight, slick back, sleek button. It's nice. And what I did is I wanted to multitask why I had my hair in a bun. So I put some

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Discover so many more natural diamond truths at naturaldiamonds.com slash thank you. That's natural diamonds.com slash thank you. For all the people who are listening who are into beauty and skin care and health and wellness hacks, what are some things that you do to prepare to go on stage? Do you do like red light therapy? Is there a certain brand of skincare you like? what are your little hacks for wellness? I would say start within as much as possible.

I know everyone has different skin types and hair types and whatever else. You know, I was saying I don't like exercise, moving as much as possible. Even if it's just like dancing or yoga, like just moving your body first thing in the morning, drink lots of water, drink lots of electrolytes, green tea, vegetables, fish, all the good stuff. It sounds really basic, but it's to start with that. And then there might be like a product that is, I don't know, organic made from as natural things as possible. I'm trying to think of a specific brand.

I use so many different things. To be honest, my morning routine is just like squeezing like five different things in my hands going like that. But I use like a face roller because I know that it like wakes all the collagen up and I use it on my neck so I feel like loose when I sing. So it's quite specific to singing as well what I do. I steam my throat. And I do red light therapy sometimes just for anxiety.

Apparently it's good for that. I brought you an ice roller, so I'm glad you like rollers. I love rollers. That makes sense for your throat. And cryo especially is good as well. Anything cold on the face. There is one thing I eat every single day without fail. If you want to know what it is.

We want to know. Blueberries. Listen. I eat blueberries every day. So what did you eat before you came here? Blueberries. That's it? I've got them with me.

If you eat blueberries, you will live longer, too. I'm convinced of it. I had blueberries. I did have a bit of, what did I have this one? I had like a kind of drink with like probiotic in and a bit of Maca and no cacao. I'm obsessed with chocolates, anything with cacao in it. Coffee tea?

Yeah, I had a, had a decaf almond latte because they're nice here. They're nice in New York. A decaf? Yeah, I've got to have decalc. I can't have a coffee. I can't really have like full calf. Oh my God. Too anxious to do that.

After you're done with a show, are you super hyped up or are you exhausted? Really hyped for like half an hour. You've still got the adrenaline pumping and then like, then you just go down. So after you perform, are you like going out on a high or do you go home and crash? I go to my, generally I'll go to my dressing room, have a couple of drinks, a couple of my team, just talk about the show maybe. And then you start to feel the adrenaline burning off and then you kind of get a bit of a like crash. And then you're like, right, bedtime.

And then I have to go through a whole like bedtime routine. How do you stay disciplined to manage when you're in that kind of environment and everyone's having such a good time? And I'm sure there's all sorts of partying around. You know, like how do you maintain that balance and say like, okay, I just don't go. You just don't go. I can't, you know, maybe when I was like in my early 20s, yeah, I just can't keep it up. My band would go every night to the, you know, there would be like a little after party. But maybe like wave and then like.

There was a time that you would go and then you just. Yeah, I mean, I remember when I used to like go to clubs in London, you know, I just wouldn't now. Maybe I'm too old now. I don't know. I see these guys from like the 80s and those old metal bands and I'm like, man, those guys were. I know. Yeah, but for women, it's rough on the same. skin. Well, I think it's rough for everybody.

I just, yeah, I like nowadays, like if I don't sleep well, it shows up on my face, like, immediately, whereas back in the day I could kind of get away with, like, not sleeping for a few days. What is your specific bedtime routine? You have to tell us exactly what it is. A bit of a stretch. I do my, like, diffuser, you know, with like lavender oil in, got that by my bed, just a neon one. Then I spray my pillow with loads of like, this works spray. then I have like a I usually have like a hot drink some kind of hot drink

with like probably chocolate and with like ashriganda and maybe a bit of mushroom powder see this stuff sounds all really like mad but actually people are getting into mushrooms now no doesn't sound like to say the world you came to the right podcast people who love routines

tell us all the weird stuff well that I mean I have I do have the mushroom powders it's usually like because I'm I'm not very good sleeper so I do have to have like a really long routine then I put the car map on. And then I have to, sometimes even put lavender patches on my feet. I just got them from Whole Foods.

They're really good. But you sound very disciplined. I think I just have to be. You know, maybe I am a bit of a routiney person because I think I've just always had routine, you know, in work and now I have a kid. So I have to also factor his routine into mine. How are you doing that? Everyone wants to know that.

That's a big question. Oh, gosh. It's, yeah, it's difficult. I often feel sad that I can't be with him all the time. I want to drag him with me everywhere, but I know that it's not possible. And now he's just got to the point where he started going like, mamma, when I leave. How old? Two.

Yeah. We have a three-year-old and an eight-month-old. You have an eight-month-old? Oh, my God. It's so hard. He's back there in the broom closet. No, he's not in the broom closet. I wish he was in the room closet.

That is just amazing. I remember that age, eight months. God. It goes quick. It goes so quick. It sounds cheesy, but it's true. Yeah, it goes so quick. So how do you balance that all?

Like, how do you know when to bring him, when not to bring him? I, like, for example, I was just in L.A., but I made sure that he met me here. Because I can't be without him for, like, more than two weeks, more than a week. Yeah. So, like, I did a week there, and then he met me here. And it's been so nice. And then I've got a couple of days now to just hang out with him. It's Mother's Day.

It was in the UK anyway. And so. Oh, I want to celebrate that, too. Yeah. What day is it Mother's Day? I want two Mother's days. It's this Sunday. Oh, perfect, Michael.

Yeah, UK Mother's Day. Okay. Yeah. Good to know. Yeah. So you get to be with him on Mother's Day. Yeah. To be honest, I just, all I want to do is spend all my time with him.

Like, if I could just do anything, you know, if someone said, like, if you could give it all up and spend, you know, just to spend it with him, you know, I would. But then I start missing work. So it's just, like you said, it's just such a balance. I could write a book on this with you. I know exactly how you feel. It's like you, and it's funny because he doesn't feel the same way. Oh, yeah, I do. No, he goes back to work and it's like there's no guilt.

You feel like a guilt? I don't feel guilt. But then you're not being true to yourself and your purpose if you don't go work. So it's like this, it's like this pull. Like you want to be with them for everyone. I always feel guilty. I'll tell you both this. I grew up with a very strong mother who I witnessed all the time working.

And I feel like in a way it kind of set the table and the standard for the type of women that I was later attracted to. And it wasn't something that kind of, you know, like some some guys get a little bit, off put when they have a woman who's achieving, right? Or it's like, it makes them feel like, oh, like they got to keep, you know what I mean? Like my whole example. I've been in a situation like that for sure. Yeah, like I imagine like someone's trying to date you like, oh shit going on stage.

It's hard for a lot of men. But my example was always like watching a woman work a lot. And so I think like I have that context to maybe not feel guilty. Yeah. Does that make sense? No, I mean, yeah, I don't know. I don't know if my husband feels guilty. I'm trying to figure out if he's ever said he feels guilty.

No, it doesn't strike me that he feels guilty. You know, he'll go away. But he's better on things like FaceTime and he'll be very present and be calling all the time. Whereas I just want to be with him in person. So he can manage it a lot better for whatever reason. Well, I think also not to get so deep into gender dynamics, but men are never really pressured to feel strange for working when they have children. Yeah, it's why people will say to me, I talk about this a lot on the podcast.

They'll say, do you have a nanny? And I'm like, but no one asked him that, but we work the same amount. It's so true. It's like, so true. People are curious, if I have any, why is no one asking him if he has...

Like we're doing this together at the same time. So obviously we need some help, but nobody really asked me ever like, do I have help? And there's no guilt in that like, you know, it's, I am so grateful for my nanny because Arthur loves us so much.

And I feel safe and fine going to work, knowing that he's with somebody that gives him so much love and care and attention. You know, and I don't have a huge family. so it feels like she's part of the family now. And, you know, we've just, we've got to work. You know, it's like we want to work and we have to work. It doesn't stop me feeling guilty, though, when you leave for work. It's such a mind fuck. Yeah. It's such a mind fuck. And I, before going into it, I'm like, I'm still going to work all the time. Like, like, I'm so ambitious. And I am still, but at the same time, I also want to be able to have the same amount of time with my kids.

Yeah. It let's just think it's like a biological pull. It's just like it's just science. It's just, I don't know. Even though you want to spend time with them, it's also just like the biology wanting you to be there with them taking care of them or something. I get it. Yeah. Let's discuss your music before you go. Tell us what is happening in your world, your projects, all the thing. New album coming out soon, higher than heaven. It's out on the 7th of April. It's changed a few times. We're trying to do the whole, we're trying to make all the packaging. super green. So like recycled vinyl, tape, cardboard, and then the packaging itself, like the plastic is biodegradable. And then the tour is also going to be very much the same theme, which just takes forever to like organize, you know, because we're trying to, it's venues that, that equip us with, with that. And, um, how many cities will that be? How many I can get to by train? Wow. So what does that mean? It just, it just means that we try and do like a carbon neutral tour. Yeah, but what does it mean how many cities?

Is that like a hundred? Oh, I see. No, I don't know how many. As many as I can fit in. You know, there's always a city that wants me to play. So I just have to do, you know, I have to find a route. And then, you know, I can't play everywhere, obviously, because that would take all my life.

But sometimes, you know, I go back to places and then sometimes in places for the first time. So it's really like a touring route, I guess, I don't know. So we can also, I'm sure, find your song on Spotify too. Yeah. They're there. Yeah. Okay. Where can we follow you on Instagram?

Where can we? Instagram is just Ellie Golding, not really inventive. And then TikTok, I do a lot of TikToks these days. That's fun. And I just have a new song out with Calvin Harris, our third song called Miracle, which came out the other day. It's doing really well. You're doing it all.

Yeah, you got a lot going on. Yes. Thank you so much for taking the time. Thank you so much for having me. You're incredible. Thank you. Thanks, Ellie. Wait, do you want to win a pair of the new skinny confidential driving gloves?

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