‘I want the freedom to create a new song every night’
Multi-platinum-selling Emeli Sandé comes to Leicester and Nottingham in November. ROB MCGIBBON caught up with her
SUNDERLAND-BORN Emeli Sandé, now 32, grew up in Aberdeenshire from the age of four and later went to the University of Glasgow to study medicine before pursuing her music career. The four-time Brit Award winner currently lives in East London.
So, a big new tour on the horizon – how are you feeling about it all?
I’m feeling very excited because it has been such a long time since I have been able to perform a lot of new music live. That’s an exciting prospect and the tour is happening really soon after the album is released, so it will be fresh for the fans. Hopefully, if they’re digging the new tunes, we will get a nice reaction.
What can fans expect from the shows?
There’s definitely going to be a lot of soul and I think people will see me singing in a way they have not heard before. I also really want the freedom on this tour for us to create a new song each night by jamming into different riffs and melodies. We will improvise for a couple of minutes and have it recorded at every venue. Hopefully, by the end of the tour, we will have a compilation of original material, which will be a nice souvenir for everyone. But this is just an idea in my head at the moment – nobody knows about it yet! I love improvising – an audience doesn’t often get to see that spark, they only hear something that is completely polished and finished. So if we jam on the night, I think we could make a magical connection with the audience and capture the mood.
I hear that yoga and meditation are now part of your health routine. How’s all that going?
Well, I’m enjoying both. Yoga is really bringing my mind and body to a more peaceful place. Meditation is a bit more of a challenge, but I try to do it most days because I notice such a difference when I do it – even if it’s just for five minutes. It is good to find that stillness.
Do you suffer from nerves when performing?
Yes, I do, but it’s something that I have been working on because some of my best shows have been when I feel completely relaxed. That’s easier said than done, because sometimes you get it into your head that you should feel nervous. I’m trying to eradicate that and accept that people have come to share the music with you.
What do you enjoy most about touring?
I love the camaraderie that builds between you and the team. You get closer than ever before because you’re on this adventure together. And, for me, the ultimate point of making music is so I can share it in person and bring people together to experience it. When I go on tour I am reminded of what the music is doing. And what do you dread? Losing things! Halfway through I usually find that I have lost everything I came with, so this time I will try to get into a better routine of keeping organised and not take so much stuff.
What is always the key moment for you in any show?
I always enjoy performing Clown. It’s usually just me at the piano and I look forward to all the noise stopping and bringing the crowd into an intimate moment. Usually people sing along. It’s the same with Read All About It, so they are always really special moments. My Kind Of Love always makes me think of my parents and my sister, Lucy.
What is your top of tour bus playlist?
I really love listening to classical music. When you have been singing so many lyrics throughout a show, you need to cleanse your head, so it’s lovely to listen to melody. I play a lot of piano music to help me unwind, mainly Debussy and Chopin. On the bus, we have a bluetooth connection and people take it in turns to DJ. If it’s the backing singers, then it’s usually Mariah Carey or anything with great harmonies. A lot of the band grew up learning to play in church, so we listen to a lot of gospel music. When we really want to celebrate properly, we play hip-hop and R&B. It can be great fun.
Can you give me an insight into your routine on the road?
After the show, you go from complete elation to rushing for a shower and then you are in a tiny cubicle on the bus, which can be a difficult change of mindset. We travel to the next city through the night and you can lie there thinking, Wait a minute, wasn’t I just on stage in front of thousands of people!? That’s when it is good to meditate and warm your mind down. If the show has gone great, then we might celebrate, but I want to keep healthy and look after my voice on this tour, so I’m not sure how much partying I will be doing. We will check into a hotel during the day in the next city. If anyone has any energy we will go to the gym, or basically just relax. Sometimes there will be press interviews to do. The sad part is that there is very little time to explore the cities. We usually get to the venue about four hours before the show starts. We will soundcheck, do vocal warm-ups and hair and make-up. I usually have about an hour to myself to just to be quiet, pray and meditate, and generally focus on what I am trying to do. Making music has always been such a spiritual thing for me, so praying is important. I need to make sure I am rooted correctly. Before we go on stage we also pray together as a band, which is very important.
The new single is Extraordinary Being. What is its principal message?
I want it to be a daily mantra for people and serve as a reminder to them of their individual greatness and their magic. We are all special. I feel free when I sing it.
The new album is called Real Life. How does it compare to your other two albums and what does it mean to you?
It is quite different...it has always been my dream to make an album with no computers or digital instruments and this is what Troy [producer Troy Miller] and I have done. Everything has been treated as if it was a live performance, as opposed to trying to cut and edit everything into a perfect pop record... it has been a lot more of an emotional approach. I feel that this is my most confident album to date.
De Montfort Hall, Leicester, Saturday, November 30, and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Tuesday, December 10, fromlivenation.co.uk/artist/emelisandé-tickets. Prices: £54-£217 (VIP packages).