Emeli Sande - Interview
by Nick Dent-Robinson
published: 30 / 8 / 2023

intro
Nick Dent-Robinson speaks to Brit Award winning Scottish-raised singer-songwriter Emeli Sande before her performance at the Nocturne Live festival about her love of jazz and charity work.
When I spoke to her, four-time Brit Award winning Scottish-raised singer-songwriter Emeli Sande was about to perform at the Nocturne Live event (held from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 June) in the magnificent setting of Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. “Playing a festival is very different from performing in your own show,” she began. “Because, obviously, it is a very different crowd here at Blenheim and you can't guarantee they'll know anything much about you at all. You have to really work at winning them over – but I am very much looking forward to it. It will be fun to be able to say 'I've played Woodstock', too!” Emile, 36, performed jazz interpretations of her songs at Blenheim. “It is a unique show. Last year I did a documentary about Nina Simone so I got to play with some incredible jazz musicians and I've learned to really appreciate jazz. So I am doing my songs with the jazz band headed by Gregory Porter. There will be most of my past hit numbers which hopefully at least some of the crowd might know - and a few from my latest album, ‘Let's Say for Instance’, too.” Emeli's father moved to the UK from Zambia and met her mother when both were studying at Sunderland's polytechnic college but the family moved to Aberdeenshire when Emeli was just four. “Yes, I definitely count myself as Scottish,” Emeli confirms - even if I was born in the North East of England. I love the Scottish culture and I was writing songs there from the age of 11 or so. I was actually quite keen on school - my dad was one of my teachers - and I won a place to study medicine at Glasgow University. I had completed more than four years medical training but never quite became a qualified doctor. I had always wanted to be a musician ever since I was a small child and had kept playing instruments and writing songs. Then, suddenly, when I was about to start my fifth year of medical training, some of my songs were published. I was so thrilled and immediately moved to London to see if I could make a successful musical career. Thankfully that happened! My debut album ‘Our Version of Events’ was released in 2012 after I'd won the Critics' Choice Award at the Brits that year.” “My career just went from there. I like doing a variety of styles of music - there are just so many genres I love - and I have collaborated with lots of rappers and DJs to try to get my name out there. But I think there are some similarities between my earliest work and what I am doing now...some common threads running through it all. I did a lot of classes in music as a child and that classical training has been a huge help, especially with my song-writing. I've now written for quite a few people – including Susan Boyle, Leona Lewis, Preeya Kalidas, Cheryl Cole and Tinie Tempah. My dad was a big Nina Simone fan so I was listening to her from the age of 12 or so and before that I loved the major female singers like Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Anita Baker. Then, as I got older, I started to really appreciate the skill of great song-writers like Bob Dylan, Lennon-McCartney and Joni Mitchell. At that point lyricism really started to excite me. There are lots of people today who I admire, too. I like Frank Ocean who is a brilliant lyricist and I love Raye ...it is so refreshing to see a woman really taking charge and putting so much truth into her lyrics.” Emile says her proudest moments include singing at the London 2012 Olympics and at Elton John's 2013 AIDS Foundation event. She currently campaigns for a number of causes – including raising money and awareness for HIV and breast cancer in her dad's native Zambia and for women's education in many parts of the world. “All of these things are important to me and if my success in music helps me to contribute, then that is a true bonus. But I am thrilled at what I am able to do as a performer, too. I love playing to a big capacity audience like the one at Nocturne, Blenheim Palace and I love being on the same bill there as people like Lionel Richie, Mica Miller, Gabrielle, Pete Tong and all the others! It really is a privilege.
Band Links:-
https://emelisande.com/https://hatebeak.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/emelisande
Play in YouTube:-
Have a Listen:-
Picture Gallery:-


soundcloud
reviews |
How Were We To Know (2023) |
![]() |
Strong comeback album from Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sande |
most viewed articles
current edition
Spear Of Destiny - InterviewRobert Forster - Interview
Fiona Hutchings - Interview
When Rivers Meet - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Carl Ewens - David Bowie 1964 to 1982 On Track: Every Album, Every Song
Brian Wilson - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Chris Wade - Interview
Pistol Daisys - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Credits - ARC, Liverpool, 17/5.2025
Gary Numan - Berserker
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPBoomtown Rats - Ten Songs That Made Me Love....
Barrie Barlow - Interview
Manic Street Preachers - (Gig of a Lifetime) Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, December 1999
Oasis - Oasis, Earl's Court, London, 1995
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Pixies - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
David Paton - Magic: The David Paton Story
Chuck Prophet - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
most viewed reviews
current edition
Peter Doolan - I Am a Tree Rooted to the Spot and a Snake Moves Around Me,in a CircleGarbage - Let All That We Imagine Be The Light
Vinny Peculiar - Things Too Long Left Unsaid
Little Simz - Lotus
John McKay - Sixes and #Sevens
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
HAIM - I Quit
Morcheeba - Escape The Chaos
Vultures - Liz Kershaw Session 16.06.88
Billy Nomates - Metalhorse
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart