Music
How would you describe 'Starry Eyed'?
"It's quite energetic, floral and sparkly. It's a dance song really, but with guitars in it, so you could almost compare it to something like Postal Service."
How did you come up with the idea for the video?
"Well, I wanted it to be quite simple and down-to-earth to keep focus on the song. I guess it's just me kind of feeling the vibes. I wanted to be able to have freedom, which I literally do when I float in the air."
Are the two singles a good indication of what we can expect from your album?
"I think they're good snippets of what I've been up to, but they're not necessarily representative of the whole sound. 'Starry Eyed' is the more energetic side - it's probably the fastest song on the album - while 'Under The Sheets' is a bit more experimental. We didn't expect it to be a single actually."
Why did you decide to release it as a single?
"The more I listened to it, the more I realised that it had something special about it. Everyone started to agree so we decided it was worthy of a little release. It's quite funny though because some people back home were like, 'Oh, Ellie only charted at number 51 or something,' when we didn't really push it as a single."
How important are chart positions generally for you?
"Well, I think they're a good indicator of what the vibe is, but to be honest they don't really mean anything. There are plenty of bands who never get in the charts and it doesn't mean that they're not any good. Actually, a lot of the top ten is filled with stuff that just sounds the same. I could guess what's in there now - probably a bit of GaGa, Beyoncé and some US R&B males."
Do you feel pressure having won both the Brits Critics' Choice Award and the BBC Sound Of 2010 poll?
"I don't feel too much pressure. I'm actually quite interested to see what's going to happen! I've had such an incredible reaction to my music so far and hopefully that's going to continue. Last year Little Boots hadn't even finished her album, so she panicked a bit, but I'm lucky because mine is already done."
Have you taken on board what happened to Little Boots?
"She was thrown into the media spotlight massively after she won the prize and I haven't been. I've not done that many interviews and photoshoots, which is really important to me. I haven't been shoved down people's throats and I wouldn't want anyone to get annoyed with me before they've even heard my record. The nature of how we are as human beings is that we're much more interested in being critical rather than praising something. When you take that on board, you just don't let things get to you. There's always going to be people who want to s**t on you."
Do you read much that's written about you on the internet?
"I did at first, but now I never do. I literally don't care because I have such an incredible fanbase. The full extent of their passion is what I want to surround myself with and I'm happy to take their constructive criticism. Everyone around me is really realistic - there's no bulls**t with people telling me things I just want to hear."
How do you feel about being compared to other new female artists?
"I keep getting compared to Marina and the Diamonds because she's kind of in the same place as me at the moment. It's quite annoying being compared actually, because it almost downgrades your work and makes you feel like you're just another female artist."
Do you feel as though you're on the verge of being enormous?
"I don't really know, but I don't really feel very famous. I never get recognised and I don't really stand out much. You never know though - I listen to my album and I'm really proud of it."
Do you think it's difficult coping in the limelight?
"I do. When you have a busy day and a late night and an early start, it's hard being nice all the time. When I first met Pixie Lott she was so nice, but it's tough to keep that up. Also, I went to a party at home in Hereford and no-one would leave me alone. Some girl kept jumping in front of me and taking pictures. I guess it's better than not having anything, but on that occasion I just wanted to chill out with my friends."
Have you had any ideas yet as to how you might develop your sound in the future?
"I think it's going to be more folky and more epic. I'll probably work with totally different people and try something new on the next album. There might be quite a lot of strings and I kind of want to get a choir involved. I think I'll just make it and see what happens though - kind of like I've done with this one."
Ellie Goulding releases 'Starry Eyed' on February 22. Her debut album Lights follows on March 1.
