Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding is a British vocalist whose music finds the balance between electro-pop and indie folk.

Born in Hereford, England, she later moved to the country's east coast to study drama at the University of Kent.

Goulding had developed a love for folk music as a teenager, and her time at University also exposed her to electronica.

After two years, she took a break from her studies and moved to West London, where she pursued a career as an alternative singer/songwriter and befriended producers like Starsmith and Frankmusik, who gave her songs an electro-pop twist.

In 2009, Goulding began building an audience via the internet, where early tracks like "Starry Eyed" and a cover of Sam Sparro's "Black & Gold" were posted on taste-making MP3 blogs such as Discodust.

Goulding soon graduated from the blogosphere to print media, gaining praise from mainstream publications like The Guardian and fielding offers from record labels.

She ultimately signed a major-label deal with Polydor Records and began making preparations to release her debut album.

In the meantime, she penned songs for Diana Vickers, Gabriella Climi, and others. During the final weeks of 2009, Goulding topped the BBC's "Sound of 2010," a poll conducted by British music critics and industry insiders to identify new talent.

Building on that momentum, she released Lights -- a sparkling debut album that splashed Goulding's vocal flutter across a landscape of acoustic and synthesized instruments -- in March 2010.

Lights topped the U.K.

charts during its first week and spun off a Top 5 single, "Starry Eyed," which also charted well in Ireland and New Zealand.

~ Jason Birchmeier & Andrew Leahey, Rovi

British singer Ellie Goulding has revealed she plans to write a song with 'Fight For This Love' hitmaker Cheryl Cole.

(BANG) -

Ellie Goulding plans to pen a track with Cheryl Cole.

The 'Starry Eyed' hitmaker - whose debut album 'Lights' shot straight to the top of the UK charts in March - is amazed that she has such a high-profile fan base and is looking forward to working with the Girls Aloud beauty.

She explained: "It's mental. Cheryl Cole said she was a big fan. I love her so much. We're going to do some writing together.

"Lindsay Lohan, Katy Perry and Kylie Minogue have all said lovely things. I've just done a song with Tinie Tempah and even Dappy from N-Dubz came up to me recently and said, 'We is loving your music'. It's an amazing position to be in."

However, despite amassing a substantial list of celebrity fans, the 23-year-old songstress admitted she has suffered from a "backlash" since she won the Critics' Choice Brit Award earlier in the year.

She added to Look magazine: "It's been tough too. There was a backlash after the BRITs, before that I was just followed by people online, then, all of a sudden, I was in the mainstream, I was worried, as people often lose interest in bands when they become huge, because we don't like something if everyone else does.

"But now people are starting to come round again, it's like, 'She's improving, she's done it.' "

Singer Ellie Goulding admits to losing her temper when she goes on tour and becoming ''insane'' when she writes.

(BANG) -

Ellie Goulding admits she can become argumentative when on tour.

The 'Starry Eyed' singer claims to have a brilliant relationship with her manager but believes being on the road makes her impatient.

She said: "Me and my manager argue but he's like my best friend. It could be about anything. On tour everything becomes a lot more magnified and when you have to perform every night, wanting the particular bed you like on the bus becomes important. That's the last thing I kicked off about. All the bands claimed their beds before I got there.

The 23-year-old star also loves having creative control over her career because her record label - Polydor- allow her to be completely hands on.

She explained in an interview with Stylist magazine: "My label is absolutely brilliant - they've been great. Nothing has ever been forced [on me] and nothing's ever been done that I haven't wanted. My manager and I make a good team and if I'm not comfortable with something I just say."

The singer also admits to losing her mind when she writes.

She added: "I have to use my head when I write and I go a little insane."

Singer Ellie Goulding says she only wrote for Diana Vickers because her friend asked her too.

(BANG) -

Ellie Goulding has said that she "unexpectedly" wrote songs for Diana Vickers before she sprung to fame earlier this year.

The 'Starry-Eyed' singer - who won this year's Critics' Choice BRIT award – was rumoured to have worked with Diana Vickers before either girls had released a chart topping single.

Ellie told Q magazine: "Last year I worked with her before I signed my record deal because producer Guy Sigsworth is a friend of mine. He was like, 'yeah I'm working with that 'X Factor' girl Diana Vickers, do you wanna come down?' So I said, yeah why not?' I unexpectedly wrote some songs for her album. "

When the blonde star was asked what she thought of 'The X Factor' contestant she replied: "Well me excluded, she's had some really amazing writers. They're trying to make her massive I think. But then I don't know. I don't think I'm going to write for anyone again. I've decided it's not for me. Saying that, I might but it wouldn't be like that. I'd write with someone."

In the past Ellie has also written with pop star Gabriella Cilmi.