Ellie Goulding - This Love

Of course, the big news of the day is that the lovely Ellie Goulding is to perform at the Royal Wedding. The actual Royal Wedding. You know, that thing we'll all be watching on TV and which has dominated the news for the last few weeks. Needless to say, this is an absolutely incredible gig for her - highly deserved too.

She's set to release track This Love soon, a song which in fact dates back to the original release of her debut LP in 2009 (before it was re-released and re-packaged and everything). This takes me back to when I was just starting uni - it's a real favourite of mine from the album and a standout at Ellie's live shows too. After the mega-success of her Your Song cover, it's refreshing to see her releasing singles in the vein of the synth-pop that brought her to the public's eyes and ears in the first place.

Recent reports say Ellie is gearing up to release her album in America too, fronting it with an exciting performance on Saturday Night Live which will air on May 7th. Her blog post about touring and all the experiences, emotions and memories it brings with it is really touching too. You get the sense with this single release that things have now come full circle with Ellie, she has become a fully fledged pop-star; a genuine persona in both the British music scene as well as pop-culture as a whole.

Laki Mera - More Than You

Glasgow band Laki Mera work like vastly intelligent synth-pop wizzards on new track More Than You, a bleepy hook leading into subtle trip-hop atmospherics. Lead singer Laura Donnelly's vocals are gentle and comforting, the perfect accompaniment to the organic quality of the music. The sounds might be electronic but they feel distinctly real, reaching out from the speakers to touch your emotions.

The spider-like, delicate strands of sound wrap themselves around you and hold you close - after only one listen More Than You will sound like an old friend. Fans of Ellie Goulding eager for more female synth magic with great choruses need look no further than Laki Mera; this is a real standout track with the power to make you stop and listen. At its heart, More Than You is a brilliant pop track; but it is also bewitching and modern; clever music to delight the mind and warm the soul.

More Than You is released on the 21st March.

Check out the band's Myspace page here.

Rothko - Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding cover)

If you'd ever wondered what a rock cover of Ellie Goulding's Starry Eyed would sound like, then wait no longer. Reading-based band Rothko do a pretty admirable job of covering the young songstress's hit single. The four-piece, comprised of Tom Woodford, Elliot Wilkins, Nick Ellis, Steve Snyman are playing the Camden Barfly on the 22nd February and if you like the sound of them, you can also check them out at Reading's Face Bar on the 4th of March.

For more info, check out the band's Facebook page here.

Tinie Tempah feat. Ellie Goulding - Wonderman

With more attitude and swagger than Invincible, Tinie's new single Wonderman borrows the same concept of a featuring female vocalist + hot chorus and injects it into what is surely to be another smash hit. Ellie Goulding and Tinie represent two of the biggest talents in the UK right now, something the BRIT awards has seen keen to acknowledge, lavishing them both with multiple nominations.

We love the video for their new single together, the whole science-theme fits the track perfectly and how cute does Ellie look dressed as a doctor?!

Ellie Goulding - Live at the Reading Hexagon

Ellie Goulding

26^th November 2010

Reading Hexagon

Ellie Goulding really is the success story of the year and tonight’s gig is the affirmation of that success.  “We love you Ellie!” scream various members of the crowd, working themselves into a frenzy as the cheery, young songstress works her way through the hits of her brilliant No. 1 album Lights.  Pounding out a drum beat herself to the opening bars of the dancey, seductive Under The Sheets, Ellie even manages to work in a little dancing too.

There’s a real sense of a bond between singer and audience here, playing off each-other’s energy.  For many of the songs Ellie plays acoustic guitar, and her vocals are always note perfect.  Her talent is undeniable, and even better, she comes with bucketloads of charm too – between songs Ellie chats to the audience, almost not quite able to believe everyone in the room is there for her.  From the sweet balladry of The Writer to her fantastic cover of Elton John’s Your Song, (currently doing the rounds on John Lewis TV adverts) all eyes are on her.

Come the gig’s triumphant finale, the crowd’s voices fill the Hexagon, singing along to the dreamy Starry Eyed as Ellie cries “I’m feeling sexy, let’s move!”  All this contributes to a new, more glossy, more confident Ellie Goulding.  When I saw her play the Shepherd’s Bush Empire back in the summer, her fame was still very much in the ascendency – she was the rising star.  But now, coming to the end of a full UK tour, we have the complete, fully fledged star.  And she’s amazing.

Ellie Goulding - Your Song

There’s always a danger when covering well known songs that you lay yourself open to a torrent of abuse and anger from fans of the original track. But every so often comes along a cover that is almost universally loved, and Ellie Goulding’s charming version of Elton John’s Your Song is one such track.

Away from the beats and electronic wizardry that typifies the sound of Goulding’s album, Your Song  lets her vocals shine through and highlights just what a talented singer she actually is. It’s sensitive, full of longing and emotion – the perfect song then for the winter season. It’s a shot of warmth on biting cold days, just the kind of tonic we can all use from time to time. And fronting up the current series of John Lewis adverts on TV, it’s been given the kind of exposure most artists can only dream of. This Christmas, everyone seems to be a winner.