Ellie Goulding is a singer and a songwriter from Hereford, England. She started songwriting at the age of 15. Her path to stardom began when record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik found her. She was also spotted by Jamie Lillywhite who later became her manager. She released her debut single 'Under the Sheets' in 2009 with an independent records company called Neon Gold Records although she had signed up with Polydor records. Before she could release her first solo album, she won the BBC Sound of 2010 poll. Her debut album was Lights which released in 2010 and reach no. 1 on UK's Album Charts. Later that year she re-released Lights as Bright Lights. She covered Elton John's ''Your Song'' and it reached number two in the UK in December 2010. On 29 April 2011 she performed the song at the wedding reception of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Buckingham Palace.
She released her second album Halcyon in 2012 which debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. Halcyon Days, a repackaged edition of Halcyon, was released on 23 August 2013, it included new singles including ''Burn'', which became her first UK number-one single in the same month, as well as ''I Need Your Love'' with Calvin Harris and ''How Long Will I Love You''. At the 2014 BRIT Awards she received the award for Best British Female. Influenced by Bjrk, Imogen Heap, Lauryn Hill and Kanye West, Goulding is recognised for her high piercing vibrato, breathy tone and emotive delivery.