- Written by Stephen Mackintosh and Emma Saunders
- entertainment reporter
Golding is known for hits such as “Burn,” “Love Me Like You Do,” “Starry Eyed,” and “Goodness Gracious.”
Ellie Goulding said nature “saved me” after suffering postnatal depression after the birth of her son in 2021.
She said that when she walked in the countryside, “I would start to feel life coming back to me.''
She added on Radio 4's Today programme, of which she was a guest editor, that it helped her “take the numbness away”.
Golding said the only other thing that helped was holding her son tightly.
The singer said she “desperately researched” postpartum depression because she “felt like I was losing my sanity.”
She said she would put on a big coat and boots and “just put one foot in front of the other, even over my pajamas, and go out into the field.”
What is postpartum depression?
According to the NHS, it is a type of depression that affects one in 10 women in the first year after giving birth.
Many women experience “baby blues” after giving birth, when they feel depressed, tearful, and anxious, but this doesn't last more than two weeks.
Symptoms include persistent sadness or low mood, trouble sleeping at night, difficulty bonding with the baby, and withdrawal from others.
Midwives and GPs can help people suffering from this disease. Treatment includes antidepressants, psychotherapy, and self-help advice.
For more information about postpartum depression, NHS website.
She has suffered from anxiety since childhood, and says, “Nature was one of the things that rescued me from that anxiety…My upbringing was pretty chaotic and dysfunctional, so my escape was… It was…to take a walk.”
She said some of her childhood anxiety may have been due to her parents divorcing when she was 5 years old and listening to them discuss money issues. .
“Conversations were often about money. If we could afford something…maybe school, or just food.”
Furthermore, she added: “I've always been a worrier. When I walk into a room full of people, I start panicking, as if someone is trying to kill me. Of course they aren't! But my body… tells me that it is “dangerous.'' “
MeToo movement
Golding also spoke about his experience in the music industry, saying there are better protections for young singers now than when he started his career in 2010.
She said she felt “uncomfortable” when working in the studio with male producers.
“I definitely think things have changed a little bit, especially since the MeToo movement.”
The singer added that his record label chaperones young artists.
This led to a reckoning in the entertainment industry, with several women coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault against prominent men.
image source, Getty Images
Golding said of MeToo: “I think it's been really, really important for people to continue to speak out about their personal stories, because I know there's a lot of stuff going on that just wasn't being talked about.
“I don't think many people felt comfortable talking about their personal studio experiences.”
When asked if he ever felt vulnerable while working in a recording studio, Golding replied: “I went through a kind of normalization in my head and thought, oh, 'maybe this is just a thing,'” he said.
“I go into the studio and then the producer asks if I want to go out for drinks. And I'm a very polite person and I don't like letting people down. I don't like letting people down.”
“And I was like, 'Oh, yeah, we should definitely go out for drinks.' Then it somehow feels like a romantic thing, even though it shouldn't be.”
“A type of currency”
The singer continued, “I don't want to romanticize it, but there was always a slight discomfort when you went into the studio and there were only one or two men writing and producing. Something like that.
“And I had to try to figure out if it was just me or if there was something going on in my head. But I also heard a lot of other stories and other women musicians. I heard similar stories from singers and singers, and I realized that I wasn't the only one who felt that way.''Not at all. I wasn't the only one who was particularly friendly. ”
Golding described these advances as “a kind of currency” in the music industry.
“It was kind of an unspoken understanding, almost an expectation if you were working with a male producer, but it would be crazy for me to say it out loud. That would never happen now, I mean, it would be extremely rare, because things have really just changed.
“For example, the young artists at my record label, Polydor, now have a chaperone when they go to the studio. They also have the opportunity to talk to a counselor and talk to someone about their experiences as up-and-coming artists. Given.Musician.”
She further added, “When you're writing music in the studio, it's a vulnerable place.”
Ellie Goulding, who grew up in Herefordshire, topped the BBC Sound poll in 2010 and enjoyed success with her debut single Starry Eyed and album Lights.
Since then, she has released songs such as “How Long Will I Love You,” “Burn,” “Love Me Like You Do,” “Goodness Gracious,” and her collaboration with Calvin Harris, “I Love You.” He ranked in the top five with songs such as “Need Your Love''.
If any of the issues mentioned in this article apply to you, you can find details of organizations that can help by following the links below. BBC action line.
