Emeli Sande talks tour life, new music and dream concerts ahead of Birmingham show

The Real Life Tour – named after her new album Real Life, which is out on September 13 – kicks off at Stoke-On-Trent’s Regent Theatre on November 15. Emeli will perform in cities across the country including Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Newcastle before closing in Hull on December 13. The tour hits Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on December 2.

Sunderland-born Emeli, now 32, grew up in Aberdeenshire from the age of four and later went to the University of Glasgow to study medicine before pursuing her music career. The four-time Brit Award winner currently lives in East London.

Writer Rob McGibbon caught up with Emeli in London to talk about the new tour and life on the road, as well as the album and new single, Extraordinary Being, which came out last month.

So, Emeli, a big new tour on the horizon, how are you feeling about it all?

I’m feeling very excited because it has been such a long time since I have been able to perform a lot of new music live. That’s an exciting prospect and the tour is happening really soon after the album is released, so it will be fresh for the fans. Hopefully, if they’re digging the new tunes, we will get a nice reaction.

What can fans expect from the shows?

There’s definitely going to be a lot of soul and I think people will see me singing in a way they have not heard before. I also really want the freedom on this tour for us to create a new song each night by jamming into different riffs and melodies. We will improvise for a couple of minutes and have it recorded at every venue. Hopefully, by the end of the tour, we will have a compilation of original material, which will be a nice souvenir for everyone. But this is just an idea in my head at the moment – nobody knows about it yet!

I love improvising – that’s where a lot of my song-writing comes from. An audience doesn’t often get to see that spark – they only hear something that is completely polished and finished. So if we jam on the night, I think we could make a magical connection with the audience and capture the mood. I have never done this before, so it will be the thrill. Sometimes when you rehearse something so much, your brain is not being challenged, but this will keep us on point every night.

How are preparing for the tour?

Today is the first day of starting to eat right and to not drink any alcohol. Even this far out [five months!] I’m getting focused physically because, if I get it right now, then I will feel the full benefit later. I really want to increase my stamina and take care of my voice, which involves going teetotal for this period. Well, that’s the plan and I’m going to try my best!

I hear that yoga and meditation are now part of your health routine. How’s all that going?

Well, I’m enjoying both. Yoga is really bringing my mind and body to a more peaceful place.

Meditation is a bit more of a challenge, but I try to do it most days because I notice such a difference when I do it – even if it’s just for five minutes. It is good to find that stillness.

Do you suffer from nerves when performing?