Sandé was born in Scotland in 1987 and raised near Aberdeen. Her father was a teacher at her school and she loved to learn and do well. Music was a big inspiration for her, writing her first song at the age of 11 for a school talent show - however school was also a big part of her life. She attended university and obtained a degree in in neuroscience so she had a stable career to fall back on. Later, she married her long term boyfriend, who remained unnamed until their wedding, she cared for him and didn’t want him to be affected by her fame. They later divorced in 2014, just 2 years after marriage.
Sandé’s music is inspired by Nina Simone after seeing her performance of ‘Why?’ when Martin Luther King JR was assassinated. She said that she thinks music should be poetic and meaningful, wanting a real connection with her music rather than writing throwaway pop songs. Sandé doesn’t make music for the fame and she doesn’t make music that she doesn’t connect to, she’s passionate about her messages within her well thought out lyrics. As well as her own music, she wrote for both Susan Boyle and Leona Lewis; saying that she never actually met them but wished to as she admired them. She also says that her songs are about world peace and political issues, using “honesty” and “raw emotion” in her lyrics. Another inspiration for her in life, as well as music, was Frida Kahlo - she has a tattoo of her on her forearm that she got after university - she says that her bravery resonates with and encourages her.
In 2017 Sandé was made an MBE for her contributions to music, and in 2019 she was appointed as the new chancellor at the University of Sunderland.
