Elena Jane Goulding an haife ta ne a ranar 30 ga Disamba 1986 a Hereford kuma ta girma a Lyonshall, wani ƙaramin ƙauye kusa da Kington, Herefordshire, na biyu daga cikin yara huɗu (tana da ɗan'uwa da 'yan'uwa mata biyu). [1] A 9, ta fara kunna clarinet kuma a 14 ta fara koyon guitar. Goulding ta halarci Makarantar Sakandaren Lady Hawkins a Kington kuma, a lokacin da ta kai shekara 15, [1] ta fara rubuta waƙoƙi. Ta ɗauki A'levels a Turanci, Siyasa, Wasan kwaikwayo da Kiɗa, ta wuce na farko 3 tare da "A" maki amma Music ya kasa. Bayan da ta shiga digiri a Nazarin wasan kwaikwayo da wasan kwaikwayo a Jami'ar Kent kuma ta kasance har zuwa shekarar da ta gabata, ta sadu da Jamie Lillywhite wanda ya zama manajanta kuma ya gabatar da ita ga mai gabatarwa wanda zai zama babban mataimakinta kuma babban mai gabatarwa na Lights. Tambaya: A wane shekaru ne Elena ta fara kunna clarinet?
9 da kuma