“I made my father-in-law sob,” Ellie Goulding tells Apple Music. “That in itself makes me think I’ve hopefully done an all right job.” Goulding is feeling slightly anxious about recording a version of Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms” for her exclusive Apple Music Home Session. Like her weepy in-laws, we also don’t feel there’s any cause for concern. She taps into the majestic sorrow of a song she feels “people may have needed to hear at one point of quarantine.” Goulding is also passionate about shining a light on the Australian legend for some of her younger fans. “There are songs that are eternal and invincible,” she says. “This is one of them, and I’m very passionate about trying to act as a gatekeeper of these songs and these iconic artists where I can.” Goulding’s other selection highlights the emotional heft of her own writing. “Love I’m Given” is perhaps her album Brightest Blue’s most impactful moment, and it’s given added poignancy in this stripped-back setting. “As a woman in my job, I’ve felt I’ve had to apologize quite a lot for no reason,” she says. “With this song I’m singing about paying for the things I’ve done, but also asking, ‘What did I do?’ Part of that is to do with impostor syndrome, and it’s also where you’ve got yourself into a place of power and now have to apologize for it. I had also met someone at that time who I was giving out a certain kind of superficial love to, and receiving the same back. I then reached a place where I could give out this much cleaner, more pure love and began receiving it back in my life. So I’ve reached a place of power, but one that’s also quite peaceful.” Despite releasing Brightest Blue during the complex summer of 2020, the enforced simplicity of life has clearly benefited the singer-songwriter. “It’s been a time without distraction,” she says. “I think a lot of us use distractions to sort of escape what’s really going on with us. I found out what was really going on with me and I feel like I’ve been in a place to sort of deal with it.” And did lockdown spark any other good habits? “I’ve been playing the guitar a lot!” she says. “I’ll have a couple of wines and get lost in it. I could really shred on guitar, so it’s been nice to start improving again. Oh, and it’s been very nice to realize that I absolutely do not need to go shopping. I don’t need any more damn clothes.”