Some question whether or not artists speaking out in support of various causes or issues really does help raise awareness or make a difference.  Well, Ellie Goulding has actual proof that her work as an environmental activist has inspired fans to take action themselves.

Ellie’s finishing up a U.K. tour in support of her new album Higher than Heaven, and in between dates, she’s been holding record-signing events. A few days ago, she posted photos of one of these events, with the caption, “So very lucky to have you all.”  But her fans are pretty lucky to have her, too, based on what they tell her when they meet her.

“Some people say, ‘We had your song at our wedding,'” Ellie tells ABC Audio about her fan encounters. “Some people say I got them through college. Some people say that I got them through the worst time of their life. And it’s things like that that make me just grateful that I can put my music out there.”

“It makes me genuinely feel happy when I know that I’ve helped people,” she notes. 

But what really makes her happy, she says, is when fans tell her that her environmental activism has gotten them interested in the subject.

“They also say — which is always nice to hear — ‘Thanks for teaching me things about the environment I didn’t know or didn’t think of,’ and ‘I’ve been talking about it in my school’ or ‘I’ve spoken to my local representatives,'” she shares. 

“That makes me feel like… it’s been productive and useful,” she explains.

But not all her fan encounters are so serious.

“There’ll be other [fans] that are just like ‘Aggghhh!’ and go crazy and [are] just silly,” she laughs. “And I love that too!”

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