She grew up in Västerås, in Vallentuna and in Johannesburg in South Africa. At 16, Krauss posted his first song "New York" on Soundcloud. She was discovered via it by producers Christian Walz and Johan "Jones" Wetterberg.

She is completely self-taught, Ellen spent hours watching tutorials on YouTube and soaking up inspiration from artists ranging from Ed Sheeran and Adele, to AC/DC and Bruce Springsteen.