![\"Sheeran1-Issue-No36\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Sheeran1-Issue-No36.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nEd Sheeran pushes acoustic boundaries to find new musical territory<\/b><\/p>\n
He arrived on the mainstream music scene three years ago with a massively successful debut album of delicately crafted acoustic ballads. So it might have been understandable if the world had gotten used to thinking of Ed Sheeran as a laid-back, reliable balladeer. But the 23-year-old troubadour has since emerged as a pop phenom, a creative dynamo whose varied projects reflect unbridled energy that even he doesn\u2019t seem to know how to tame. \u201cI want to one day run out of steam and just chill,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019d like to get to a point where you just reach a level and stay there\u2014you know, how Springsteen never dropped from being Springsteen. But right now the spark\u2019s definitely full flame.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sheeran grew up in the English hamlet of Framlingham\u2014where his parents ran an art consultancy firm\u2014and discovered that music provided a sense of direction. \u201cI was a misguided kid,\u201d recalls Sheeran, who penned his first song at 11. \u201cI needed focus\u2014and as soon as I started writing songs and playing shows, that became my focus.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his mid-teens, with his parents\u2019 blessing, Sheeran dropped out of school, moved to London, began gigging relentlessly, and self-released a string of EPs. He moved to L.A. in 2010 and spent a year couch surfing and working open mic nights. He eventually landed a record deal and a management contract with Elton John\u2019s Rocket Music. \u201cThe last EP I put out sold close to 10,000 in its first week, without a label,\u201d he says. \u201cSo by the time I signed to Atlantic, I had a fan base that was buying CDs, and I had the radio expectancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sheeran\u2019s years of tireless groundwork served him well in England, where his debut album, +, met with instant success. Powered by the singles \u201cThe A Team\u201d and \u201cLego House,\u201d the record achieved multiplatinum status and earned Sheeran two Brit Awards\u2014the U.K. equivalent of Grammys\u2014for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. America proved tougher to crack, but \u201cThe A Team\u201d\u2014a melancholy ballad about a doomed prostitute\u2014burned slowly up the charts, eventually cracking the Top 20. \u201cI\u2019m still surprised radio played it,\u201d says Sheeran. \u201cNot everyone gets that tune, although rappers always did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among those taking notice was Taylor Swift. After partnering with Sheeran to write the hit \u201cEverything Has Changed,\u201d on her smash album Red<\/i>, the country star recruited the up-and-coming singer as opening act for her 2013 arena tour. \u201cIt\u2019s a healthy relationship,\u201d says Sheeran of his friendship with Swift. \u201cWe\u2019re almost the same age and do the same sort of thing. Obviously she\u2019s a lot more advanced in her career than I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exposure brought Sheeran legions of new fans, enabling him to sell out three consecutive solo shows at New York\u2019s Madison Square Garden that same year. Three Grammy nominations quickly followed\u2014including nods for Best New Artist and Song of the Year. He\u2019s since written songs with pop singers Hilary Duff and Demi Lovato and acclaimed London soul singer Jessie Ware.<\/p>\n
Sheeran\u2019s latest, X<\/i> (pronounced \u201cmultiply\u201d), mines new terrain without sullying the singer\u2019s reputation for lovelorn acoustic balladry. In addition to soundman Jake Gosling, who produced +, Sheeran tapped hit-makers Rick Rubin, Pharrell, Benny Blanco and Jeff Bhasker to helm various aspects of the record. \u201cI listened to a lot more types of music prior to making this album,\u201d he explains. \u201cI expanded my musical palette, stepped outside my comfort zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the most striking departures is the first single, \u201cSing.\u201d Produced by Pharrell, the tune finds Sheeran strumming acoustic guitar to an infectious dance-pop beat. \u201cI wanted to make something \u2018Justin Timberlakey,\u2019\u201d he says, describing the song as a successful experiment. \u201cDon\u2019t\u201d\u2014a similarly groove-based dance track\u2014was produced by Blanco and Rubin. \u201cTogether, I knew they would make something really super-powered,\u201d says Sheeran.<\/p>\n
Mostly, X<\/i> uplifts and expands Sheeran\u2019s status as a powerful and sensitive troubadour. Ballads like the somber \u201cPhotograph\u201d and the beautifully majestic \u201cTenerife Sea\u201d tug the heartstrings with soulful romanticism. \u201cUntil now I\u2019ve been viewed as an acoustic balladeer who sings soppy love songs to teenage girls,\u201d says Sheeran. \u201cThat\u2019s something I\u2019ve never shied away from, and it\u2019s something I can do quite well. But this record is more of a step forward.\u201d Sheeran discussed the new record, handling success, and what\u2019s required to write a good love song.<\/p>\n
What was your goal for\u00a0the album?<\/b><\/p>\n
It was largely about writing a bunch of songs and then selecting the best. I ended up with more than 100, and I made sure to listen to them every day. The ones I got sick of were taken off the list, and the ones left over eventually made the album. It was all about having good songs first, and production, second.<\/p>\n
Did you plan on using various producers?<\/b><\/p>\n
Not at all. The plan was to do it the same way we recorded the first album. I hadn\u2019t yet broken through in America when we began, so there were no producers asking<\/i> to work with me. As things got more successful in America, people like Rick Rubin and then Pharrell popped up.<\/p>\n
At one stage, Rubin was slated to produce the entire album.<\/b><\/p>\n
That\u2019s right. I recorded most of the songs soon after I wrote them, and those recordings were carried forward with Rick. There were some demos where we kept the original layer. But when I did \u201cSing\u201d with Pharrell, I felt that would have stuck out like a sore thumb on an entire Rubin-produced album. \u201cSing\u201d was more of an experiment than anything else. I wanted to see what it was like to work on a song with Pharrell. We did three songs together, and two ended up on the album. But at the start I didn\u2019t know we\u2019d go in that direction.<\/p>\n
Elton John and Taylor Swift insisted that \u201cSing\u201d be chosen as the first single.<\/b><\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t just Elton and Taylor. That was pretty much everyone\u2019s choice. Obviously I ended up following their advice. Originally I felt \u201cSing\u201d was meant for another project. Plus I had reservations because I couldn\u2019t play it live by myself. It\u2019s a very band-oriented song. The rest of the record I could do with the loop pedal. Since then I\u2019ve worked out a way to play the song solo. But initially I thought, \u201cI\u2019m going to have to play this every day, everywhere\u2014and I can\u2019t do it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Compare Rubin and Pharrell.<\/b><\/p>\n
In some ways their approaches are very similar: They know what they like and enjoy pushing boundaries. That said, Pharrell is more of a full<\/i>-sounding producer\u2014he likes a fat, beefy sound. Rick is more of a reducer. He removes everything that doesn\u2019t need to be there, leaves the bare bones of the song and the performance. Rick is the reason the album became an album. Before he got involved, it was just a bunch of songs. He helped me with it both emotionally and musically.<\/p>\n
Which song surprised you most?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cAfire Love.\u201d It took a while to come together. It started off as just a beat with a hook, and then bit by bit the verses were finished over the course of a year. It was built in a very natural sort of way.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t\u201d also came together in an unusual way.<\/b><\/p>\n
I did a version with Benny Blanco, adding his pop sensibilities, and then I did a version with Rick that featured his unique sensibilities. I wanted to find a balance between the two. I really liked Benny\u2019s drums but then I also liked Rick\u2019s ideas\u2014so we put them both in a room together. I had finished my recording, so they collaborated and sent it to me. I actually wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n
![\"Sheeran2-Issue-No36\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Sheeran2-Issue-No36.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Do beat-oriented pop songs feel as natural as ballads?<\/b><\/p>\n
The songs that come most naturally are the ones where I feel I\u2019m getting something off my chest\u2014storytelling, I suppose. \u201cSing\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t\u201d are quite radio-friendly, but they also tell stories I felt needed to be told. Songs like \u201cOne\u201d and \u201cAfire Love\u201d and \u201cThe Man\u201d aren\u2019t especially radio-friendly, but they do the same thing. As long as a song holds meaning and comes from the heart and soul, it doesn\u2019t matter which side of the ledger it comes down on.<\/p>\n
Do you always write on your Martin LX1E?<\/b><\/p>\n
Not necessarily. I always write on guitar but I\u2019ve written on Taylors and Lowdens as well. A song typically begins with an idea recorded to my phone. I stock them\u2014sometimes for a long period of time\u2014and eventually flesh them out.<\/p>\n
How did you develop your stage act with an acoustic guitar and loop pedal? Had you seen others do that?<\/b><\/p>\n
Not to this level. A guy named Gary Dunne, who I first saw as a support act for Nizlopi in 2005, was the first person I saw using a pedal. I always thought I would stop using it at some point, but I never did. The stage show evolved as I evolved.<\/p>\n
Will it change as you play\u00a0bigger arenas?<\/b><\/p>\n
No, I have a niche. I stand out from the pack because I do the arena level with just the loop pedal. Having a band would be an unhealthy thing for me right now. After my music plateaus a bit, I\u2019ll put together a band.<\/p>\n
You surprised many when you sold out three consecutive shows at Madison Square Garden.<\/b><\/p>\n
You can\u2019t measure an artist\u2019s success through record sales nowadays. That\u2019s something I understood. The industry looked at me as someone who had sold 800,000 records. I saw everything else\u2014the number of kids who were into the music, kids who don\u2019t buy music but instead stream it or illegally download it. When you\u2019ve sold 800,000 records, and you have a young fan base, you should probably add another 3 or
\n4 million to that figure. With that fan base you can fill an arena. People are more likely to pay to see a show than they are to buy an album.<\/p>\n
Was your success in the\u00a0U.S. surprising?<\/b><\/p>\n
When I was first starting out in England there wasn\u2019t as big a singer-songwriter scene. It had been years since Damien Rice or James Blunt or David Gray had released anything, so I slotted into that vacant space quite easily. In America, when I first came over there was John Mayer, Jason Mraz\u2014those types of singer-songwriters. I wasn\u2019t expecting to just come to America and slot in easily. That whole scene was already established.<\/p>\n
Know a hit when you hear it?<\/b><\/p>\n
No, I thought \u201cThe A Team\u201d wouldn\u2019t be a hit, and \u201cLego House\u201d would be. \u201cLego House\u201d was a hit in most countries but not in America. I can tell what a good song is, but I can\u2019t tell you when a song is good for radio. I\u2019m not sure anyone can, really\u2014otherwise, people wouldn\u2019t have songs that don\u2019t work on radio.<\/p>\n
You once said trying to please everyone is a certain path to failure.<\/b><\/p>\n
That\u2019s true. I have quite a young female fan base, and they like poppy love songs. I could have made an entire album of those songs. But spoon-feeding your audience is always a negative thing\u2014they want quality and don\u2019t want to be pandered to.<\/p>\n
![\"Sheeran3-Issue-No36\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Sheeran3-Issue-No36.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Do you require a muse to inspire love songs?<\/b><\/p>\n
I think you can never be \u201cin between.\u201d Songs are born out of real emotion. You have to be drastically happy or drastically unhappy. If you have a muse who keeps you level and keeps you comfortable, you\u2019re probably not going to write. If you\u2019re with someone who makes you either extremely happy or extremely unhappy, that\u2019s when songs will come.<\/p>\n
Does that mean a life of drama?<\/b><\/p>\n
No, most people who are famous for love songs tail off at some point. They get married and have kids and get comfortable in that situation. There\u2019s nothing that pisses them off anymore. Actually that\u2019s probably my future. I\u2019ll join every other singer-songwriter who ever made pissed-off albums and then doesn\u2019t make pissed-off music anymore.<\/p>\n
Why do female artists want to work with you?<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure. (laughs<\/i>) There are quite a few guys as well, but I don\u2019t do male collaborations so much. I feel one man can sing a song just as well as two men can, especially in my genre. When you work with a female singer-songwriter you can do a variety of things. Those duets always sound different and interesting.<\/p>\n
Has success been what you expected?<\/b><\/p>\n
You hear lots of horror stories, but it\u2019s not bad at all. Things people say lead you to believe it\u2019s worse than it is. They\u2019ve probably had a tougher time of it than I have. I haven\u2019t been followed around by paparazzi or been closely scrutinized. You do get knocks against your confidence with bad reviews, but that\u2019s no different from doing an exam and getting a bad grade. Actually it\u2019s not even like that. It\u2019s more like doing an exam and having someone grade it who doesn\u2019t necessarily know the subject themselves.<\/p>\n
What are the keys to sustaining a career?<\/b><\/p>\n
Humility, constant evolution, and being open to new things.
\nI never want to just rehash old stuff. \u201cSing\u201d is a good example. Doing that with Pharrell is something I never would have thought about, and yet it ended up furthering my career much more than I ever imagined.<\/p>\n
Best advice you\u2019ve received?<\/b><\/p>\n
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. That was my Dad\u2019s advice. I live by that on a day-to-day basis.\u00a0 M<\/p>\n
BY RUSSEL HALL<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNPLUGGED & ON FIRE Ed Sheeran pushes acoustic boundaries to find new musical territory He arrived on the mainstream music scene three years ago with a massively successful debut album of delicately crafted acoustic ballads. So it might have been understandable if the world had gotten used to thinking of Ed Sheeran as a laid-back, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4835,23],"tags":[4112,3308,1063,6733,7508,7509,7510,7513,7514,7512,1172,7511,2949],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12865"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12865"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12872,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12865\/revisions\/12872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}