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After 15 years, Ed Sheeran is no longer part of Warner Music Group. On Friday, the musician sent out a newsletter to his fans in which he revealed that he parted ways with Atlantic Records and Asylum Records last month. “This is not a story about a bitter artist leaving his label,” Sheeran wrote. “This is the story of a boy who started at this company as a teenager and had completely different priorities than the father of two he is today – and who feels that the way he goes about his career must fundamentally change.”
Sheeran released his first album, Plus, in September 2011 on Atlantic/Asylum. The labels then accompanied six more albums, including “Multiply”, “Divide”, “Subtract”, “Equals” and the start of his new series, “Play”. During this time, Sheeran developed from a couch-surfing bar musician into one of the biggest pop stars of his generation.
“Over the past 15 years, I have released an incredible amount of music and accomplished so much with this company. We have built something amazing together and experienced things that have changed our lives forever,” Sheeran wrote. “My life is very different now than it was when I was a teenager, and I’ve long felt that a lot of things need to change in my professional life. At my core, I’m a singer-songwriter who plays in bars. And somehow, over 15 years, I’ve morphed into this pop star who fills stadiums – that’s an incredible thing, but also a lot to come to terms with.”
A chance encounter, a great career
Sheeran landed at Warner through a chance meeting with Ed Howard, the former head of A&R at Asylum, an imprint of Atlantic, at a concert in Notting Hill. “I was 18 and I ended up on the couch with him and his now-wife. I played him a lot of music and we just talked about life and what I wanted to do,” he said. “I honestly didn’t know he worked at a record label at the time – I thought he was just a cool guy who would give me his place to sleep. But the next day I found out who he was and we started talking.”
Howard supported Sheeran by turning up to the “tiny little pub gigs that hardly anyone came to” – along with Ben Cook, who had previously managed Asylum. “When No. 5 Collaborations came out and I was offered a deal, I signed straight away. I love these guys so much,” Sheeran said, adding: “I love Ed Howard forever, I love Asylum forever, and the door is always open for the future. Thank you to everyone at Warner worldwide who has worked on my projects over the last 15 years – it’s been an incredible journey. I’m excited to see where the next 15 years take me.”
Warner Music Group said in a statement to Music Week: “Warner Music Group is proud to have accompanied Ed during his discovery and remarkable rise over the past 15 years, and grateful for the ongoing partnership. As we carry his iconic catalog into the future, we will ensure that his music touches hearts and sets feet dancing for generations to come. Everyone in the Warner Music family wishes Ed well as he begins the next chapter of his extraordinary artistic career.”
Own label as the next step
In his letter, Sheeran noted, “I leave with SO much love and gratitude for everything we have accomplished together.” The singer-songwriter has not yet specified where his future releases will appear – “Play” opens a series that will be continued with “Rewind”, “Fast-Forward” and “Stop”. He had previously founded his own vanity label Gingerbread Man Records under the umbrella of Warner Music Group. Both “Play” and the 2023 album “Autumn Variations” were released under this label.
