Ed Sheeran has officially ended his 15 year run with Warner Music, closing a chapter that began when he was a sofa surfing teenager playing pub gigs in London.
In a statement published in Music Week, Sheeran recalled meeting Ed Howard of Asylum Records at 18, signing his first deal after No.5 Collaborations Project, and building a career that transformed him from singer songwriter to stadium filling pop star.
“Over the last 15 years, I’ve put out so much music and had so much success with that company. We’ve built something amazing together,” he wrote, adding that the decision was not about conflict but about change.
“This isn’t a disgruntled artist leaves record label type situation,” Sheeran explained. “This is a boy who started as a teenager on the company with different priorities, to the father of two man who exists now, who feels like he needs a shift and change in the way he does things professionally.”
Ed Howard, now co president of Atlantic Records UK, praised Sheeran’s journey: “From the sofa surfing teenager I met in 2009 to the global music icon he is today, Ed has spent the last 15 years showing the world what happens when unmatched talent meets unwavering integrity.”
Howard expressed his support saying he and Warner Music teams around the world stand “squarely in his corner” as Sheeran embarks on his next chapter.
