After 15 years, Ed Sheeran is no longer part of Warner Music Group. On Friday, the musician shared a newsletter with fans revealing he split from Atlantic Records and Asylum Records last month. “This isn’t a ‘disgruntled artist leaves record label’ type situation,” Sheeran wrote. “This is a boy who started as a teenager on the company with different priorities, to the father of 2 man who exists now, who feels like he needs a shift and change in the way he does things professionally.”
Sheeran released his first album, Plus, under Atlantic/Asylum in September 2011. The labels would go on to oversee the release of six more albums, including Multiply, Divide, Subtract, Equals, and the new series starter, Play. During this stretch of time, Sheeran went from couch surfing pub player to one of the biggest pop stars of his generation.
“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, and enjoyed such life changing stuff happening to us,” Sheeran wrote. “My life is hugely different now to what it was when I was a teenager, and I’ve been feeling in my gut for a long time that a lot of things in my professional life need to change. I am, underneath it all, a singer songwriter who plays pub gigs. And I’ve sorta morphed into this pop star who plays stadiums over 15 years, it’s a super amazing thing to have happened but also a lot to get your head around.”
Sheeran landed with Warner after a chance meeting with Ed Howard, formerly head of A&R for Asylum, an imprint of Atlantic, at a show in Notting Hill. “I was 18 and I ended up crashing at his and his now wife’s house. Whilst there I played him a bunch of music, and just chatted about life and what I wanted to do,” he said. “I honestly didn’t know at the time he worked at a record label, I thought he was just someone cool who was letting me crash on his sofa. But the next day I found out who he was, and we started chatting.”
Howard supported Sheeran by coming to the “tiny tiny pub gigs no one came to,” alongside Ben Cook, who previously helmed Asylum. “When No. 5 Collaborations came out, and I was offered a deal, I signed instantly. I love those 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 everyone across Warner worldwide who has worked on my projects over the last 15 years, it’s been an incredible journey. Excited to see where the next 15 years takes me.”
Warner Music Group said in a statement via Music Week, “Warner Music Group is proud to have supported Ed through his discovery and remarkable rise over the past 15 years and grateful for his continued partnership. As we steward his iconic catalogue into the future, we’ll ensure that his music will touch hearts and move feet around the world for generations to come. Everyone in the Warner Music family wishes Ed the very best as he embarks on the next chapter of his extraordinary artistic journey.”
In his note, Sheeran wrote, “I leave the company with SO much love and gratitude for everything we have achieved together.” While the singer-songwriter hasn’t detailed where his future releases will live (Play kicks off a series that will continue with Rewind, Fast-Forward, and Stop), he previously founded his own vanity label, Gingerbread Man Records, under Warner Music Group. Play and 2023’s Autumn Variations were both released under the label.
