New Music Wednesday: Ed Sheeran

It's no secret that I tend to look to music for inspiration in my own writing.  Ani Difranco's "...I roll over and taste the pillow with my grin," is still one of my all-time favorite phrases.  Sarah McLachlan paints a haunting picture with, "The night is my companion and solitude my guide."  Peter Gabriel's, "In your eyes I see the doorway to a thousand churches," is a modern classic.

It's amazing that a twenty year old musician can stand in their company - and set the lyrical standard - even if he does look a lot like the movie version of Harry Potter's Ron Weasley...

Born in West Yorkshire, Ed Sheeran began his musical career at a very early age and began recording when he was 14 years old.  At the age of 18, with two independently produced albums and an EP under his belt, he moved to London and began playing at every opportunity.  In 2009, he played 312 gigs - to audiences as small as five people.

In 2010, he released his critically acclaimed Loose Change EP, which included what would become his debut single, "The A Team."  The video for the single, a haunting, beautifully written piece about drug addiction, was cost £20 to make.  While he has yet to be discovered by US audiences, "The A-Team" is currently #14 on BBC Radio 1's Official Top 40 Singles Chart.

Proving he's not a one-hit wonder (given the path he followed to reach this point of his career, it really shouldn't be a question), "Lego House" is currently at #18 on the same chart.  Lyrically, it's a little heavier handed than "The A-Team," but Mr. Sheeran once again demonstrates that he paints with words.

When I write, I approach each chapter as a song on a larger album.  While the entire album (or book) needs to be cohesive, I want each chapter to have a certain feeling that is all its own, much like the individual tracks on a CD.  That's one of the reasons why I turn to music as inspiration.  Not only does it create an emotion that I can channel into my own writing, but the way that a songwriter approach his or her lyrics shows me new ways of crafting my own prose.

Since music is such a huge part of my life, on Wednesdays my blog will be devoted to sharing the music that inspires me.  Much of it will be new to you as I'm constantly seeking out new artists in my offline world.