With only his guitar and loop station for company, Ed Sheeran took to the stage at The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to show the audience exactly how he pulls off a full-band sound all by himself. Explaining that he was never in a band in his younger years and admitting that he wasn’t “the coolest kid,” Ed shared that seeing musician Gary Dunn use a loop pedal live inspired him to try one for himself. He then decided to give viewers a demonstration of how the looper helped craft his sound.
With the help of Jimmy, Ed constructed his hit song ‘Shape of You’ from the ground up, looping each section on the station until the song began to take shape. Music Man fans will be amazed to hear how quickly the full sound of the song builds up, using only the simple elements recorded by Ed, who recorded each element in under a minute until the full song came alive. The impressive video gained over 500k views in only a few weeks, with fans commenting things like “That was ridiculously cool.”
I was not only impressed with how quickly Ed built up the song, but the ease and playfulness with which he did it. I felt as though I was watching a kid experiment with a new piece of music gear – only instead of bedroom noodling, what came out the other end of it was one of the biggest songs of the 2010s. For me, the enjoyment Ed clearly derives from making music is one of the most joyful things to see, as he somehow makes it all look effortless whilst delivering impressive results.
Ed’s loop station has seen him through playing small venues early in his career to selling out stadiums as his fame and success grew, staying a faithful companion to the way he builds his songs. When playing at Wembley Stadium as part of his Mathematics Tour in 2022, Ed Sheeran demonstrated how he used his looper station by building up his song “Shivers.” It’s even more impressive to see him build up an entire song live when under the pressure of thousands of expectant fans.
Whilst Ed has made a shift away from his looper in recent years, incorporating a band into his live sets in 2021, fans will be glad to see him dusting off the looper so they can still have the classic Ed experience. Now, having had a loop station created and named after him, he is undeniably one of the most famous artists to have championed the tool in writing and performance. To see him break down how he uses it will be a treat for our Music Man readers who love geeking out about gear – or for those who just love to see Ed’s undeniable talent on display.
Ed Sheeran continues to captivate audiences with his innovative approach, turning a simple performance into an unforgettable musical experience. His ability to transform and build his music from scratch highlights why he remains a standout artist. If you’re eager to delve deeper into Ed’s unique style and explore more about his journey, be sure to check out the links provided below.