Songwriter

Ed Sheeran up close, in a sweaty t-shirt after a performance, far away from raving fans and the stage. This personal portrait of the British singer-songwriter, filmed by his cousin Murray Cummings, follows this modest performer’s creative process as he writes a new song from scratch that will entrance millions. From an early-morning jam in the garden to the finished song, from the first chord to the honed lyrics. Whether we are observing the tension during a recording session at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, Ed’s collaboration with producer Benny Blanco, Ed crossing the ocean on the Queen Mary 2 because of Benny’s fear of flying, or paying a visit to his first musical mentor at his old high school, Cummings lets us hear from the people that know Ed best. Showing us photos and family, he makes use of his own memories and the various stages of Ed’s development to create a portrait of a man obsessed by music. The film eschews the celebrity hype to concentrate on the intensive work on the current album in California’s creative quarter, providing us with intimate insights into the workings of this musician as he navigates between his own artistic aspirations and the demands of the music industry.