As any fan of The Boss could tell you, one of his most underrated records is easily Nebraska. A sparse, lo-fi record, it’s a challenging listen, but manages to be considered one of the greatest things that Bruce Springsteen has put his name to. Now, it turns out that one of pop music’s biggest names, Ed Sheeran, wants to emulate the record.
In 1980, Bruce Springsteen released The River, his first record to go #1 in the US. Following the success of this record, The Boss decided to lay low and record a far more introspective record that focused around blue collar characters and the challenges that they face in their lives. The end result, Nebraska, was a sharp turn away from the heartland rock that Springsteen had already made a name for himself with.
Without a tour to support the record, it was largely ignored upon release, but following the success that Springsteen saw with his follow-up record, Born In The U.S.A., fans began to discover this dark piece of musical history, and what’s more important is that they thought it was amazing.
In a recent interview with The Times, ‘Shape Of You’ singer Ed Sheeran noted that he is a fan of the record too, saying that he wants to do something similar rather soon.
“My plan is a lo-fi album that will be my lowest-selling, but most loved,” Sheeran said, taking inspiration from Springsteen’s 1982 classic.
“I only heard Springsteen recently,” Sheeran noted, claiming that it was Jon Snow that got him into The Boss. “I was with Kit [Harington] from Game Of Thrones. We had a night out in New York, got back to his hotel to drink more, and he played ‘Atlantic City’. Then, when I heard Nebraska…”
Of course, Ed Sheeran hasn’t said just when this record will, if ever, be released. While it’s a nice thought, considering that Springsteen’s back catalogue doesn’t exactly burst at the seams with mentions of ‘Galway Girls’ or ‘Castles On The Hill’, we’re not quite sure about what it will sound like if Sheeran takes a crack at it.
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Regardless, it’s refreshing to see young musos taking inspiration from the greats. Good work, Ed Sheeran, we hope this music business works out for you.
Check out Ed Sheeran’s new favourite, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Atlantic City’:
