Acoustic Artist Research
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is a singer-song-writer born in Halifax, Yorkshire and Raised in Suffolk. His music surrounds the acoustic guitar; however, more recent music includes his take on R&B as well as Rap music. Although he has featured in many collaborations none of these feature on his released albums as all of his music is very personal and the lyrics speak directly to the audience which would not have the same connection if other artists featured too. His image is irrelevant to his music as his personal belief is that music should sell as a result of its quality rather than the way the artist looks. In the music videos released for his debut album he only made small appearances in cameo roles with exception of Small Bump. This is a very personal song subject to the topic of a family miscarriage. I believe that his star role in this video makes it known to his audience that personal involvement with the songs he writes allows him to interact more with the fans. He began to appear more in his 2nd album’s released videos as the audience had already established his musical influence and therefore could get to know him as well.
James Bay
James Bay is a singer-songwriter from Hertfordshire who’s music surrounds an acoustic guitar. His debut single ‘hold back the river’ reached number one and certified platinum and kick started his debut album release in 2015. His image is simple but stylish as he can usually be found wearing a hat with a shirt or t-shirt. His videos are typically performance videos and generally feature his guitar which demonstrates authenticity in his music. His long hair is a huge element in presenting image which is always seen in his videos, posters and albums.
