It’s good to have friends in high places: Ed Sheeran has signed touring buddy Foy Vance to his Gingerbread Man Records label, marking the second signing for Sheeran after the smashing success of his first signee Jamie Lawson, whose album debuted at No. 1 in the UK this past October.
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Sheeran launched Gingerbread Man under Atlantic Records in August along with an accompanying YouTube channel where he could post videos of Gingerbread Man artists. The surprise success of Lawson’s self-titled album proved that Sheeran was not only a brilliant artist, but businessman as well. He took to Twitter this morning to announce the newest addition to his roster, calling Vance “one of my all time favourite artists and inspirations.”
I’ve signed my second act to my label. One of my all time favourite artists and inspirations, get a free track at – https://t.co/CHllN3XvKt
— Ed Sheeran (@edsheeran) November 30, 2015
Sheeran and Vance have been mutual admirers and collaborators for years now; the Irish folk rocker, who already has two full-length albums under his belt, has joined Sheeran on tour in the past and even co-wrote “Tenerife Sea and Afire Love” from Sheeran’s hit album X. Sheeran has also covered songs of Vance’s, whose work has appeared on TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Sons of Anarchy. Vance’s website reveals that “recording for his Gingerbread Man debut is underway at the legendary Blackbird Studios (Nashville, TN) with Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Norah Jones, James Bay, Kings of Leon, Of Monsters and Men), and will be due out Spring, 2016.”
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Vance told The Independent in 2013 that his relationship with Sheeran had become “a bit of a bromance” since they first started working together in 2011 – though Sheeran had actually been a fan of the older Irishman since first seeing him perform four years before that. In fact, Sheeran has lyrics from Vance’s song “Guiding Light” tattooed on his arm. “We both have Irish blood in us — and a love of drink, so there’s never been a time hanging out with Foy when I’ve gone to bed before 5am,” said Sheeran. “We may have musical differences — I’ve got more into hip-hop and Eminem; he’s into soul and Ray Charles — but now inspiration comes just being in a room with him and guitar-jamming; with him, songs just come out.”