Autumn Variations

Just a few months after unveiling his album Subtract, Ed Sheeran has transitioned to a fresh musical chapter. His inspiration for the new album draws on the changes and essence of the autumn season. While making Subtract, this album was actually what he and producer Aaron Dessner initially aimed to create. Influenced by composer Elgar's "Enigma Variation", which consists of 14 songs dedicated to 14 friends, Sheeran felt a similar drive. He desired to compose 14 songs reflecting on 14 friends, each resonating with the theme of autumn.

The previous autumn was a period of immense transformation for Sheeran and his friends. Songwriting became Sheeran's solace during trying times, helping him process his emotions and understand the whirlwind of events around him. As he became privy to the experiences of his friends, he penned songs from various viewpoints, encapsulating their and his own perspectives of the world during that period. Autumn Variations oscillates between the exhilarating highs of newfound love and friendships and the devastating lows marked by heartbreak, desolation, and internal turmoil.