Musician sparks online trend with Ed Sheeran cover

A young musician named Luke Gittins has recently gained attention online after he created a cover of Ed Sheeran's latest song, 'Azizam. ' Luke, who is 24 years old and hails from Chippenham, Wiltshire, managed to record his version of the song before it was officially released. He accomplished this impressive feat by carefully analyzing promotional clips of the song that were shared online. By piecing together these snippets, he was able to figure out the song's structure and teach himself how to use a loop pedal, a device that allows musicians to record and play back musical phrases in real time. Ed Sheeran, the renowned singer-songwriter, endorsed Luke's cover on his Instagram page even before the official release of 'Azizam,' which took place on a Friday. This endorsement has sparked a new trend on social media, with many other aspiring musicians attempting to cover songs they have not yet heard in their entirety. Luke expressed his excitement, stating, 'There's no higher privilege than having your work shared by the person who actually did the work and made the song. ' Luke Gittins worked diligently to create his version of 'Azizam' by utilizing the promotional clips he found online. He described his process as turning into a detective, piecing together the various teasers to get as close as possible to the actual song. He mentioned, 'I got incredibly close, I think, to what the actual live version will sound like. ' As a guitar teacher, Luke has developed a knack for figuring out songs quickly, attributing his skill to his extensive experience. He noted that the most challenging aspect of creating his cover was learning to use the loop pedal, which enables musicians to layer sounds and create complex musical arrangements with just one instrument. Luke expressed admiration for Ed Sheeran's ability to use a loop pedal during his lengthy performances, calling it 'genuinely baffling. ' This is not the first time Ed Sheeran has taken notice of Luke's talent. Back in March 2023, during a concert at the O2 arena, Luke was selected from the crowd to perform. He had been singing a cover of Ed's song 'Eyes Closed' while waiting in line for the concert, and other fans recorded the moment, sharing it online. Ed saw the video before the concert and recognized Luke in the front row. He praised Luke's performance, stating on Facebook that he was 'so prepared and so amazing without any heads up whatsoever. ' Luke clarified that he did not create his cover of 'Azizam' with the intention of catching Ed's attention. Instead, he simply believed the song was fantastic and wanted to share his rendition with others. He remarked, 'I've noticed a lot of people online are now trying to do the same thing, which is cool. ' Luke also suggested that it might be interesting to create covers with fewer teasers, turning it into more of a songwriting challenge. This new trend has inspired many aspiring musicians to take on the challenge of covering songs they have not yet heard in full, showcasing their creativity and talent.