Photography: Hagen Hopkins.
Musician Ali Whitton felt a huge sense of pride as he presented Ed Sheeran with a copy of his own debut album in Auckland earlier this year, moments before the global superstar took to the stage. The record, Between The Forest And The Stars, was the culmination of three years of hard work and while indie-folk artist Ali, 43, had poured his heart and soul into the end result, he knew it wouldn’t have happened without the encouragement of his mate Ed.
“I was super-excited to give it to him and he was stoked with it,” smiles Wellington-based Ali, who travelled to meet Ed backstage along with his son Jack, seven.
“He had a record player on tour with him, and messaged me that night to say he’d listened to it with the family and he thought it was great.”
The pair became friends 19 years ago when they played the same gigging circuit in the UK, where New Zealand-born Ali had grown up. At times, Ed would sleep on the floor of Ali’s London flat and they travelled to Edinburgh together in a minibus to perform at the famous festival.
“I remember watching Ed outside one of the venues – he would’ve been 16 at the time – doing a rap battle with a guy about twice his age,” reveals Ali, who’s also played solo to audiences in Paris.
“There were crowds everywhere and he was just rolling off rhymes. I remember thinking how incredibly talented he was but also how he worked really, really hard.”
An unexpected creative spark
After Ali moved back to New Zealand in 2010, they kept in touch, catching up during Ed’s trips to perform in Aotearoa. It was Ed’s encouragement in 2023, during his Mathematics Tour, that spurred Ali to put together an album.
During a soundcheck at the Cake Tin, Ali picked up Ed’s guitar and played what developed into Quiet My Heart – one of the tracks on his new album.
“Ed said he liked it and made some suggestions, so I finished it just before he left the country,” Ali recalls.
“He told me it was a good song and that I should record it.”
Ed also asked whether he’d ever tried writing a song a week.
“He said if I did, he’d help me pick the best ones,” explains Ali, who’d had a lull in musical creativity following a number of personal challenges, including recovering from long Covid, burnout and a relationship break-up.
From folk clubs to stadium stages
Ali first started gigging in his late teens, inspired by his mum Gitte Whitton, 73, who now lives in Napier, but in Yorkshire, he’d played guitar and sung in folk clubs.
“It’s a bit of a lonely existence being a singer- songwriter at my age,” Ali shares.
“I also have a full-time job commissioning health services and am a single dad, so to get a bit of a nudge from an old mate was amazing.”
It’s not the first time Ed’s encouraged Ali to step out of his comfort zone.
He remembers, “Just before Christmas 2017, I got a message from his manager saying Ed wondered if I’d like to open his Auckland shows in March the following year.”
For someone more used to playing to around 300 people, performing at Mount Smart Stadium, with each concert having sold 40,000 tickets, was a giant leap. As part of his country-folk band Lost Bird, together with fiddle and mandolin player Oliver Vetter, Ali relished entertaining the fans as they gathered.
“When I play, I talk a lot to the audience and I wondered how that would go with so many people,” Ali laughs.
“When we came on, the stadium was already half full, which was scary and incredible, but it went really well.”
From idea to debut album
Ali never would have imagined that thanks to further encouragement from one of the world’s best-selling music artists, he’d one day release an album. Throughout 2023, he filed 52 songs to Ed.
“He gave indications of some stronger ones and his encouragement was constant,” Ali shares.
“What was also beautiful about that year was that I was falling in love with my new partner and we’re now engaged.”
Ali worked with New Zealand music legends Dave Khan and Reb Fountain to bring the album to fruition, with Reb also co-writing Forever and Romance Films. He was also thrilled to have talented musicians Gus Agars and Steve Harrop perform on the resulting album, which blends folk and country music.
“I’m so pleased with the result,” Ali enthuses.
“There were times in the project when it was exhausting, especially towards the end when I was also planning the release of singles and a tour later this year. So just getting a little bit of energy in the tank from Ed was amazing.
“I’m super-grateful for the support and inspiration from him because his enthusiasm is contagious.”
Ali’s album Between The Forest And The Stars is out now. Catch him live at Wellington’s Vogelmorn Bowling Club this Thursday.
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