Today, grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran released his latest video for his single “Old Phone” featuring Ipswich, Massachusetts. To film the video, Sheeran created a pop-up English–inspired pub called The Old Phone Pub in the town at the end of March.
Sheeran began the secretive project by launching theoldphonepub.com, where he announced that he was working on “something exciting” and asked fans to text memorable messages and images to a number found on the site. The secret quickly became the hottest news item in Massachusetts. Word spread that the English pop star would be coming to Ipswich and fans turned out in full force to welcome Sheeran.
Sheeran explains the new song is about finding his old phone and going through text messages from friends that passed away, old relationships, and people he hadn’t seen in about 10 years.
The pop star also said, “I come from a small town in the U.K., and it’s near a big town called Ipswich. I heard about this place, and I wanted to come and build the pub here, and just get involved with the community for the day.”
The new video shows scenes around the town Ipswich as well as clips taken from inside the makeshift pub where Sheeran played to an audience selected by a lottery. Guests were choses by sending Sheeran old text messages or pictures that held meaning in their lives.