Last Friday afternoon, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran hosted a 24-hour pop-up event in Ipswich to promote his upcoming album and new song “Old Phone” — and Marblehead’s folk artist Hayley Reardon was invited to perform.
She knew going into the event that it was likely Sheeran would be in attendance, but she had no clue he would come out right as she finished her set.
“That was really, really special,” Reardon said. “And then he played the song that was the pinnacle of the day — the song that he’s there to promote: ‘Old Phone’ — and then he did the most gracious, humble thing in the world and turned back around to me and gave the mic back to me and sat down on the floor and listened intently.
“I could always tell from being a fan and watching him that he’s a very genuine person, but this confirmed that 100 times. It was so, so generous and really just such a moment.”
In a split-second decision, Reardon chose to sing “Booze and Blueberries,” a song she released in 2012.
“(The song) felt right with this moment, and I knew that it was in my bones. I wouldn’t be shaken by Ed Sheeran sitting on the floor looking up at me,” she said.
Videos of this moment are uploaded to Reardon’s Instagram and TikTok accounts @HayleyReardon.
