Niall Horan has revealed how Ed Sheeran has helped him tackle songwriting during the coronavirus crisis.
The One Direction star, who recently released album Heartbreak Weather, said he has been adjusting to working at home.
He told Zane Lowe on Apple Music: “I have found it, up until now, hard to get writing, but we figured out a way, and I’ve got some sort of a little studio set up here with a mic and an interface and stuff.
Words of experience and empathy @NiallOfficial #athomewith 🤙🏼 #NiallHoran #HeartbreakWeather pic.twitter.com/RUY0XnWdI9
— Zane Lowe (@zanelowe) April 9, 2020
“So they keep me busy and keep that boredom off. I was one of those people that was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got loads of time now. I’m going to write a song a day and it’s going to be the best stuff I’ve ever written because I’ve got loads of time to think about it’.
“And then I just found myself just sitting down to write and just coming up with a load of crap.
“And then the other day I was speaking to Ed Sheeran and I was asking him what he was doing and was he writing any bits? And he was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve kind of like set myself a challenge. I’m going to try and write a song a day before lunch’.
“And he said, ‘If I can come out with one big song out of this quarantine period, then I’ve won’.
.@NiallOfficial shares music with @zanelowe and talks about staying connected with artists like @LewisCapaldi, @ShawnMendes and @edsheeran while at home. Listen on @AppleMusic. https://t.co/D6LopWRsQL pic.twitter.com/srryZSKkBB
— Beats 1 (@Beats1) April 8, 2020
“I really agree with him. He’s unbelievable that he can do that.
“I mean, all of us are not that gifted, but I’ve come up with bits and pieces, like nice little verses and some good choruses and stuff. And if I can just record them in some shape or form or I come out with something half decent at the end of it, I’ll be happy.
“But it’s just something to kind of keep ticking over.”
Horan added that he thinks there will be great songs that come out of this moment because musicians “have so much time alone with your thoughts”.
He said: “You’ve got nothing else to do apart from go to the store or go for a run workout for half an hour.
“Apart from that, you’re spending all of your time with your thoughts. When you lay in bed, when you’re sitting on the sofa, there’s going to be a lot more deep thinking and a lot more to write about.”