Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth Now Emailing Pop Star Ed Sheeran About Collaboration

Folk-pop singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran suggested he was open to making a death metal album earlier this summer, citing Cradle of Filth as one of his childhood favorites. Dani Filth has since been in touch with the superstar about a potential collaboration, which he hopes, if it comes to fruition, will be released for charity.

In mid-July, Sheeran professed his heavy metal fandom, noting that Cradle of Filth and Slipknot were two bands that were in high rotation in his youth. "I was really into death metal as a kid," he told The Sun, and added, "That's something I've never thought about doing, but something I would not be opposed to creating."

Filth himself issued a response that basically amounted to a shoulder shrug as he stated, "I'll believe it when I see it," but left the door open when he said, "Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end."

Now, in an interview with Kerrang! Radio at Bloodstock Open Air in the U.K., Filth has confirmed that he and Sheeran have been in contact and explained how the seemingly oddball collaboration is something in his wheelhouse.

"I've actually been emailing with him… He actually touched base with me. I've been invited up to his place. Well, he said he could come down to mine, but I pointed out to him that I don't own my own bar or village, and it'd be better if I went there," began Filth.

"He said he'd do anything. Quite literally. He said he's a massive fan. He seems like a genuinely very nice guy actually," the singer said, praising the 30-year-old Sheeran, who has sold over 150 million albums worldwide since issuing his debut album in 2011.

In regards to how this potential musical union would be befitting of Filth's career, the Cradle of Filth frontman detailed, "We've always been like that. If someone tells us not to do something, then we'll do it. That's been our prerogative the whole time. I did this rap song with this band called Twiztid in America. It's actually turned out more like Rammstein and Beastie Boys than full-on rap."

He continued, "So, in that respect, I think it the Ed Sheeran collaboration would be great fun. I think it'd be great if we did it for charity, because at least it would bring a bit of credibility to it. Because obviously to his public, it'd be, like, 'Oh my god, he's got this weird comical guy,' and to my public it'd be, like, 'Oh my god, this is a bit weird, isn't it?' But I think that sort of thing nowadays works."

Filth also made a guest appearance on Bring Me the Horizon's amo track "Wonderful Life" in 2019.

Time will tell if the world will ever be graced with a Cradle of Filth and Ed Sheeran collab, but what is certain is that Cradle of Filth will release Existence Is Futile, their 13th studio album, on Oct. 22. They'll also embark on a headlining North American tour throughout October, performing the Cruelty and the Beast record in full each night. See those dates here.