ELLE Discovers: Ganesh Murali Iyer’s Ghatam Brings Carnatic Rhythms To Ed Sheeran’s Latest Album 'Play'

When Ed Sheeran’s latest album Play finally dropped, fans hit play expecting heart-tugging ballads, catchy hooks, and his signature pop magic. What they might not have anticipated was the deep, resonant tones of a South Indian clay pot woven through multiple tracks.

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That instrument—the ghatam—has found its global moment, thanks to Mumbai-based Carnatic percussionist Ganesh Murali Iyer, who has become an unexpected bridge between centuries-old tradition and one of the world’s biggest pop stars. The artist sat with ELLE for an exclusive conversation about everything that went down in the recording studio.

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From Mumbai to Sheeran’s studio

Iyer is the first to admit that none of this was part of a carefully mapped plan. “I never expected to be part of such an international collaboration,” he says. With no industry contacts and only a modest online following, he had little reason to believe his path would ever cross with Sheeran’s. Then came a call from Abhishek Patil, then Head of A&R at Warner Music India, inviting him to a recording camp in Goa for an international artist. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would be Ed Sheeran. Just two days before the camp, I was told I’d be recording for his upcoming album Play. It was a moment of immense joy.”

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That excitement only grew once the sessions began. “International recording sessions move at a very fast pace—artists require multiple samples and variations in a short span of time. It was eye-opening and helped me further hone my skills,” Iyer explains. Beyond the music, what struck him most was Sheeran’s personality. “Despite being so talented, he is extremely simple and humble. And while he’s a remarkable singer, I also found he has an exceptional talent for percussion, with a deep sense of melody and rhythm.”

The ghatam wins Sheeran over

Sheeran’s fascination with the ghatam was immediate. “The first time he heard it live, he instantly loved the sound—soulful and earthy. He instinctively knew which songs it would fit into,” says Iyer. The ghatam now features on eight tracks across the album and its extended edition, from Azizam and Old Phone to Symmetry,Freedom,Heaven and Problems. “Freedom is where the ghatam shines the most, because Ed beautifully explored its soulful nature. But it’s also fascinating to hear it in Symmetry, an EDM-based track, where it takes on a very different texture.”

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The viral Instagram video of the two jamming together captures how natural the chemistry was. “We kept jamming on the ghatam because it was easier to play than instruments like the tabla or mridangam. It quickly became one of his favourites, alongside the sitar,” Iyer says. That shared joy culminated in a gift: one of the very ghatams they had played together. “It was in the pitch of his song Shape of You. Through Amy Webber from Atlantic Records and Warner Music India, I sent it from Mumbai to England, and now it sits in his studio.”

A childhood of rhythm

Iyer’s relationship with percussion goes back almost as far as he can remember. “When I was about two, my parents noticed I would bang my hands on tables and utensils at home, so they started buying me instruments as toys,” he recalls. His first serious training was with the mridangam under the legendary Dr Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman. Years later, he became Sivaraman’s student—a turning point in his musical journey.

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The ghatam came into the picture thanks to YouTube. “I came across a concert video featuring my guru on the mridangam and maestro Vikku Vinayakram on the ghatam. That was my first memory of hearing it. I instantly loved the sound, bought one, and started learning by watching videos of ghatam players online.”

Traditionally, the ghatam was considered an upa pakhavadhyam—a supporting instrument to the mridangam, rarely given the respect it deserved until Vinayakram elevated it in Carnatic music. Today, its clay body—crafted in Madurai from a mix of clay and metals—makes it not just unique in sound but also in ethos.

A pot that’s eco-friendly and future-ready

At a time when conversations around sustainability are unavoidable, the artist finds it meaningful that the ghatam stands apart from many other Indian instruments. “Unlike the tabla or mridangam, it doesn’t use animal skin or wood. It’s entirely eco-friendly. In this day and age, I strongly feel that we, as artists, must actively promote sustainability,” he says.

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That belief also guides his practice more broadly. “I often play a synthetic variant of the mridangam in my shows. I was inspired by MOX Asia’s work with the band Swarathma, where they organised a solar-powered tour centred on sustainability. Initiatives like these should be celebrated. At the end of the day, we are nothing without nature.”

Bridging Carnatic with global pop

On Play, Iyer is the only Carnatic musician featured, a milestone that feels both personal and cultural. “For me, blending Carnatic rhythms with global sounds was something entirely new. But music, rhythm, notes, beats—they’re the same in every genre. You just have to find the common link,” he says. “For example, Azizam is set in a 3/4 beat, which is very common in Indian folk music.”

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For Iyer, the collaboration is more than just a career milestone—it’s a reminder that Carnatic music isn’t confined to sabhas, baithaks, or classical festivals. “It can thrive in unexpected spaces,” he says. And now, as millions stream Sheeran’s record worldwide, they’re also hearing the sound of clay, rhythm, and centuries of history carried from Mumbai to the world.

Catch Ed Sheeran on the first episode of ELLE Mic Drop