Dani Filth of Cradle of Filth and Ed Sheeran are planning a collaboration

Dani Filth: “[Sheeran] said he’d do anything, quite literally. He said he’s a massive fan.”

Ed Sheeran has acknowledged his love for extreme metal, and the pop sensation is now hoping to collaborate with Dani Filth of Cradle of Filth. The two UK artists have been texting each other about a possible musical collaboration, according to Dani.

Sheeran was cited in The Sun earlier this month as saying, “I was very into death metal as a kid.” I listened to Cradle of Filth, Slipknot, and other bands like that.” “I’m not saying I could ever enter into that world,” he continued. As a kid, I learned all of those riffs on guitar. That’s something I’ve never considered doing, but it’s something I wouldn’t mind doing.”

Shortly thereafter, Dani shared the article on his Instagram page, and quipped, “I’ll believe it when I see it. Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end. ‘Dracula’s Castle on the Hill’ anyone?” The reference was to Sheeran’s song “Castle on the Hill.”

Sheeran apparently reached out to the metal frontman after hearing that remark. “I’ve actually been emailing with him,” Dani revealed in a new interview with Kerrang! Radio. “No no, it’s true!” he said when the radio host asked if he was joking. He actually made contact with me.”

Dani went on to say, “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. He said he’d do anything, quite literally. He said he’s a massive fan. He seems like a genuinely very nice guy actually.”

While it would definitely be an unusual collaboration, Dani certainly seems up for it. “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 added, “So, in that respect, I think [an 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.”

As for the potential fan reaction, Dani concluded, “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.”

Cradle of Filth are currently working on their new album, Existence Is Futile, which will be released in October. The band recently released the album’s first single, “Crawling King Chaos,” as well as a fall U.S. tour, which you can find tickets for here.

Meanwhile, Sheeran has released a new tune called “Bad Habits” and co-wrote the BTS song “Permission to Dance.”