Ed Sheeran eyes backing band

British pop star Ed Sheeran plans to recruit a band in time for his third album.

The Lego House hitmaker shot to fame armed with just a guitar but now he plans to branch out from his simple stage arrangement.

Sheeran has moved from small venues like London's Barfly to huge stages such as Wembley Stadium in the U.K. capital using only a guitar effects 'loop pedal' but now feels he has exhausted that routine, and after watching Justin Timberlake perform with a big band, he is now open to using more musicians.

He tells Britain's The Sun newspaper, "In my head I've always seen the third record as where I get a band. The first gig we did on this tour was the Barfly in London, so I've gone from the Barfly to Wembley with a loop pedal. After that there's not much you can do with a loop pedal. I watched Justin at the V Festival this year. You either don't have a band or you have a band like that, you go for it or you don't."