“After getting rejected by just about every stadium in the country, Six Figure Sound was on the verge of executing plan B (find a field and improvise)”
In early June, Six Figure Sound teamed up with Maidenhead United F.C. and around 30 children to shoot a music video for a brand-new England World Cup anthem called ‘2 Stars’. The Dr K-produced song features an earworm of a chorus and two guest rappers, STEVEO and LGEE.
‘2 Stars’ took 17 mixes over the course of 2 months to get right. After flirting with the idea, which came from the fact that England’s current crowd pleasers are Wonderwall (not a football song) and Three Lions (which is now out of date as it has been sixty years of hurt, not thirty), Dr K recorded some vocals in early April which included the chorus: “Three lions, two stars! Three lions, two stars!” which of course refers to our quest to follow up our crest’s lone star from 1966. The foundations had been laid down for a stadium-and-family-friendly summer song in support of an England team that has given fans more reason to be optimistic than any other in living memory.
After hearing the pilot version and seeing the vision, STEVEO was the first guest to record a verse. He has been a regular at Six Figure Sound for the past year, where him and Dr K have been working on a concept album called ‘The Bucket List’. In the ‘2 Stars’ video, you can see STEVEO rapping on a mobility scooter and crutch: after suffering life-changing spinal damage from a workplace accident several years ago, where he even flatlined in the hospital, this mobility equipment is now a part of his daily life. He decided to pursue music to tell his story and inspire those handicapped by disability.
A week later, LGEE came to record his verse. He has been working with Dr K since they were both 16 years of age; it is the type of creative partnership where the artist and producer simply unlock the best in each other. In his newest release, ‘Plain Canvas’, you can hear a lyric about travelling 8 hours on the coach just to hit the studio: this is a true story as Dr K was in Leeds, working on an SSL 4000G desk, and LGEE was based in Brighton. This dedication has prevailed over the years with a consistently high-quality output of musical works.
The two verses couldn’t be more different, yet they complement each other perfectly. While STEVEO’s is bold, bouncy and specific to the pain of supporting England, LGEE’s is a calm, gliding tribute to what we all love about the beautiful game itself. If you listen closely, you’ll also hear a rowdy English crowd in a pub watching what sounds like a very intense match. The crowd, in fact, consists of STEVEO, LGEE and Dr K shouting at the mic and layered up around 40 times to give the desired effect.
Then came the video shoot!
After getting rejected by just about every stadium in the country, Six Figure Sound was on the verge of executing plan B (find a field and improvise) when STEVEO thought to ring up Maidenhead United F.C. Perhaps it was fate – the Magpies were immediately on board with the project proposal, so much so that they even offered to ask their mailing list if any children would like the opportunity to be in a World Cup music video. Sure enough, there was a healthy response!
When the shooting day came, around 30 kids and their families showed up with beaming smiles and an abundance of energy. As the sound of ‘2 Stars’ filled the ground, little ones and grown-ups harmoniously sang in the stands with passionate enthusiasm before relocating to the pitch, where the skills on show from the mini ballers would put many professionals to shame.
MUFC’s York Road stadium turned out to be the perfect location to showcase the joy and importance of grassroots sport in society; in a game that has become such a lucrative machine at the top level, it is venues like this that keep the raw spirit of kicking a ball alive.
Conco Media, the videographer hired for this project, delivered a wonderfully slick edit combining aerial drone shots of the stadium, action shots on the pitch and tracking shots of the artists. The final result captures the essence of the song perfectly, which is proving to be an earworm with reports of listeners unable to remove the chorus from their heads.
Unfortunately, England didn’t make it past Argentina and were thus relegated to the third place play-off match against France (which, to be fair, was arguably the most entertaining game of the tournament at 6-4 to England). The scientists at 6FS have concluded that the reason for England’s semi-final loss was the squad’s not hearing people sing ‘2 Stars’. So, the silver lining is that the song remains valid for at least another 4 years; halfway through this period is an English UEFA European Championship, where there will be plenty of fans to sing.
Spain might have won the second star this time round, but the Three Lions won the hearts of the nation. Watch this space!
Special thanks to Switz Clothing for supplying the T-shirts. Shop at iamswitz.com!
