Tags: FIFA, COASTS, Bastille, music, sport, The Equaliser
Whilst FIFA is a sporting game, the influence it has had on generations of football players who, when they aren’t out on the pitch or watching it – they are playing it, and a big reason for that is the carefully curated soundtrack.
A multitude of lesser artists have seen their popularity skyrocket, thanks to the exposure from the soundtrack. For some bands however, life after the game is not all its cut out to be, this is where some of them are now.
From sitting in a pool drinking cocktails with your best mate and guitarist, watching Fetty Wap, having performed at Coachella, to settling down in your home city of Norwich. That is the life of Ben Street, former COASTS drummer – turned festival planner.
After hearing in 2015 – whilst touring America – that they were going to be on the soundtrack, Ben says: “Yeah, we were over the moon, to hear that FIFA one of, if not the biggest sporting game out there wanted us to be on the soundtrack, something that is so influential and which they put a lot of time into curating.”
Coasts burst onto the scene in 2012, with all five members growing up through the University of Bath together.
Their song ‘Tonight’ featured on the FIFA 16 soundtrack and was loved by players of the game. The track is currently on 7,770,000 listens on Spotify, the bands second most listened to song – something which the soundtrack undeniably influenced.
“Featuring on the game had a big effect on us, the tours that followed jumped up in popularity, we sold out the roundhouse and to sell out a huge iconic venue like that FIFA played a big part in that and then we got our song played on Made in Chelsea,” he says.
But in 2019, after hitting heights never imagined; achieving two UK top 40 albums, performing at Coachella twice and even Glastonbury, the band decided to hang up their microphones and instruments.
The band insist there is no bad blood, despite breaking up, with Ben being best man for Chris Caines’ (vocals) wedding and the godfather to David Goulbourn’s (keyboard) child.
The band were happy to walk away at a high point and look back proudly at what they had achieved.
“I’m not saying we wouldn’t get back together,” Ben says. “But I think me, the band and all the fans remember COASTS in a really positive way.”
Back in his home city of Norwich, he now runs two festivals called Wild Fields and Wild Paths also runs a grassroots music venue called ‘Voodoo Daddies’.
“I love being a part of the DIY Norwich music scene,” Ben says. “There comes a time where the excitement of trying something new out is really appealing.”
Whilst they may not be together anymore the legacy of their appearance on the leading sports game lives on for them.
“FIFA expanded the size of the audiences who were listening and coming to watch,” Ben says. “I think that was our peak moment as a band.”
Another band who ended up pursuing new ‘wild paths’ (but not in festival form) following their FIFA soundtrack debut with their track ‘pleasure’ is FRMTN, a group of five from London.
Will Ritson, a young lad in his 20s (living in London with his mum) was struggling to make ends meet working multiple jobs and pursuing a career all at the same time – with no knowledge that a combination of music and sport could turn his life around.
Having signed with Warner Bros, the group were contacted by EA sports.
“We knew how big the opportunity was, it was fucking cool,” Will says. “FIFA was the game to be on.”
From playing pub gigs years before with Dan Smith (Bastille) to then being on the same soundtrack, following his meteoric rise, was truly groundbreaking for the band who say featuring on the game was one of the major highlights of their career in music.
“It definitely shaped a generation of music listeners – so many kids who were playing found their music style from playing the game so to be a part of that is really cool,” Will says.
Alongside the soundtrack, the group played a gig alongside Kylie Minogue and Duran Duran in a small pub in Somerset. Following one of the band members taking a picture with her they ended up on the front cover of The Daily Mail – as a Kylie ‘superfan’.
But a career in music is not always as rock and roll as it looks from the outside and it was when Will got home after their album tour with empty pockets, no job and living with his mum, that prompted the end of the band.
“I had real situational depression and I had to go see a therapist,” he says.
Substituting his job as a tea sommelier, Will now finds himself working in a chocolate factory for a local company in Falmouth.
But since moving from tunes to chocolate and swapping the big smoke (London) for the big beach (Cornwall) Will has finally found solace.
Despite the upfront fee, for being in the game being deceivingly small and not enough to live your career off, the band look fondly on their experience.
“Being in the game is one of those things that will always stick with you,” he says.
On the other side of the sea, in America, one band still pushing to capitalise on FIFA stardom are music lovers Isaac Franco and Sean Guerin, who make up the duo ‘De Lux’.
The pair featured on the FIFA 21 soundtrack with their single ‘Cool up’.
They released their first album in 2014 and by 2015 they were already performing at Coachella. Following this they featured on the soundtrack for the movie ‘Paper towns’.
But a huge opportunity arose in 2020 when De Lux were contacted to feature on the FIFA soundtrack.
“We were both really stoked because I had been playing FIFA since like FIFA 08,” Sean says. “I knew exactly about the effect the soundtrack can have on smaller bands.”
Throughout the duo’s career there have always been voices in their ears from people in the industry saying that they were going to be the next big thing, but they always tried to keep their feet on the ground.
Following on from their successes across the music industry the band are continuing to knuckle down in the studio releasing a 29-minute song called ‘love is hard work’ and their fourth album which they are performing across America.
“Theres definitely been some downs and there’s definitely been moments where I’ve thought I wanted to quit projects but never quit music in general I don’t think I could do that,” Sean says.
Continuing their journey in music, De Lux plan to release their next song late this year and their next show is going to be in Los Angeles for their 10th anniversary from their first record on July the 6th.
Whilst pushing on in the music industry the pair come back to the game occasionally to reminisce.
“I had to buy it and I played it a lot,” Sean says. “Sometimes it still doesn’t click that it was our song.”
Photo credits: Pey Curie – Will Farquarson, Dan Smith, Kyle Simmons and Chris ‘Woody’ Wood from Bastille, 6 July 2016, https://www.flickr.com/photos/143044869@N04/27848991350/