Raise Us Up – Lewes Community Football Club

Raise Us Up


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The Story

Raise Us Up is a song about women trying to break free and be heard & respected in a man’s world. That could be anywhere, but this story takes place in the male bastion of football…

Raise Us Up started as a rap, written by King, to express her personal history, frustration and hopes around the struggles and hopes of women’s football. Her playing career around Europe means that she has been at the frontline of the struggle for recognition and fair treatment. Once, when playing for a club in Switzerland, a lorry load of brand-new football boots arrived, but when she asked if she could have a pair, she was told they were only for the men’s team: She wasn’t even allowed to buy a pair. Raise Us Up also pays tribute to some of the greats in the women’s game who have inspired Jess to keep going and break through: It is a rallying call to football and to the wider world that when it comes to gender inequality in football, in the world, enough is enough.

In 2017, Lewes FC became the first (and still only) club side in the world to fully equalise its men’s/women’s playing budgets, as well as both teams playing in the same stadium (a rarity), the same training facilities and having the same marketing backing. Jess and Max have kindly said that a sizeable part of the proceeds for Raise Us Up will go towards supporting Lewes FC and its campaigning work as the club is 100% fan-owned and not-for-profit.

Jess and Max were introduced to each other through Lewes Football Club: One is a striker, the other a newly converted fan of women’s football and everything it represents.

The Artistes

Jess King is a footballer for Lewes FC, the first and only club in the world to give equal playing budgets and resources to its women’s and men’s teams. Her youth football was at Liverpool FC after which she took a scholarship in Canada for four years. Playing spells then followed for Everton, FC Basel, USV Jena (Germany) and Kolbotn (Norway). She joined Lewes FC in 2019. Her music career started when she was 15 and she was able to record some tracks in Urbeatz studio in Liverpool with local artiste Kof.

Max Mezzowave wrote the music for Raise Us Up and produced the track. His career began in the late 90s releasing various classic pieces of vinyl under different names through Mute Export, a division of Mute records, working as The Comical Brothers with Danny Briottet (Renegade Soundwave), David Simmonds (Fad Gadget) and Lene Lovich. Max has also done remixes for Lamb (Please) and many underground acts. He has released two albums in his own name, “The Hub” and recently “Who Are You”, a psychedelic Neo soul and electronica fusion. Max also mentors students from age 9 upwards in composition, production, music technology and piano.

Inspired by the iconic moment in men’s football (in England), that happened while women’s football was still banned, the cover shows Jess being raised up in victory by some of her footballing heroes who are all mentioned in the song.
Left to right: Alex Scott, Kelly Smith, Mia Hamm, Rachel Yankey, Michelle Akers.
The background is Lewes FC’s iconic ground The Dripping Pan.
(And that’s Max at the back…)

Contact/media/music usage: charlie@lewesfc.com

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS PACK HERE