“1,2,3,4,” the current hit single from Plain White T’s, has gone platinum, having sold over 1 million digital copies.
The song appears on the band’s latest album, Big Bad World, which was recorded with Grammy nominated producer Johnny K and is the follow up to its 2006 major label debut album, Every Second Counts.
Sales of “1,2,3,4” have been fueled by the popularity of its companion video, which caught fire after its release in February. To date, the single has garnered over 27 million plays on MySpace, while the video has over 5 million views on YouTube. Shot in 18-degree weather, the video follows lead singer Tom Higgenson around his hometown of Chicago as he busks for passing couples. Captions identify each couple, along with tidbits about how and when they met.
About the idea behind the video, director Mike Venezia says that it was quite unorthodox, and that it provoked some spontaneous reactions.
“We didn’t know how people would react. It was freezing outside, so we weren’t sure they would stop to listen, or if the cops would hassle us, but it was an amazing experience. We went to different locations around the city and whenever Tom began playing, people would just flock to him – it was incredible. At one point, we got kicked out of the ice skating area near Millennium Park, ‘cause they thought he was busking for money. I told the security guard that we were doing a student project, so he let us stay. But when some fans recognized Tom and started shrieking, the security guard raised an eyebrow and asked, ‘What school do you go to?’”
When asked about the video’s budget, Venezia laughed, citing the lack of a spending constraint.
“There was no budget. But Tom did buy me lunch.”
The Plain White T’s recently announced a second leg of dates to its current headlining run. The tour, dubbed “Three Part Harmony: A Show in Three Acts,” sees the Chicago-based quintet delivering a show in three acts: Act 1: Rock, Act 2: Acoustic and Act 3: Medley of fan favorites. The new dates begin June 12th at the Newport in Columbus, Ohio.