Playlist: HITS magazine

To celebrate the release of our first print issues, here's a playlist featuring all artists involved.

HITS x Berlin

We hosted our very first live gig in Berlin - and this is what it looked like.

Cover The HITS

Our latest video series - covers performed by our favourite acts, exclusively for us.

Video Interview: Scenic Route To Alaska

Melting away in front of Stuttgart's castle, we had a chat about touring, band names, Toy Story and a lot more.

Find us on YouTube!

Visit us on the 'tubes for interviews, exclusive performances and outtakes.

Monthly Review: November 2014



Hey guys!

Time really flies when your burried underneath tons of study notes.
This month I unfortunately didn't write as many posts as I wanted to, mostly because the studies kept me busy. 

Nonetheless I managed to introduce quite a few jewels to you guys.

Here's our monthy review of November!


Artists featured on house in the sand:

What I enjoyed doing for HITS:

Items which made me happy:
- ginger bread
- my trusty DSLR
- fairy lights

Highlights:
- 800 000 page views! 
- meetings tons of really cool people

What I've learned:
- how to use soundcloud properly (it was about time!)
- sooner or later you will find out who is a real friend and who is fake

Songs I've loved (and still love):
"Wasn't Expecting That" - Jamie Lawson
"Thinking Out Loud" - Ed Sheeran

Photograph of the month:

What I'm looking forward to in December:
- sharing some fun gig pics with you
- a lot of good food because it's Christmas time
- the final countdown of my studiesssss


And guess what? That's it for this month!
Thank you for spending cold November with us, it means the world! :)


Thank you for reading!





Credits // Text & Photography: Vanessa Jertschewske


#TuesdaysTune: "Break Down" by Kat Healy




Hey guys!

Today I'd like to highlight a new Facebook page which I enjoy a lot and a fantastic singer/songwriter who I also enjoy a lot.

Let's start off with the page as you might wonder what the #TuesdaysTune in the headline stands for.
Tuesday's Tune describe themselves like this: "Tuesday's Tune is all about sharing new music every Tuesday! We will be sharing new music each week and we encourage you to do the same!"

So you could consider Tuesday's Tune as a community about music - share your favourites and discover new stuff. It's bloody great! Use the hashtag #TuesdaysTune on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram to be part of it.

Of course I have to be part of this and therefore want to use the hashtag on here to let you know about this amazing community and also share my Tuesday's Tune with you.

Tuesday's Tune online: Twitter | Facebook


Now this is the part where I tell you more about the tune I choose to listen to today. 

It's "Break Down" by Kat Healy.
Kat Healy is a singer/songwriter from Edinburgh, UK. 
She had her first official performance back in 2005 and has supported artists such as Passenger, Rachel Sermanni and Nick Harper since then.

Her latest release was the EP "When You Are Gone", recorded at Depot Studios in Edinburgh, released independently. 

The song I like the most is "Break Down", it's a beautifully detailed ballad which builds up on intensity and gets more and more grip each second.
Kat's voice controls the song - warm at times fragile and vulnerable vocals transport the emotions of the song and slowly but surely enchant you.

Have a listen!





Kat Healy online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud



Thank you for reading!




 


Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Kat Healy


Video Of The Day: "Jack" by Rivertairs


 

Hey guys!

I don't know about you, but I'm really interested in history, especially when it comes to the more mysterious bits. History shapes humaninty, in my opinion.

I also think that music and history go hand in hand. Songs can tell stories.
The fantastic band Rivertairs would probably agree. They've just released their new song "Jack" as well as a pretty amazing music video. 

Rivertairs are a four piece band from beautiful England. Their sound could be described as rock'n'roll with a slight acoustic/folky twist to it. The band combines up tempo, moveable instrumentals with fantastic multi-layered harmonies.

I'm happy to say I got to follow the band's career for quite a while now. (It's been a year now, I think!) It's always amazing and inspiring to see how hard they work on their music and how serious they take producing, writing and recording.

Their new release "Jack" tells the story of the serial killer Jack the Ripper.
The video is brilliant. It involves the band, the killer and it's all oh so vintage! The camera work suits the band's sound, the visual effects support the story of the song.

But have a look yourself and dig into history!





Rivertairs online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube


 
Thank you for reading!







Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Rivertairs

Video Interview: Jamie Lawson



Hey guys!

 Whenever I go to a gig I check out who's supporting the artist/the band.
Within four years of regurlarly going to concerts I've only seen three support acts I did not enjoy.

In fact most of the other supports became some of my favourites. (Hi The Arkanes, Jim Kroft, Martin and James, Dan Dietrich!)

Ed Sheeran, whom I photographed on Saturday, took two support acts with him. One of them was Jamie Lawson whose sound I instantly liked. So of course I had to learn more about him - and what's better than an interview for that?

Jamie Lawson is a singer/songwriter from England. He got his first guitar at the age of 8 years, started songwriting in his teenage years and slowly but surely made himself a name. With the help of YouTube his song "Wasn't Expecting That" climbed to the number one spot in the iTunes Charts Ireland.
 In the last couple of years he supported acts like Damien Rice, Ben Howard and Van Morrison.

Before he went on stage to support Ed Sheeran we sat down in his dressing room at Porsche Arena in Stuttgart to chat about being on tour with Ed, sleepless nights on the tour bus, online media and a lot more.




Jamie Lawson online: Web/Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube



Thank you for reading and watching!







Credits // Text, Photography & Video: Vanessa Jertschewske

Gig Impressions: Ed Sheeran in Stuttgart


 

 Hey guys!

The instagram/twitter and facebook people are already informed - yesterday I got to photograph Ed Sheeran in concert.
As part of the "X Tour" he played at Porsche Arena in Stuttgart. 

The singer/songwriter has made himself a name by now and is known as "the guy with the guitar and the loopstation". With his hit single 'The A-Team' the musician slowly but surely made his way to the top whilst casually supporting Taylor Swift on her Red Tour.

His first album "+" (Plus) sold over 4 million times world wide, album two "X" (Multiply) has gone gold and platinum in multiple countries. 
With the X Tour he now brought the songs to life, live on stage.


Here are some of my thoughts (AND PHOTOGRAPHS) from the gig.


Jamie Lawson

Being the first of two support acts the pressure to get the crowd in the mood was on Jamie.
Jamie Lawson is a singer/songwriter from the UK. With his acoustic signature sound he managed to build a loyal fanbase.

 



He got to play five songs - all were acoustic tracks focused on warm guitar work and calming but really expressive vocals.
His lyrics convince as they are honest, deep and tell stories different stories.
Jamie's stage performance is enchanting and absolutely enjoyable, he definitely presented his songs in a fantastic and suitable way.


 If you want to learn more about Jamie, find his links below. Also, stay tuned as we filmed an interview together which will be online pretty soon.


Jamie Lawson online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

 



Saint Raymond

Round two of the evening! Callum Burrows, the man behind stage name Saint Raymond is a young singer/songwriter from Nottingham, UK. 
Together with his band he presented his indie pop tunes to the massive crowd. 

 



 The full band line up caused a more energetic and up-beat performance. The fences between singer/songwriter and indie rock band kind of melted and therefore created a lighter atmosphere.


 Saint Raymond online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube




Ed Sheeran

The main man of the evening. He swims in the mainstream sea so individually and represents so many not-so-mainstreamy elements.




When he's performing you usually find two mics, multiple guitars and a loop station on stage. Instead of playing with a band, he keeps it "simple" by just being a one mand show.
Though what he does on stage is anything but simple - for songs like "Don't" he records multi-layered backing vocals live.
To give the songs more grip and more volume you'll find Ed using the guitar to drum on it.
As a lot of his songs consist of guitar riffs as well as rhythm elements he records either and plays the other live.

 



His set in Stuttgart was a nice mix of old and newer songs, ballads and up tempo tracks.
 He even threw in some covers.






 

What absolutely amazed me is how well he knows how to entertain and control a crowd. You could think there are some awkward silences when just one guy is trying to entertain a crowd of thousands of people.
Well, Ed just does it so casually by telling funny stories and interacting with his fans.







 

Ed Sheeran online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube




Special thanks to Jamie, once again. It was a pleasure meeting you, thanks for the whole evening. Really happy I got to film with you!

Also, I really do have to mention what a nice and relaxed lad Ed Sheeran is. When I entered backstage he was in the middle of a conversation but stopped just to say hi and make sure everybody is doing fine. Thumbs up for that!


Thank you for reading!




 

Credits // Text & Photography: Vanessa Jertschewske

Song Of The Day: "Midnight Kiss" by The 95th



 Hey guys!

I feel very lucky because I get a lot of music submissions each day. It's such a fantastic sign that there actually are people who want to be part of house in the sand. In fact, a lot of exciting things are happening. (And a lot of exciting things have happened already.

Today I'd like to introduce you to a song by a fantastic band.

The 95th are an alternative rock band from Stafford, England. The band was born in the late 2000s. Drummer Jason then moved to the seaside again but still wanted to have a band. As fate would have it songwriter Peate was looking for a drummer.
Together the two musicians did very well but after finishing their courses they both went seperate ways.

But only until Jason returned from Spain in 2013 and contacted Peate again. With an additional line up The 95th started again, stronger than ever.

The 95th are:
Peate (vocals, guitar)
Jason (drums)
Pete (guitar)
Daniel (bass)


Our song of the day is "Midnight Kiss".
Go and listen to this energetic tune. The slightly funky and groovy elements mixed with the band's own signature style is such a pleasure to listen to. Raw guitar riffs, controlling drum beats which collide with the bassline and singer Peate's vocals create a colourful but not too crowded atmosphere.
It's a pleasure!






The 95th online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud



Thank you for reading!




 

 Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: The 95th press kit - photographed by Rebecca James

Gig Pics: Unseen Footage



Hey guys!

As a few (or a lot) of you know, I'm studying journalism. So far I've learned how to write critics, short reports, lyrical writing and a lot more. Just recently the topic "photo journalism" popped up. You could say I inhaled it because I love photography a lot.

For some reason I decided to go through the photos I've taken over the years. I also thought it would be fun to share some of the pics I did not upload, the unseen pics.
The oldest photograph you'll find below was taken in 2010, the time I discovered how much fun photographing live music is.




The two pics you just looked at were the first ever gig pics I've taken. I did not blog at that time but I was obsessed with creating little memory albums for myself. Rule number one back then was "the more pics, the better". 
The first photograph shows two and a half members of the American rock band Rooney. They were the first band I ever photographed live. (Not the first band I've seen live but we're not going to talk about the Jonas Brothers today, are we?)
I'll be completely honest with you - at that time I did not have a single clue of what I was doing with my camera. Not a single one.




Whilst going through the pics I realized how I used to edit A LOT. A lot.
I mean I still edit the pictures I take and every other gig photographer does too but back then I just took a crap photo and edited it into something a lot better.
Nowadays I only correct technical flaws like the lighting. I think that's a good sign.




I learned a lot more about how to compose a picture properly. (Not saying I know everything, definitely not!)
It is so much fun to see progress throughout the years. Hopefully I'll be able to continue this journey of learning and practicing.


This year has been a fantastic photo year! I got to shoot at big venues with brilliant lighting and press areas (Tom Odell in March), I got to go on stage and photograph from up there (Martin and James in February), I climbed on ladders to get a better view (The Arkanes in October).
But my favourite part will always be the most exhausting part - standing in the crowd and taking things from there.
The energy is usually always amazing. I just happened to be really focused when it comes to photographing. At the last The Arkanes gig there apparently was a fight next to me and somebody tried climbing onto stage ... and guess what - I did not notice.


 

There are still tons of crappy pics nowadays and I'm pretty sure there will be crappy pics in the future but I hope you guys somehow got the message of this post:
even if there will be frustrating times, because things don't turn out the way you want them to - keep on learning and working on your skills and you'll see progress. 


Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. :)


 



Credits // Text & Photography: Vanessa Jertschewske