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.

7 years of HITS: announcement



Hey everyone!

If you are reading this on February 28th of 2019 - you are reading this on our 7th anniversary!

It's a big day for us today - for multiple reasons.

Since this means we have a lot to tell you, we'll just start right away!


1) We've just turned seven! That's a big deal!


W H O A


I'm not kidding, I still remember Feb 28th of 2012, the day I started HITS.
I vividly remember sitting in my room in my childhood home, googling how to start a blog.
In the background I had Martin and James music playing, because they were the band that got inspired me to start this blog.

For those of you who don't know the story; I first saw Martin and James supporting Taylor Swift back in 2011. They played their song "Wrong Directions" and I immediately fell in love with the track.
Roughly one year later I got to go to one of their headline shows and it blew my mind.
Even now, seven years later, it remains one of my favourite live shows I've been to.

After said gig, I wouldn't shut up about how brilliant that evening was and how talented this band was.
Eventually people around me got bored of my ramblings and I decided that I needed a new audience to tell the story to.
And so, there I was, googling how to start a blog.
The only blog knowledge I had at that point was reblogging photos of the Jonas Brothers on Tumblr.

When it came to naming the blog, I knew I wanted to use a line from a Martin and James song.
I remember flicking through the album booklet, reading the lyrics and stopping when I read the line; "I'll build my house in the sand until the waves knock it down"
I knew that was the one - "house in the sand".

I quickly typed it in, wrote the first ever post and HITS was born.
And now, seven years later, we're still here. That's crazy.


2) We've made a magazine!!!


W H A T

Wow, it's out there now. Wheyhey.

About nine months ago I decided to start working on the first draft of this idea to make a magazine.
It started very slowly but then suddenly picked up pace and became something I knew I had to do.

Along the way, I was able to bring my incredibly talented friend Chris Stringer on board,
who now is the co-creator of house in the sand magazine.
He is a vital part of this magazine and I hope that you will welcome him with excitement.

Our magazine debut is as special as it could possibly be.
We have gathered some of our olds friends and found new ones along the way.
This magazine features some of our favourite artists and we've talked to them about topics which showcase the human side of the entertainment industry.
Together with these brilliant musicians we've talked about the environment, dealing with anxiety, making your health a priority and just so much more.

We left every single interview feeling smarter and more hopeful.

And we hope that you will feel the same way.
We want to give you something that's going to make you question things, learn things and most importantly, allow you to get closer to your favourite artists.

The magazine is up for pre-order now and will be shipped after April 7th.
By pre-ordering right now, you actually can us out with financing the printing costs - which would mean the world to us.





- PRE-ORDER ISSUE #1 RIGHT HERE -



3) We've just launched our very first merch shop!!!



W O W 


That's right! More cool stuff!!!

After years of wanting to share some merch with you,
we are finally here with three shirts & one hoodie for us all to wear.

By buying any of the apparel, you again contribute to the printing costs for the magazine.

The items will get printed & shipped immediately, so you don't have to wait long for them to get to you.

In case you decide to buy a shirt or hoodie,
please feel free to share a photo of you wearing the item with us - we would love to see you represent house in the sand.

https://houseinthesand.bigcartel.com/product/house-in-the-sand-magazine-logo-teehttps://houseinthesand.bigcartel.com/product/house-in-the-sand-xl-logo-tee

https://houseinthesand.bigcartel.com/product/house-in-the-sand-magazine-unisex-logo-tee-greyhttps://houseinthesand.bigcartel.com/product/house-in-the-sand-magazine-logo-unisex-hoodie



- BUY MERCH RIGHT HERE -



By coming here and reading this post, you've made a brilliant decision because you've managed to find the spot where all the details are listed.

Should you want to see the slightly chaotic but very excited video we've filmed to announce this - we've got you.
It also includes a little thank you message for you.


Check out our announcement video right here:




We are so glad that this secret is finally out and we can share this magical process with you now.



To stay up to date on all things HITS mag, follow us on social media:
instagram | twitter | facebook | youtube






Thank you for your support!







Vanessa & Chris





7 songs: The Rose Affair



Hey everyone!

Oh wow, it's been quiet here, eh?

If you follow us on social media, you might've seen that we can explain it.
We are currently working on something that takes up more time than the days have to offer, 
so unfortunately HITS is a bit on the backburner.

It's a shame, but we truly think that it's going to be worth it and hope you stick around for the big reveal on February 28th.


But we took some time to still present you the music we love and invite you to get to know The Rose Affair.


The Rose Affair are a four piece from Cambridge, UK.

Over the past few years the band has built a loyal fanbase and found support from BBC Introducing, DJ Huw Stephens who got their track "Napoli" BBC 1 airplay and music fans from all around the globe.

With their home being the indie scene, you can expect high class live sets,
relatable songs and vivid storytelling through their visuals. 

In 2018 the band released their second EP, played a set at Secret Garden Party, did a live session for ITV news and supported acts such Natty, Itch and Fickle Friends.

The Rose Affair are:
Lucas Jones
Matt Jones
Jacob Pett
Tom Brown

We are super excited to see what The Rose Affair are up to next,
but for now we're thrilled to share their brand new music video along with their 7 songs playlist which they created exclusively for HITS.


Watch the video for their new single "Blush" right here:




The Rose Affair online: Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram


Let's check out Lucas' playlist!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1) a song which makes you dance
"5 dollars" by Christine and the Queens

She just kills everything she touches and this song in particular is just the BEST kind of pop.
Makes you want to backflip with excitement, but also super profound, lyrically.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) a song that calms you down
"Melt" by Big Red Machine

Firstly, it's Justin Vernon.
So there's that.
And then with Aaron Dessner from The National, so it's a dream.
It's not exactly a peaceful song, but it calms me down in a soul expanding, life is a miracle kind of way.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) a song with a deep meaning
"Morning Theft" by Jeff Buckley

When I was like 16, this song was literally my crutch for about a year whilst I was going through some shit.
Jeff Buckley in general has always been that for me. And with this being on his unfinished second album, released after he died, I don't know, man.. This whole record is just very important to me.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) a song that makes you feel nostalgic
"You and Me" by The Cranberries

For some reason, every time I hear this song, I think of how New York feels in films from the 90s.
And that's like my favourite thing in the world.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5) a song which has accompanied you for a while
"Nightswimming" by R.E.M.

This song is the last track on the first album I ever got.
My Dad got it for me for Christmas circa 2003.
Strange Christmas present for a 7 year old looking back, but I fucking loved it.
I listened to this song on repeat all day and still do pretty regularly.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6) a song from your favourite genre
"I Get Overwhelmed" by Dark Rooms

I'm not very good at distinguishing what different genres are.
Everything is so influenced by everything else that my head gets all fuzzy when I try to split music into simple categories.
Other than reggae 'cos it's like "Oh, there's an upstroke guitar rhythm, cool, we know where we are."
So the closest thing to my favourite genre would be film soundtrack (which is kind of cheating).
And this song is from a beautiful film called A Ghost Story.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7) a song by an artist / a band which has surprised you
"When The Party's Over" by Billie Eilish

My little sister sent me this and I'd heard the artist's name, but avoided her for some reason.
And then this blew me into some next realm.
She's amazing - this live performance is sick. Lighting, stage design too.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________


And that was The Rose Affair's selection!
What do you think? Are there any tracks feature you love?




Previous 7 songs features: Ava Rae Heatley | John Thacker | Racoon Racoon | Jackson Dyer





Thank you for your visit!














Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image & Song Selection: The Rose Affair