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.

Behind The Song: "Stan's Copycat" by Andi Fins



Hey everyone!

We are really proud of the features we share on here.
Some of them do better than others, but ultimately they all work together to make HITS the platform that it is.

It's no secret that our "Behind The Song" features is one of our absolute favourites, which is why we will have a few BTS pieces featured in our magazine.
And of course we'll also continue sharing them on here, which is exactly what is happening today.

Andi Fins took the time to chat us through the story and writing process of his latest single.


- Behind The Song -
"Stan's Copycat" by Andi Fins


Andi Fins is a Berlin based musician, originally from Bavaria.
Growing up in a small town in the Bavarian country side, Andi dreamed of a place to go to and make music full time - and so he went to the capital city.

Now in Berlin, he started working as a pianist/keyboarder and writer for German acts such as Elif, Mark Forster, Clueso and many more.

His previous solo albums ("A Chapter Missing Its Book", "Dreamer" and "How Will Our Hero Get Out Of This One?") attracted a loyal fanbase. His singles have received airplay, have been played on TV shows and have been featured on multiple Spotify playlists.
His track "Stan's Copycat" is based on a personal experience which we get to learn about more today.


Here's what Andi told us about "Stan's Copycat":

"I met someone through an online dating platform and we were instantly writing messages to each other. For some reason she thought I was British and I thought she was from New York, having a real funny conversation until we exposed ourselves just being two ordinary Germans, but finally decided to go out for a drink together on the same night.
It was my first date in quite a while and maybe my second one ever in the illusive online dating app world, so I was curious and kind of nervous, too. She suggested this bar where she finally showed up in real and it looked like we liked each other.

After the second beer, unlike me she turned out to be a dating pro and said: "Hey, don't take it the wrong way, but you sounded better in writing than talking face to face." So now I felt really overburdened and we took a last drink stuck in the uncertainty of blurring speech bubbles.

Out on the street, she sent me back home and somehow I got an idea for another song. We recorded live as a trio (bass, drums and me on the keys) in the studio (Zodiaque), where I used to do almost all of my tracks.
I call it recording paradise because the guys who run that place are technical and musical geniuses and we are actually friends and share a similar taste of music, which makes it so easy to work and create the right sounds together.
They are pretty well equipped with all this analog gear one wish they had. Unfortunately I can't afford hangoing out there every day, so I have my own little space at home, too, where I continue working on the basic tracks from the studio and start collecting ideas with my piano and synths.

The other guys in the band are recording guitars and percussions at their places and we're sending tracks back and forth, so the songs get their colours. And finally we go back to the studio to mix it. All of us like vintage gear and sounds like an old Höfner bass, Fender amps and smooth drums.
I use a ms20 synth, but also a modern prophet and nordstage as well.

Compared to my earlier material, the new songs are more band inspired. I don't do any pre-productions at the time, just sending the rough song sketches to the other guys and then we're meeting a couple of times in the rehearsal space to go over it.
Everybody adds more flavours to it and is kind of playing around until we get a cool version of the song, which we'd like to record."


Listen to "Stan's Copycat" right here:




- buy "Stan's Copycat" -
- stream "Stan's Copycat" -




Andi Fins online: Website | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!


















Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Words (about the song): Andi Fins | Image: Anne Krausz

Gig Photos: Dermot Kennedy at Albert Hall, Manchester (May 2019)




Hey everyone!

We've been back for a little less than a week and you've all just been so welcoming, so thank you.

It's so exciting to not be doing it all alone, but having an incredible team of talented and kind creatives with us this time.
We're excited to have a new member, the super talented Victoria Schofield from Manchester, UK.

She will be added to our about page super soon, so you'll get to learn more.
Her first show shot for us was Dermot Kennedy's gig in Manchester, we have all the photos for you below.

For now, we'd love to see you support Victoria online, you can find her links right here:


website
| twitter | instagram


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Date: 11th May 2019
Venue: Albert Hall, Manchester (UK)

Headliner: Dermot Kennedy


Dermot Kennedy is a singer/songwriter from Dublin, Ireland.

His style is influenced by his love for hip-hop and poetry, his music mixes acoustic and electronic arrangements with R'n'B and hip-hop elements. With a voice so distinctive and powerful, it's no surprise that his music has attracted fans from all over the world.

Dermot's music has been compared to artists such as Bon Iver, James Blake and James Vincent McMorrow, yet he clearly has found his own signature style.

He met Glen Hansard by chance on the streets of Dublin and invited him to the studio years later while working on new recordings. While Hansard wasn't able to make it to the studio, he offered Dermot ten minutes on stage at his sold-out Christmas show, giving him the chance to perform in front of a big audience.

 Soon enough, Dermot Kennedy got to celebrate his huge success with the acoustic driven "After Rain", a song that quickly wrack up hundreds of thousands of streams.
Despite all the praise he got for the acoustic sound, he decided to incorporate hip-hop elements in the making of his debut EP, "Doves & Ravens", which was released in 2017.


You most likely have heard his single "Power Over Me", a track written with honesty and performed with passion.

Besides performing at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, SXSW and Austin City Limits, Dermot has been gigging all over the place.
To see if he's playing in a city near you soon, visit his website and scroll down for the tour dates.


Listen to "Lost" right here:




Dermot Kennedy online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram















































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Have you seen Dermot live before?
Do you have any favourite songs of his?


Let us know!







Thank you for your visit!










&






Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Photography: Victoria Schofield | **a ticket and photo pass have kindly been provided**

Cover Of The Day: "Someone You Loved" (Lewis Capaldi) by Jonas Brothers




Hey everyone!

It's so good to be back!
Our hiatus to focus on the magazine was necessary, but we've missed being here to share our music finds with you.

Even though our comeback wasn't half as glorious as the Jonas Brothers reunion, we're still excited to see them appearing pretty much everywhere.

Now if you've been reading house in the sand for a while, you might remember our COTD feature which we created to share cover versions we really enjoy.

Covers can be a tricky things for artists and they're not for everyone, but sometimes it's just super interesting to hear a different take on hit songs.


- Cover Of The Day -
"Someone You Loved" (Lewis Capaldi) by Jonas Brothers


The BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge has brought us some legendary covers, whether that's Jack Garratt's brilliant mashup of "7 Days" and "Senorita" or Hozier's version of "Do I Wanna Know?".


During their time in the UK, the Jonas Brothers appeared on the show and covered Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved".
Covering one of the UK's biggest songs right now isn't exactly the easiest task and comes with a bunch of expectations.

Joe Jonas is opening the track taking first verse and chorus and not only have the fans in the comment section been wow'ed, so have we.
Showcasing his lower range, he starts of smooth but grows more powerful as the chorus approaches.

With Nick taking second verse and chorus, we are now getting to hear a very smooth and lighter approach to the song.

Kevin is leading the band on the acoustic guitar, creating the backbone of the band while the electric guitar and drums drive the arrangement.

If you are familiar with the band's sound, you'll recognise some of the key elements in their version.
While they've definitely made the song their own, they've kept the emotional message behind the lyrics and really did this beautiful track justice.



Watch their performance of "Someone You Loved" right here:




Want to catch the Jonas Brothers live?

US dates:



EU dates:



- tickets here -




Jonas Brothers online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!













Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Jonas Brothers