EP Review: "Live In Munich" by Alex Francis

22nd April 2020 //

Hey everyone!

Remember that fun thing called live music?

At this point of social distancing and isolation it feels like such a distant memory.
And while we are all staying at home to flatten the curve and support the front line workers all over the world, our favourite artists are really stepping up their game.

It's times like this which show us just how important creatives are.
Whether that's the artists doing live streams, the writers supplying us with interesting pieces, the photographers sharing beautiful moments or film makers giving us something to take in.

It's the artists that share their craft to keep us entertained and I think we should keep that in mind.

Alex Francis couldn't have picked a better time to release his live EP as it allows us to feel that sweet feeling that live music brings to us, the feeling music fans around the world miss so much.


Artist: Alex Francis
Title: Live In Munich
Genre: R&B, Soul
Label: frtyfve records
Release Date: 3rd April 2020


Alex Francis is a singer/songwriter originally from Hitchin, UK, currently based in London.
His sound combines the classical singer/songwriter elements with sprinkles of R&B and soul, creating a unique listening experience for his fans.

Alex first introduced himself to the music world with his single "Make Believe" back in 2017.
Ever since he has gone from strength to strength, convincing not just the British airplay DJs, the Spotify Germany playlist makers but also acts such as Kelly Jones who invited Alex and his band to support the Stereophonics on tour.

Besides touring with Stereophonics, Alex has also supported Sting, James Bay and Melanie C - on whose single "Hold On" he also features.

His music has allowed Alex to travel a lot, appearing on SXSW, performing at Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, playing The Isle Of Wight Festival, Live At Leeds, Liverpool Sound City and more.

On top of that Alex played his first headline tour in Germany last year and during this stop in Munich, the "Live In Munich" EP was recorded during his show at Zehner.



Tracklist:
1) Make Believe
2) Whatever Happened
3) Desire


"Make Believe" lets you find the groove in a gentle and enticing way. The simplicity of the song is refreshing and inviting, giving you the time to relax and dive into the music. Often it's loud and busy songs that grab our attention at gigs, but Alex has found the perfect alternative with the mellow and soulful sounds in his repertoire.

"Whatever Happened" follows up that calming atmosphere absolutely beautifully. It invites you to dream, to listen to the harmonies Alex and band mate Gui Rezende deliver seemingly effortlessly. The combination of acoustic and electric guitar gives the song everything it needs to captivate an audience.

Blending a few lines of Womack & Womack's "Teardrops" into the intro of "Desire", the two musicians made everyone in the crowd boogie from the first line on. "Desire" is one of those tracks that just get you in a good mood, the lightness of the instrumentals, the soul, the vocals, the guitar solo - it all works and keeps the repeat button busy.


To sum it up: As someone who was at that exact show in Munich, it's absolutely wonderful to hear the songs again the way the were performed that night. But even if you weren't at the show, this EP allows you to have that sweet feeling of live music in your ears and is a definite reminder of why you should attend an Alex Francis show as soon as we're all able to again.


You should listen to these tracks: Really just listen to the entire EP.





- buy and/or stream "Live In Munich" here -



Alex Francis online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: JP Boardman via Alex Francis

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Song Of The Day: "Time" by Jack Garratt

6th February 2020 //

Hey everyone!

Jack Garratt is back and team HITS is thrilled!

We have been fans of his sound since we first heard "Water", back in 2016.
Soon after we got to interview him and had a blast. His live shows are mindblowing and his tweets are hilarious.

As the cool kids say - what's not to stan?
(Note: we are not the cool kids and have no idea what that means, but let's roll with it.)

Please join us as we dive into Jack's new music.


- Track Of The Day -
"Time" by Jack Garratt


Much like we were, the world was introduced to Jack back in 2016.
He won the industry over with "Worry", "Breathe Life" and "Surprise Yourself", showcasing a huge ability for multi-tasking on stage with his mindblowing setup.

Winning awards and selling out shows globally soon became the norm for Jack, yet it came with a lot of confusion and times of feeling alone and scared. Those emotions and experiences have led the musician to writing and recording his new record.

He just announced the release date for his second album, "Love, Death & Dancing", which will be released on May 29th and is available for pre-order.

Jack says about the upcoming album: "The album was written from the point of view of someone who has a functioning sadness, who has had his day-to-day depressions and anxieties that have influenced the decisions he's made. The album is about that functionality, that day-to-day battle, conversation, tug of war."

The first installment of songs, "Vol. 1", is out now and features the first single, "Time", along with two other tracks which Jack will be playing at his upcoming live shows, you can get tickets here.

"Time" is gentle, yet lively.
It's a celebration of making it through hard times, of hope and of reflection.

His warm and soulful vocals immediately fill your ears, guiding you through the colourful instrumentals with such ease.

Jack plays with sounds much like a painter would with drops of colour.
The outcome? Delicate, yet confident art.  

Each element has its place as they all collide into a journey of discovery. As a listener there's nothing more exciting than to sit down and listen to find as many layers as you can.

It's no surprise that Jack would come back with something so powerful and expressive.



Watch the music video for "Time" right here:




- buy and/or stream "Time" here -



Jack Garratt online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram







Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Jack Wangner (via Island Records)

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Behind The Song: "Devil" by SOBI

1st November 2019 //

Hey everyone!

Happy first of November.
Not to be overdramatic, but we only have two more months of this decade left.
Wild times!

We don't even want to think about all the new years resolutions we didn't achieve but we want to use this time wisely.
And the best way to do that is by using it to showcase more music, right?
So let's do it!


- Behind The Song -
"Devil" by SOBI


SOBI is a singer/songwriter from London, UK.

Growing up with music being a big part of her life, it's no surprise that she started writing and performing at the age of 16.
Music and SOBI seem like the perfect match. The lyrics and melodies she writes have helped her express herself and to tell stories.

Influenced by acts such as Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale, SOBI soon found her own sound which always revolves around honesty.

So far she has been gigging around the UK and Germany and has gone on tour with Jamie Lawson.

Off of her upcoming EP, "Home One Day", she recently released the powerful single "Devil", a song that we are sure is going to speak to you.


Here's what SOBI told us about "Devil":

"I wrote "Devil" while I was going through a really tough time, battling with anxiety and depression.
I'm quite a happy and bubbly person and sometimes I feel pressure to always be that way, so writing and playing music has been a bit of an escape for me.
It's a chance for me to express how I really feel.

This song just flowed out of me in one of my darkest moments and it was my intention to keep to myself initially. 

Writing it definitely helped me to process what I was going through, but I was shy about sharing it. If I'm honest, I was even a little embarassed and worried about what people might think of me if they knew what I was struggling with.
Eventually I decided to share it with my band and producer, and seeing how they connected with the song really encouraged me.

And since releasing the song I've been really touched by how people have so lovingly embraced it.

Because this is such a personal song, it was really important to me that the arrangement and production should be just right. I spent a really long time with my producer, Helge Preuß, working on the demo before getting the band involved.
We tried so many different instruments and sounds and eventually realised that stripping it back and keeping the focus on the guitar and voice really conveyed the message of the song best.
My favourite part is in the end with the build up of all the voices singing "show me light". For me that sums up exactly what the song is about: hitting rock bottom, but still reaching for that flicker of hope, knowing I can still come out of this.

Once Helge and I were happy with the demo, we headed to Toolhouse Studios in Germany with the whole band where we recorded the final takes for this track. It was amazing to be in such a well-equipped studio. We were even able to use some analogue machines including a tape-delay for the guitar sound. There was this brilliant staircase that we used as a reverb chamber for all the vocals.

It made such a difference to the sound and it was amazing to hear the song coming to life, layer by layer.

I wanted to keep the video for "Devil" simple and intimate because it's such a personal song. We filmed it at a local antique shop near where I live. I walk past it every day and have always thought it would be such a beautiful place to film a music video.
It was a real pleasure to work with Danny Feng (director), he really captured the mood and essence of the song."


Watch the music video for "Devil" right here:




- stream "Devil" here -


Sobi online: Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (intro & outro): Vanessa Jetwash | Words (about song): SOBI | Image: SOBI via Pon't Danic Music

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Song Of The Day: "Be Your Man" by Rhys Lewis

31st October 2019 //

Hey everyone!

There are some artists that just constantly are on our radar and whenever they release new material, we get super hyped and can't wait to become familiar with the new sounds.

Rhys Lewis is one of those artists for us.

We've been hyped since he released his debut single, "Waking Up Without You" back in 2016 and neither our hype nor his streak of quality releases have ended since.

So buckle up and let's dive into our current favourite track.


- Song Of The Day -
"Be Your Man" by Rhys Lewis


Rhys Lewis is a singer/songwriter originally from Oxford (UK), now based in London (UK).

His sound is influenced by legends such as Carole King, Bill Withers and James Taylor.
Rhys' signature sound is a blend of Soul, Pop and Blues with hints of Rock and Folk here and there.
The diversity of his sounds, paired with his talent for story telling has led to over 200 million streams on his previously released singles & EPs.
 
Rhys shares his own experiences through his music, allowing his fans to find comfort and understanding in the lyrics while letting their worries melt away with the melodies. 

Within the past few years, Rhys has taken on the music world by storm and has toured with artists such as Freya Ridings, JP Cooper, James TW and most recently Julia Michaels.


You can catch Rhys on his biggest UK headline tour this winter:

2019:
20th Noveber: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
21st November: Deaf Institute, Manchester
22nd November: Thekla, Bristol
23rd November: O2 Institute3, Birmingham
25th November: EartH, London
26th November: Komedia, Brighton
28th November: O2 Academy2, Oxford
30th November: King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
1st December: Button Factory, Dublin

2020:
10th January: Roisin Dubh, Galway
11th January: Glassworks, Derry

- click here for tickets -


"Be Your Man" has previously been released as an acoustic arrangement, letting you really understand the lyrics which tell a story of feeling like you're not enough, like the person you're with is constantly comparing you to their ex.

Now, with a fuller and darker sound, the song reveals another layer of emotions.
With this kind of setting, you realise how being compared to someone else in a relationship doesn't just bring a lot of pain with it, it also causes a lot of frustration and anger.

The foot stomping beat, the energetic piano - and of course - Rhys' vocals express the cycle of thoughts and feelings one goes through in that kind of situation so perfectly.


Listen to "Be Your Man" right here:




- buy "Be Your Man" -
- stream "Be Your Man" -



Rhys Lewis online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Rhys Lewis via Decca Records

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HITS exclusive: "Desire" by Alex Francis

28th September 2019 //

Hey everyone!

Autumn is well and truly here, isn't it?
While we're all busy drinking tea (and perhaps eating gingerbread because it's already available in supermarkers - and let's be real - who can resist?), we need some amazing music to listen to as we gear up for the colder months.

Today we are thrilled to share an exclusive performance again.
We love sharing these acoustic performances with you and we can't wait for you to see the one Alex Francis had in store for us.


Alex Francis is a singer/songwriter originally from Hitchin, UK, currently based in London.
His sound combines the classical singer/songwriter elements with sprinkles of folk and soul, creating a unique listening experience for his fans.

Alex first introduced himself to the music world with his single "Make Believe" back in 2017.
Ever since he has gone from strength to strength, convincing not just the British airplay DJs, the Spotify Germany playlist makers but also acts such as Kelly Jones who invited Alex and his band to support the Stereophonics on tour.

Besides touring with Stereophonics, Alex has also supported Sting, Melanie C - on whose single "Hold On" he also features - and most recently, James Bay. 

His music has allowed Alex to travel a lot, appearing on SXSW, performing at Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, playing The Isle Of Wight Festival, Live At Leeds, Liverpool Sound City and more.

During his German headline tour ealier this month, Alex played shows in Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne.


We got to catch up with Alex and got you front seats to his HITS exclusive performance of his brilliant track "Desire".
The video below was filmed by the Isar river in Munich.


Watch Alex's performance of "Desire" right here:




- buy "Desire" -
- stream "Desire" -


Alex Francis online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words & Video: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: JP Boardman

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Video Interview: Alex Francis

16th August 2019 //

Hey everyone!

Sometimes you need to step back to find your focus.

After releasing our first print issue last month, things felt a little uncertain over here.
Turns out that after spending months and months working on a different kind of medium, you feel a little lost and overwhelmed the moment you step back into what you've been doing before tackling the new adventure.

We'll admit, it took a little bit of time to adjust to the fast paced online world again,
but thankfully with a little help from our super wonderful and talented friends, we made it back.

All we really needed was to be reminded that our main goal has always been to connect music fans and musicians on a more personal level.

So here we are, doing just that by sharing something with you we actually have never shared before - a Skype interview recording.


It's slightly old school but we think you'll really enjoy our conversation with Alex Francis.


Alex Francis is a singer/songwriter originally from Hitchin, UK, currently based in London.
His sound combines the classical singer/songwriter elements with sprinkles of folk and soul, creating a unique listening experience for his fans.

Alex first introduced himself to the music world with his single "Make Believe" back in 2017.
Ever since he has gone from strength to strength, convincing not just the British airplay DJs, the Spotify Germany playlist makers but also acts such as Kelly Jones who invited Alex and his band to support the Stereophonics on tour.

Besides touring with Stereophonics, Alex has also supported Sting, Melanie C - on whose single "Hold On" he also features - and most recently, James Bay. 

His music has allowed Alex to travel a lot, appearing on SXSW, performing at Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, playing The Isle Of Wight Festival, Live At Leeds, Liverpool Sound City and more.

To catch Alex live, head over to his website (linked below), German fans will be the first ones to see him live next month.


During our conversation, Alex told us more about his latest single, "Desire", experiencing music as a musican and music fan, how he evolves as a musician and a lot more.


Watch the interview right here:



We'd like to say a massive thank you for Alex for taking the time to have this wonderful chat
& to AK for setting this up for us.


Listen to Alex's latest single "Desire" right here:




Alex Francis online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words & Video: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: via Alex Francis 

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Behind The Song: "Slip Of The Heart" by Freddie Dickson

15th August 2019

Hey everyone!

The music industry, much like any other industry, can be a very confusing place at times.
It can be difficult to navigate through the daily hurdles and to keep track of the little wins.

And we truly think that the daily, little wins are what make this chaotic ride so much fun.
Being able to connect over music, whether that's by learning more about it from the artists themselves - or it's hearing your thoughts on the music we share with you.

Those moments are what keep us excited to continue and we truly hope no matter in which industry you work, you'll celebrate your little wins as well.

Today we're super excited to learn more about a song we think a lot of you will fall in love with quickly.


- Behind The Song -

"Slip Of The Heart" by Freddie Dickson


Freddie Dickson is a singer/songwriter from London, UK.
His atmospheric, at times mysterious sound is one that just soaks you in and keeps your attention throughout.
Freddie grew up listening to the greats such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young and other geniuses of that era.

His debut LP, "Panic Town" (2017), has been compared to the likes of Sharon van Etten, The National and Nick Cave. The album was his return to being an independent artist and going back to his roots after being signed to Columbia Records in 2014. Freddie decided to cut ties when the demand for pop music didn't aling with his vision and signature sound.

The routine of being in London started to slow the musician down and he found himself craving a change, and so Freddie went on a new adventure and moved to Berlin, Germany in 2018.

His upcoming album, "Blood Street", was recorded in his old flat in North London and is set to be released in October 2019.
"Slip Of The Heart" is one of the track fans will find on the his forthcoming album.


This is what Freddie told us about the song:

"This was actually the first song I wrote for the album.
I was in London at the time and it was shortly after I had split from my label and I was feeling quite lost in terms of the direction I was heading musically.
I knew that I had to start from scratch in order to figure out what I really wanted to achieve. The song is about how sometimes you have to fall down in order to come back up again.

I wrote this song in my flat in North London and recorded it myself in a little home studio.
After I had recorded my vocals and guitars, I took it to an amazing drummer called Alex Reeves (Elbow, Bat for Lashes) who really brought the whole thing to life.
We messed about with a bunch of old drums he had lying around and one of the cymbals even had a huge chunk missing but it sounded great!

I then asked my friend Oh Sister to sing backing alongside Amber Lane-Mcivor who is a singer from Manchester I had seen playing in a pub randomly a couple of years before, who really blew me away. Their voices blended so beautifully together.

Once I was happy with all the recording, I took the track to my friend John Davies, who produced my previous record "Panic Town" and he played bass and mixed and mastered the track. This song really helped set the tone for the whole record sonically.

I really wanted the sound of this record to be as raw as possible compared to my previous album which was perhaps a bit bigger production-wise.
I didn't want to try and disguise the fact that I was basically recording it all at home with a bunch of friends and just having fun. I was listening to a lot of early Neil Young records at the time and something about the harmonies and the feel he captured on his albums really had an impact on me. I wanted to keep everything super simple and tried to capture the atmosphere and enjoyment of the whole process."


Listen to "Slip Of The Heart" right here:




- stream "Slip Of The Heart" here -



Freddie Dickson online: Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (intro): Vanessa Jetwash | Words (about song): Freddie Dickson | Artwork: Lucas Mattine Carmel | Image received via Pon't Danic Music

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Release Of The Day: "Better Than Today" by Rhys Lewis

Hey everyone!

It's the first New Music Friday of 2019!
Fridays aren't always the days on which the magic happens,
but they certainly are the days on which the magic gets released.

We're super excited to discover all the music which will be released this year.
Our hunch tells us that we're in for a real treat, so let's kick this first NMF of 2019 off, shall we?

We've got a stunning track to share with you.


- Release Of The Day -
"Better Than Today" by Rhys Lewis


Rhys Lewis is a singer/songwriter originally from Oxford (UK), now based in London (UK).

His sound is influenced by legends such as Carole King, Bill Withers and James Taylor.
Rhys' signature sound is a blend of Soul, Pop and Blues with hints of Rock and Folk here and there.
The diversity of his sounds, paired with his talent for story telling has led to millions of streams on his previously released singles & his debut EP.
 
Rhys shares his own experiences through his music, allowing his fans to find comfort and understanding in the lyrics while letting their worries melt away with the melodies. 

Within the past few years, Rhys has taken on the music world by storm and has toured with artists such as Freya Ridings, JP Cooper and James TW.

Besides that he sold out multiple headline shows in the UK & Europe and has performed on the British Music Embassy stage at SXSW 2018.


2019 is promising to be just as busy and has Rhys kick it off with the release of his new single, "Better Than Today". 


The track was his first experience working as a producer, alongside with Aidan Glover who co-wrote the song, Rhys has been working on this song in their studio in South London.

Rhys says about the track, "We've been living through some pretty turbulent times in recent years.
 I wrote this song to ease my anxiety about the state of the world and remind myself that, whatever our differences are, whatever we choose to believe in, we all live with the same good intentions common, and we're all hoping for a better tomorrow." 


"Better Than Today", in one word, is hopeful.

Despite the admitting of feeling quite scared and lost at times, the lyrics also talk about not giving up, not feeling alone.
It underlines the element of humanity and our basic emotional needs of wanting to be included, united.

The simplicity of the instrumental shows that this artist does not need a lot to craft a powerful and poignant piece of music.

With the piano being the only instrument accompanying Rhys' vocals, you really get to hear the depths his voice offers while he manages to transport the emotions directly to you.



Listen to "Better Than Today" right here:




- buy and/or stream "Better Than Today" -



Rhys Lewis online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Daniela Alexander-Harris via Universal UK

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Song Premiere: "I Believe In Father Christmas" by Chris Stringer

Hey guys!

Christmas is approaching us quickly.

And I feel like you might have one of the three following reactions to it:
1) you  l o v e  Christmas and are already counting down the days
2) you're panicking because you haven't gotten all the presents yet
3) you don't care because you don't celebrate it

Whichever reaction you're having, a little Christmas music can't hurt.
Even if you don't celebrate this time of the year, you might love the music.
And if you're currently stressing over presents, put the headphones on, love, and relax.

We're pretty thrilled to premiere a Christmas song for you today.


- Song Premiere -
"I Believe In Father Christmas" by Chris Stringer (Greg Lake cover)

Chris Stringer is Alternative Folk artist based in London, UK.

Chris grew up in the seaside city of Swansea, South Wales, before relocating to London in early 2013.
Inspired by the soulfulness of folk music, the grit of rock music and the spirit of 1980s pop, he creates high energy music with real heart.
The addition of band The Rocketeers in 2017 has given Chris’ songs the full sound to match his powerful, soaring vocals and evocative lyrics.


Chris took the time to chat us through the creative process of recording the cover, creating the artwork and why he chose this song:

"I've always been a huge fan of Christmas songs.
When I was younger, we used to listen to the same Christmas album every Christmas morning, so it became a solid part of Christmas for me. Add in the fact that I love to be a nerd about songwriting, and a slight obsession may have been born...
I could have picked any of my favourites, really, but I felt like "I Believe In Father Christmas" had so much scope to make it entirely my own whilst simultaneously being able to stay relatively true to the original, so that's what I intended to do.

I recorded the whole song over the course of about a month, at my home. In the beginning, I had some quite clear ideas about how I wanted certain parts to sound, and certain elements I wanted to include - the electric guitar over the second verse, particularly the part behind the line "I believed in Father Christmas", was in fact the very first part I had in mind.

Learning to play the main chords for the song took far more work - I've always been good at working songs out; it's what I usually do, but for this I took to YouTube and religiously watched an amazing tutorial in order to learn it. The picking style was way different to anything I've played on the guitar, and I had to record the various guitar parts about a fortnight apart because of the mammoth blisters I developed on my thumb and forefinger!
I decided I wanted to stay true to the original, while taking advantage of Lake's prog style to allow myself some space to layer instrumentation and build up to quite a full sound. I emulated the 12-string guitar by layering/duplication my guitar parts and transposing the duplicate by a full octave - sneaky!

For the artwork I considered photography and illustration, until I decided that as I was trying to stay true to the original musically, why not stay true to the original visually, too? I recreated the original artwork as closely as I could, matching the colours, and even trying to find out the original fonts used! And lastly, I added a texture to the artwork to give a dated, vintage feel, as it didn't look quite right "clean".
As a whole, I feel like the project became less of a straightforward cover, and more of a homage to the song and to the late Greg Lake.




To me, Christmas is and pretty much always has been about family.
 I was not raised religious, and so at home Christmas never really had that element to it. Growing up, I'd wake up and spend the morning with my mum and sister, have a glass of Buck's Fizz and put on the Christmas music. We'd do the presents together, and then around midday head to my grandparents' place - it's what my song "Black & White Memories" is about. And to me that is what Christmas is all about: spending time with the people I love and hold dear.


"I Believe In Father Christmas" is available for free download from my Bandcamp page.
However if you would like to donate to Rowan Tree Cancer Care, it would mean a lot to me and my family. Please only do so if you can.



Check out Chris' cover of "I Believe In Father Christmas" right here:




Chris Stringer online: Twitter | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Words about song & image: Chris Stringer

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Video Of The Day: "My Mistake" by Gabrielle Aplin

Hey guys!

When you really think about it,

music is a pretty constrasty medium.

The creative process can be a very isolated matter for the artists, 

yet in some cases the songs they often write alone will be heard by thousands if not millions of people.
Songs they write about not feeling well, 

can often be the songs that help others to feel better.

You see my point; music is special and unpredictable.
But isn't that why we love it?

Today we're pretty sure you'll walk away from this post with a song on repeat,

so let's get into it.

- Video Of The Day -
"My Mistake" by Gabrielle Aplin


Gabrielle Aplin is one of those musicians who sprinkle everything with pure magic.

Ever since we heard her debut album, "English Rain", we've been hooked by her sound.
Her sound is ever-changing but always staying true to her roots, the singer/songwriter elements inspired by artists such as Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

With her follow-up, "Light Up The Dark", the musician from Bath, UK proved that she's capable of more elements, showcasing her rock-pop side.
After touring all over the world and playing festivals, Aplin shared her more pop focused EPs "Miss You" and "Avalon", allowing her listeners to be a part of her evolution.

What makes Aplin such an exceptional artist, is her talent for writing relatable and honest lyrics paired with the most gorgeous melodies you've heard.

Her new single, "My Mistake", proves just that.

"My Mistake" combines delicate vocals with dark piano notes.
It highlights the strength it takes to be open and vulnerable. It's graceful and dignifying while it is honest about struggling, allowing the listener to relate, to feel validated, to not feel alone.

The structure of the song is as beautiful as it is moving; the first chorus and verse are kept simple and calm, focusing on Gabrielle's vocals and the piano accompanying her. This gives us enough time to really dive into the song and focus on the personal lyrics Gabrielle shares with us.

During the second verse we start hearing suble backing vocals and soft string arrangements which underline the atmosphere of the track. What stands out is how you don't find a lot of different elements in the track, yet it's anything but monotonous.

Right after the second chorus we dive into the depths of the song, Aplin's vocals are getting more powerful and expressive with each chord, really transporting the emotions through her voice.
"My Mistake" ends on a calm note again and leaves us feeling understood and slightly more optimistic.

Gabrielle says about the track, "I'm really excited to release 'My Mistake'. I've always found writing a therapeutic escape from real life, but this song gently forced me to be brutally honest. This is a song about finding a strange sense of comfort in admitting to yourself that you're not feeling 100% and completely owning it."


Watch the video for "My Mistake" right here:




- buy and/or stream "My Mistake" here -



Gabrielle Aplin online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Gabrielle Aplin via Wilful Publicity

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Behind The Song: "Blue Luck" by Josh Savage

Hey guys!

I am in a very cool position where I often get to listen to music before it gets released.

I'm not saying this to brag or sound cool, but because I genuinely enjoy it and am very happy about what house in the sand has enabled me to do.

The first album I ever got to listen to before its official release was Tom Odell's "Long Way Down".
From that moment on I was hooked and knew that this weird thing they call the music industry was exactly what I wanted to a be part of.

Because I tend to be the "over-excited mum" in my friend group, I usually get... well, over-excited about music.
And ladies and gents, the song you get to find out more about today - that was one of those songs I couldn't wait for to be released, so that you guys would be able to hear it too.

Maybe I'm a bit biased because the artwork is a photo I took, but you just need to listen to this track.
It's  i n c r e d i b l e.
So please grab your headphones or speakers and let's get to know this track together.


- Behind The Song -
"Blue Luck" by Josh Savage


Josh Savage is a singer/songwriter originally from Winchester, UK and is currently based in Berlin, Germany.

His sound is so versatile that you just need to file it under Alternative.

So far Josh has independently relesed two EPs; "Spaces" (2014) and "Quatre Épines" (2015), the latter showcasing Josh's French roots.

In 2015, Josh played 79 shows with Sofar Sounds - all across America and Europe, in just 5 months. You can stream the documentary made on the road right here.

His two previous singles, "Whisper In The Snow" ft. Alice Pearl and "Ghosts" have racked up hundreds of thousands streams.

And yesterday Josh released his new single "Blue Luck", which is the first single off of his upcoming EP, "Agon", which will be out on 8th March 2019.


(Wondering what "Agon" means? Let everybody's darling Wiki explain it:
"Agon is an ancient Greek term for a struggle or contest. [...] Agon is the word-forming element in 'agony', explaining the concept of agon(y) in tragedy by its fundamental characters, the protagonist and antagonist.")


If you want to catch Josh on tour, you have the following options:
8th November - Monarch, Berlin (GER)
18th November - TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht (NL)
22nd November - Railway Inn, Winchester (UK)
23rd November - The Islington, London (UK)


Today Josh tells us how "Blue Luck" came to life:

"Behind the social media veil of my music career, I've had a tough and defining two years.
You know that feeling when life seems to be working against you?
When I moved to London on a whim, I got mugged a week later, my laptop broke the next day, my guitar gets lost on a flight to a show, etc, etc.
Most recently, my family grieve loss after loss and teetered on the brink of financial ruin.

I told my friend Steve all this bad luck was doing my head in and he told me something that will always stand by me:
"You can't hide from bad luck, just have to ride it out."

Despite all the shit, I count myself more fortunate than a lot of people.
Music is everything to me and has saved me in many ways. With music as a medium, I can let my frustration out, overcome drawbacks and get back up again.
I ride on still and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Blue Luck" was written on my first Poland tour.
I landed in Warsaw to discover the airline left my guitar at Heathrow and I was booked to play TED x Warsaw the next day. I was FUMING.
My couchsurfing host was out for the day, so I picked up their old guitar and this song just came out of me.

I recorded "Blue Luck" at Urchin Studios in London with Matt Ingram, who is an absolute joy to work with.
 I had a limited budget, so all we had was a small mixing room and a vocal booth to record my EP on Matt's UA Apollo Twin Mkii.
We got a big sound by recording a choir of 3 (me, Matt and my sister Aniya) with overdubbed takes of us standing in different parts of the room.

We also may have sneaked into the main live room to add drums, claps and hammer octaves on the piano when it was free for an hour...

I ditched the acoustic guitar and I guess this is definitely my angriest song, haha." 


Listen to "Blue Luck" right here:

- buy and/or stream "Blue Luck" -



Josh Savage online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram

Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (Intro & Outro) & Image: Vanessa Jetwash | Words (about song): Josh Savage

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Behind The Song: "The City" by Charlie Hole

Hey guys!

Yesterday we celebrated our new social media outfits with a new playlist.

Thank you all so much for checking it out and for the lovely feedback,
it truly made my day.

If you've listened to the playlist, you will have heard the song we're here to talk about today.
And if you haven't, no problem - that's why we're running today's feature.

I'm super thrilled to say that today the fabulous Charlie Hole is here to chat us through the story behind his latest single, "The City".
I always love finding out what inspired an artist to write a song about it and I especially love it when I also love the song.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let's check this out!


- Behind The Song -

"The City" by Charlie Hole

Charlie Hole is a singer/songwriter from Bournemouth, UK.

His carefully crafted music combines Acoustic and Folk elements in such elegant manner.
Charlie started making and writing music at the young age of eleven and has been going strong ever since.

With inspirations such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits & Paul Simon, it's no surprise that we find a lot of personality and intimacy in his songs.

His debut album "The Joy of a Caged Bird" was released in 2013.
With loyal fans and praise from none other than Rod Stewart and three time Novello Award winner Andy Hill, it's safe to say we're not the only ones with his music on repeat.

In October of 2017, Charlie dropped his latest EP, "Someone Else's Dream" and proved that his music is proper on-repeat material.

On June 8th of 2018 Charlie released a new single called "The Ballad Of Anne Beverley",
and just last week he shared his latest single, "The City", with us.


Today we get to find out what inspired the song, so please check out what Charlie told us about it:


"I lived in London for about five years in total; playing the open-mic circuit, busking and learning how to live away from home.
I wrote "The City" after moving out of London and reflecting on my time there with the benefit of a bit space and distance. I've always been hugely influenced by my surroundings and London really imposed itself on my writing in a lot of ways. It left a mark on me for sure.

It's a song that encapsulates everything there is about living in one of the greatest cities in the world; the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between.

I love London, but it damn nearly killed me.
There were definitely times where I just couldn't breathe or hear myself think and I just had to get away from it all, back to sea.

I  also had some amazing times there and I learnt so much about myself and the world.
I often felt overwhelmed living in a place that had seen so much history, and I couldn't help but feel that in some way, we were stitching ourselves into its tapestry somehow...

I used to think about all the people that had passed through that place over the years, how many stories it could tell, how many dreams it had made or broken over all that time.

I also wanted to give the city a personality, like it was this omniscient presence watching over all of us, deciding who was going to win or lose on any given day, like it held all of us in the palm of its hands.

 I felt like it was bigger than all of us and I wanted to get that across in the song.
There's a bit of everyone in there, I hope."


Listen to "The City" right here:




- stream "The City" here -



Charlie Hole online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (Intro & Outro): Vanessa Jetwash | Image & Words (about song): Charlie Hole

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Song Of The Day: "Blue Light" by SUN SILVA

Hey guys!

Okay, sometimes the universe scares me a little bit.

Now, I'm not exactly the biggest football person ever (not even close!), and before the recent World Cup I didn't know anything or any players. But - your gal is always here to learn new stuff, so I've been watching a few matches here and there.

(Maybe that's because some players are very nice to look at. I'm sorry. I said. I probably just set feminism back a few years. Throw stones at me, I deserve it.)

But today I was just going through my emails to find a track that has made it onto the FIFA 19 soundtrack - and this coincidence is confusing to me, but it's also brilliant.

I truly don't know whether this means the music industry is spying on me to send me relevant emails, or if I've manifested strange things - but here we are.
And I'm not complaining.

How could I if the music is this good?


- Song Of The Day -
"Blue Light" by SUN SILVA


SUN SILVA are a quartet from London, UK.

Before ever releasing any music, SUN SILVA have already built themselves as strong and loyal fan base in London's live scene.
And things are going well for them - only last week they've played a sold out headline show at The Lexington and this week they'll be supporting Jungle at their album launch show in London.

As mentioned above, their debut single "Blue Light" is on the FIFA 19 soundtrack - so yeah, the four piece from London is doing well.


We're glad we get to jump on the bandwagon before it's too crowded, so join is for a wild ride and let's listen to their debut single, "Blue Light".


"Blue Light" is the kind of track you'll subsconciously put on replay for hours.
While a lot of songs would make you lose your mind if played on an endless loop, "Blue Light" is different.

It has a calming, yet still lively feeling to it, making it the perfect song to relax to.
The mellow electric guitar kindly guides you through the song and is accompanied by groovy percussions and a slightly funky bassline.

With soft and smooth lead vocals and subtle backing vocals, the band has created a perfect balance.
"Blue Light" slowly builds up towards the last third of the song, only to fade out as beautifully as it started, proving the band's ability to write and arrange brilliant songs.


Listen to "Blue Light" right here:




- buy "Blue Light" -




SUN SILVA online: Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: SUN SILVA

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Album Review: "Dogviolet" by Laurel

Hey guys!

Debut albums are a beautiful thing.

They are an introduction to an artist's sound, a glimpse of their vision and an insight into their stories.
It's actually super exciting, being able to dive into a new sound world, figuring out meanings behind certain songs, finding tracks that you can relate to and taking a thing or two away from listening to a record.

I'm sure while you were reading this, you thought about an album that did exactly what I described.

Luckily I get to listen to a lot of debut albums all the time and lucky for you - I'm always happy to share them with you.

Today we're all going on an emotional journey together, so I hope you're ready to listen to Laurel.


Artist: Laurel
Title: Dogviolet
Genre: Alternative
Label: Counter Records
Release Date: 24th August 2018


Laurel is a solo artist from London, UK.

Her sound combines different elements from different genres, creating a vivid and unique sound which could settle down for the Alternative title.

After releasing her latest EP "Park" in 2016, we've been hearing multiple singles to shorten the wait for "Dogviolet", Laurel's debut album.

Every track on the album was written and recorded in Laurel's home studio in East London. Later it was taken to Gizzard Studios and now it's in our hands and our ears - ready to be heard.

Laurel says about the album "I wrote these songs at home often locking myself away for periods of time in order to capture the true mania that comes from love; although a beautiful feeling, it can often feel a lot uglier."


So let's check it out!


Tracklist:
1) Life Worth Living
2) All Star
3) Same Mistakes
4) South Coast
5) Hold Tight
6) Adored
7) Sun King
8) Crave
9) Lovesick
10) Take It Back

11) Empty Kisses
12) Recover

Opener "Life Worth Living" enters the arena with a mysterious and dark vibe to it, making a bold and well expressed entrance.
The verses are kept as simple as they could be kept; Laurel's hauntingly beautiful vocals duet with the raw sounding guitar, which is being strummed in an effortlessly cool way.
Although kept so simple, you can feel the combination of vocals and guitar build up into the big chorus. A chorus that's going to stay in your head- percussions, bass, backing vocals and more guitar flare have been added and immediately give the song more grip.
All of those elements stay part of the song without ever making it sound cluttered, leaving you excited to hear what else the album has to offer.

 Fourth track on the album, "South Coast", is as dreamy as the imagination of walking along the south coast. It's a calm and atmospheric track, one that allows you to breathe and just be in the moment.
The calm and softly plugged electric guitar compliments the very present bass and Laurel's hypnotizing vocals. It's the kind of song you could have on repeat for an hour without getting bored of it. It offers enough details for you to get lost in.

"Adored" easily stands out, marking the halftime point with grit and a lot of electricity.
We're getting to hear a more aggressive side of the album, a straight-forward and boldly expressed emotion takes over and lets us listerners get to know Laurel's sound to its full extend.
With a voice that's so attention grabbing, it's no surprise that the musician can lead a track with confidence and certainty.


To sum it up: Whether it's the vulnerable and honest lyrics, the detailed instrumentals or Laurel's controlling and breathtaking vocals - "Dogviolet" is filled with reasons why this is one of the finest debuts of the year.


You should listen to these tracks: Life Worth Living, South Coast, Adored, Crave





- buy and/or stream "Dogviolet" here -



Laurel online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Laurel

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Song Of The Day: "If You Wanna Love Somebody" by Tom Odell

Hey guys!

Alright, post number two of the busiest New Music Friday we've had in a while.

Not sure what happened, but pretty much every brilliant artist and their grandmas are throwing new music at us today and we're just gonna roll with it.

When Tom Odell's new track popped up on our screen, we immediately started writing this feature.
Tom's music has been on our playlist for about five years now.
(Remember when "Another Love" was released and we all lost our minds over his voice?)

So, let's get to know the new song!

- Song Of The Day -
"If You Wanna Love Somebody" by Tom Odell


Tom Odell is a singer/songwriter/piano man originally from Chichester, UK, now based in London.
His sound plays with elements of Rock, Pop and slight bits of Soul. 

The young musician started playing the piano at an early age, then began writing and performing himself.
It was singer Lily Allen who signed Tom to her label and soon the world had the pleasure of watching the talented piano man play his way to the top.

Being the winner of the Brits Critic's Choice in 2013 set the tone for a successful debut album release.
Tom's "Long Way Down" built him a loyal and non-stop growing fanbase all over the world.

After two years of writing and recording, he released his second album "Wrong Crowd" in June 2016.


And now, after touring the world and taking a little break, Tom is back with his brand new single "If You Wanna Love Somebody".


The song greets you with a piano intro that could remind fans of his older material, the "Long Way Down" vibes are pretty prominent and stay throughout the song.
The "Wrong Crowd" vibes meet you in the second verse and allow the song to become a more modern track while still having a very timeless feeling to it.

Tom's voice newer disappoints and is as expressive as ever. The warmth in his voice delivers the notes with such conviction and honesty.

One of many highlights of the song are the backing vocals; the choir/multi-layered vocals fit right into the mood of the song and carry the depth perfectly.


It's so much fun to see that no matter how much he evolves as an artist and performer, he's always staying true to the piano man roots.


Check out the music video right here:




- buy or stream "If You Wanna Love Somebody" -

Tom Odell online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Tom Odell

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Release Of The Day: "Oh River" by Hannah Grace

Hey guys!

I think it's safe to say that the year is in full swing and we're surrounded by briliant releases,
whether they come in album, EP or single form.

It's pretty amazing to see just how many attention grabbing tracks one can find out there,
and it would honestly be a shame to not share them with as many people as possible.

If you know where to look, you'll find some of the most incredible tracks out there.
And in order to save your time, we like doing the work for you - always presenting you what we think you'll love.

And dear HITS readers - today you're in for a real treat - check it out!


- Release Of The Day -
"Oh River" by Hannah Grace


Hannah Grace is a singer/songwriter from South Wales.

Her variety in sounds is just as wide as the spectrum of influences that inspire the young musician.
Drawing inspiration from incredibly talented female artists such as Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks and Florence Welsh, it's no surprise that Hannah's sound varies from Folk, to Soul, to Jazz with sprinkles of Pop and Rock.

Her tremendous talent soon caught Gabrielle Aplin's attention, whose label, 'Never Fade Records', Hannah is now signed to.

Over the years Hannah released her debut EP "Meant To Be Kind", toured with Gabrielle Aplin and supported Irish phenomenon Hozier, played countless festival sets and released her well received EP "Mustang" in 2016.

Her brand new single, "Oh River", is the first single off of Hannah's upcoming debut album and follow-up to her last release, "Praise You" - Hannah's version of Fatboy Slim's track, which was chosen for Lloyds Bank nationwide campaign, subsequently sold in excess of 50k copies and was played on BBC Radio 2.

"Oh River" is an attention-grabbing and breath-taking track.
It has a simple feeling to it, but wins you over with so much depth and detail - making it impossible to not fully commit to the song. 

The main elements, piano, strings and Hannah's powerful vocals, seem to melt together into one of the moving tracks we've heard in a while.
It's a song you'll most likely have on repeat, feeling the need to discover all the little details and layers. The songwriting, as well as the production allow you to sink into a dream world and give you the chance to go on a journey of emotions.

Hannah says about the track; "I wrote this song with a wonderful songwriter and friend Jessica Sharman and as soon as we wrote it, I knew it that it would be one of the defining tracks on my debut album.
My Dad always said to me growing up "Be with the ones you're with" and it is a phrase that has stayed with me ever since. "Oh River" is about appreaciating the world around you and living in the moment."


Listen to "Oh River" right here:




- buy or stream "Oh River" -




Hannah Grace online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: via Never Fade Records

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Behind The Song: "Heaven Knows" by Harry Strange

Hey guys!

One of many things I love about house in the sand is how collaborative it is.

There was a time in which running a blog was a very lonely business and the only creators behind it were my laptop and me.
And blogging is still a very sheltered activity, but we've managed to feel less lonely by directly working with the artists we feature.

Also - I can't stress enough about how brilliant the HITS team is.

We actually owe today's post to Carolyn, who wrote the intro and made this feature happen.

So please support Carolyn by following her online:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

And now, let's dive into today's post!


- Behind The Song -
"Heaven Knows" by Harry Strange


Harry Strange is a singer/songwriter from London, UK.

Harry's music captures a special element of unique and intricate songwriting, intertwined with emotionally fitting production work and vocals.

In May of 2017 Harry released his first single, "Back Around", which made it's rounds across the inter webs and gained an impressive amount of streams on Spotify.

After a year of silence, we just got a new gem with "Heaven Knows" - a song which shows that taking the time to really hone in on a creative direction for future music has paid off.

At only 20 years old and currently spending his days at University of Bristol, there's plenty more in store to stay tuned for.


Check out what Harry told us about the creative process behind "Heaven Knows":

"I released my first single "Back Around" nearly a year ago now, so for me, I really wanted to release a song that I felt something strong towards but also something that showed some kind of musical development.
I think as soon as I heard the first mix of the track, I knew it was the perfect single to follow "Back Around".

The way the song came about was really an amalgamation of three or four songs that I had written over the space of a few months. I was lucky to work with a great producer and writer called Jack Gourlay and we sat down in January and went through my notebook and sort of picked out the parts that really stood out to us.


We then spent the first day gluing these pieces together and working on the first verse. We knew it had to be a solid opening to the track, so we spent around half an hour on each line, so I've got plenty of alternative versions somewhere!

In terms of production, both Jack and I decided to leave that to the last day in the studio.
We really felt that the song had to be perfect and could stand alone with little to no production, so the majority of the time we were writing with just keys.

This said, it was when we added the chorus backing vocals that we got a very good idea of where the song was going to go in terms of production.
We loved the idea of it being 'stripped' in a sense, how it starts and ends with just vocal and keys and then thre rest are just little bits of ear candy that keep you engaged as the song continues.

I feel that there are definitely similarities between "Heaven Knows" and my previous release in terms of the songwriting. I really connect with narrative lyrics and I feel they both have that in comming.
But this said, I definitely think that there are some new things to be heard in this track."


Watch the lyric video for "Heaven Knows" below:




- stream "Heaven Knows" -



Harry Strange online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram 

Thank you for your visit!

&

Credits // Words (Intro): Vanessa Jetwash | Words (about artist:): Carolyn Lederach | Image & Words (about song): Harry Strange

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