Preorder: HITS magazine - issue #2

21st April 2020 //

Hey everyone!

Well hellooo!

It is an exciting day for us here at HITS because we get to share something lovely with you.

After releasing our first print issue last year and it being such a joyful moment for us to share with those who chose to support this venture, we've decided to make another one.


So with this post we are announcing house in the sand magazine - issue #2.


Man, this is exciting to type out.
We've been working towards this for a while now to make sure it's worth your time and quite frankly, your money.

We are well aware that we're in the middle of a pandemic which has affected many jobs.
As creatives ourselves, these are struggling and trying times, so it feels weird asking you to support our magazine.

But as a small business, we need preorders to help us finance the production of the magazine,
which is why we decided to start preorders today.


If you can and want to preorder your copy, it would help us out big time.
To say thank you, the first 50 preorders will be automatically entering a giveaway to win one piece of merch from the HITS store.


Should you not be able to preorder a copy just yet, don't worry! You'll still be able to get your copy when you're good and ready.


Okay, now let's dive into the fun part - revealing the cover!!!

We have one hell of a lineup waiting for you!


I mean - we got the absolutely brilliant X Ambassadors on the cover - that's a pretty fantastic starting point, isn't it?
The cover was shot in Munich, just a few days before everyone's touring schedules got put on hold, so we're extremely glad we had the chance to make this happen.

On top of that we had tons and tons of fun, interesting and thought provoking conversations on the phone with acts such as Oh Wonder and Dagny, had a big ol' catch up with Jamie Lawson who's been featured on HITS for years now -  and have features with some of the most exciting up and coming artists waiting for you.


We don't have an exact release date yet, but can tell you that this baby will land this Summer.



We hope you are as excited as we are and we truly can't wait to share the magazine with you soon.
Any preorders (and merch orders) help us out big time, and of course spreading the word does too.



- preorder the magazine here -






Thank you for your time and support!










Vanessa & Chris

Credits // Words & Imagery: Vanessa Jetwash & Chris Stringer in collaboration for house in the sand

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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.

- 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

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Gig: HITS x Berlin

Hey guys!

This post is mega special.

We have already talked about this gig we're hosting on all of our Social Media channels,
but this gig wouldn't even be happening if house in the sand . com didn't exist.

So we're bringing it home by sharing the news here as well.


So yeah, we're hosting a gig.

Even typing it feels insane.

If you remember, this year we didn't host our annual Birthday Countdown.
And the reason for that was during the time we were supposed to organise all of it,
I (Vanessa) was already knee-deep in researching this matter.

So I was pretty much committed to this before I even knew if we could pull it off,
because that's just how we do things over here.

And I mean... we pulled it off.

Well, we're about to.

But, we've got the venue, we've got the date, the artists, we've got the crew and so now all we need is the audience.
And we were kinda hoping you could help us out with that.


So - to make it official:


We would like to invite YOU to our first ever house in the sand gig. We're using this as a late birthday party since we didn't celebrate properly in February.


Date: Thursday, April 5th 2018
Venue: Barkett
Address: Czeminskistraße 10 // 10829 Berlin

Tickets: You don't need a ticket. This show is a "pay what you can" show, 
which means that we will be asking for donations.

Schedule: We advice you to be there before 8pm (20:00 Uhr) to get comfortable.
We'll be starting between 8pm and 8:30pm with the first act.

If you are a Facebook user and want to help us out,
please let us know if you're coming to the show by selecting "going" in our Facebook event.


Now, let's chat about the artists:


Dylan Cassin

He's been a part of HITS ever since his days in The Arkanes.
Remember the band? I'm sure you do. We didn't stop talking about them.

Over the years, Dylan has always been involved in our activities and to have him fly in from Liverpool just to play the show means a lot to us. It also shows that we found the coolest friends in the world.

Dylan will be playing his solo music which is going to be an absolute treat.
This will be his first solo show in Germany and we're damn sure it's going to be a blast! 

Josh Savage

Josh made his house in the sand debut in 2015 and has not been able to escape ever since.
He introduced us to living room shows and safely navigated us through London and onto boats.

Jokes aside, we're thrilled that Josh moved to Berlin and also decided to join our show.

You can expect thoughtful songs that vary from soothing, to hopeful, to heartbreaking.
We'll definitely be singing along to his tracks and can't wait for you to hear his songs.





Martin Kelly

house in the sand wouldn't exist without Martin and James' track "Wrong Directions".
Isn't that insane?

We think it is. And to have Martin come down and play his music for us just sums up what kind of crazy rollercoaster of opportunities this is.
Most of you probably already know and love his music.

In case you don't, come down and be blown away.
We'll be in there corner, crying happy tears.





To sum this up for you, we've got some of the finest musicians on board and we cannot wait to celebrate the evening in Berlin. 


If you can make it, we would LOVE to see you there and have chats with you.

In case you might not be able to make it, but know somebody who would enjoy this evening, 
please tell them about this.

We need your support with this and hope we can count on you.


Alright, that's it for now.

I'll hopefully see you on April 5th.



Until then, thank you for letting us do this.
It's the coolest.




Love,

Credits // Words & Image: Vanessa Jetwash

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Announcement: #HITSBC17

Hey guys! 

It's my favourite time of the year!

And by that I don't mean winter - I can't cope with cold weather.

What I mean is, it's time to plan and work on the next Birthday Countdown.

For those of you who aren't familiar with that project,  here's what it's about:
Every year in February - which is house in the sand's birthday month - we host the biggest birthday party we could think of.
Starting on February 1st, you will get to see one exclusive live performance a day, throughout the entire month.

We get to invite incredibly talented musicians from all over the world who then play a song in honour of our birthday.

For me, the person who organises the entire project, it's one of the biggest tasks - but it's also one of the best tasks.

Because this blog wouldn't be what it is without you, the readers and supporters - I want you to get involved.

Here's how:
Help me pick out artists to invite!

Simply message me on Twitter, Facebook or via email (houseinthesand@web.de) and tell me whom you would like to see perform a song for us.
It can either be one of the acts we've featured before or somebody you would really want to see on HITS.

In the past few years, you have always told about such fantastic artists, so I can't wait to hear what you're requesting this time.

To freshen up your memory, or to introduce you to the concept of this, you can check out the previous countdowns below.

2014

2015

2016

 Official hashtag:
Hashtags are everywhere - even the technology confused grandma within me can't deny that.

So, of course, we're jumping on the hip bandwagon and we'll have our own hashtag for this party!

- #HITSBC17 -

(stands for: house in the sand Birthday Countdown 2017)

Please feel free to use it on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram - it'll help us to promote this project and reach more people.
Every share/retweet makes a huge difference.

As the final line-up always stays a secret, the acts and myself are going be using this hashtag to share sneak peeks with you.


This edition of the Birthday Countdown is already a very collaborative one;
the official logo was designed by the incredibly skilled Phil Barber who was an absolute joy to work with!


I have already filmed a few videos with some brilliant bands and I can't wait to see what our fifth birthday will be like.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be glued to my desk, emailing more acts! :)




Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Phil Barber for house in the sand

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Introducing HITS photographer: Alex Lloyd

Hey guys!

Today's post is one of those posts I didn't think I'd write at this point.
I'm going to keep it short and sweet and just say it:

We have a photographer for HITS!

So, those of you who know the blog well, know that I've been running this blog by myself ever since I started it.
 A lot of you like the personal touch I add to my posts and I think it's what makes HITS special.

The thought of adding writers and photographers to the team has been on my mind for a while but I was scared that it would mean losing the special personal vibe.
The amount of work I have and invitations to gigs and festivals, in places I can't visit, is massive and it's always frustrating when I can't take those opportunities.

As fate would have it a music photographer messaged me, asking if he could shoot for house in the sand.
After checking out his work, a rather sleepless night overthinking and a chat with said photographer, I decided to let him contribute to HITS.

The photographer I'm talking about is Alex Lloyd, a very taletend photographer with a refreshing style.
He's based in Liverpool, UK which means he'll be covering gigs in the Liverpool and Manchester area.
It's the perfect area for HITS since a lot of our dear readers are from the UK, so this website can now come closer to you guys.

With that being said, I'm very convinced that house in the sand will stay as personal but with more dynamic.
I'm looking forward to Alex' and my first collaboration which will happen next month.

To introduce Alex to you, I've asked him some questions which he answered.

How did you get into music photography?

 I fell into music photography quite accidentally. I bought myself a Canon 600d with no idea what I’d use it for (It was on sale, and being am impulse buyer I instantly bought it).
My friend’s band were playing a show and I thought it would be interesting if I tried to shoot it. My images from the show were awful but I instantly fell in love with shooting concerts.

 I love the idea that you can capture a moment in a show and share it online, and that will make people want to go to one of their shows, as well as just capturing special moments onstage. 

I also love that it’s allowed me to meet many other like-minded people who I wouldn’t have otherwise met!



Do you have a funny gig story for us?
At Liverpool Music Week in 2014, I applied for a photo pass, and I turned up and they had me down for an AAA pass! I had complete free roam of the event to shoot/go where I liked, and I got to watch CHVRCHES’ sound check! Another would be AWOLNATION at the O2 Academy Liverpool, I’d returned from a trip to Iceland the same day and was so exhausted I started falling asleep in the photo pit! Not my best decision, to say the least.




Which gigs did you enjoy covering the most?
 I loved covering Taylor Swift at the Manchester Arena back in June this year, as we were put into the VIP crowd area so it was quite hectic, especially as we only got 2 songs to shoot! The images I got from the show are some of my favourite that I’ve taken.

 I also loved Foxes at the Manchester Academy, as there were 12 people in a pit designed for around 5 people! Liverpool International Music Festival 2015 was also very fun, as we were given our own VIP area in between acts! 

What music do you love?

Some of my favourite artists are Gabrielle Aplin, Foxes, Paramore, Tove Lo, Taylor Swift, Disclosure, Tinashe, Years and Years, CHVRCHES and Rae Morris to name a few! (No way I could just pick one or two!)
My favourite album of all time has to be English Rain by Gabrielle Aplin, as every single track on there is perfect, and sounds even better live, and my all time favourite song is Last Hope by Paramore, for reasons which will become obvious when you listen to it!

So there you go, I highly recommend taking the time to look at his Social Media.
Please welcome our new photographer! :)

Alex Lloyd online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram



Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text & Questions: Vanessa Jertschewske | Photography & Answers: Alex Lloyd

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Announcement: I'm going on tour!

Hey guys!

I'M GOING ON TOUR!

"What? Why? How? What what what?" you might think. Let me explain.

As some of you may already know The Arkanes are going on their first headline tour in Germany/Switzerland.

They are a four piece rock band from Liverpool, UK. So far they have released an EP called "Don't Act Like You Know Me" and a debut album called "W.A.R". 

The Arkanes are:

Chris Pate (lead vocals, guitar)

Dylan Cassin (lead guitar, backing vocals)

Jake Hallam (bass, backing vocals)

Andy Long (drums)

I've first heard them live nearly three years ago. Ever since I've followed and supported their career; their debut album release, exciting support slots, some bad news, a lineup change and now their first headline tour. 

And now I'm writing this announcement blogpost to tell you that I'm joining the tour for a couple of dates.

My part will be documenting the gigs and days off. I'll photograph, film and write about all adventures and activites. 

(And I'll play pranks on them... but that's not the reason I'm joining...)

We are going to film a lot of videos at the venues, during the gigs, in the van and wherever else we end up.

Basically I'll represent all of you who are interested in finding out what a band does on the road. For a week house in the sand will turn into your "all access area" when it comes to touring with The Arkanes.

As the tour is still a few weeks away, I'm just starting the whole brainstorming process of how YOU guys can be involved.

If you have any ideas or requests, please let me know.

I've wanted to go on tour with a band for a while now, and the fact that I'm joining one of my favourite bands who also happen to be good friends of mine, just makes it brilliant.

I'll be joining Stuttgart, Berlin, Oldenburg, Burgrieden and Olten. 

If the guys are in a city near you, please make sure to get tickets here and come see them live.

If you are not located in Germany or Switzerland, let me help you get to know the guys better.

Just visit house in the sand in March. :)

I'm absolutely excited and can't wait!!!

Thank you for reading! 

 

Credits // Text & Image 1: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image 2: The Arkanes

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Announcement: Birthday Countdown

 HEY GUYS,

you can probably tell that I'm a bit excited.

Today I finally get to announce what 'that project' I was (non stop) talking about is.

So the project is called "Birthday Countdown".

This very blog is turning two years old on February 28th and because birthdays always take soo long to come up, we are going to celebrate.

No, not just on Feb 28th, but through out the entire month!

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Giveaway: and the winner is...

Hey guys,

you all know that I am always honest. And that's why I have to tell you that I actually hate todays post.

I have to announce the winner of the Jim Kroft Giveaway and it is so horrible to only let one of you win. 

For this giveaway I asked you to leave a comment telling me your favourite record(s).
And your feedback was just incredible - so many of you took time to actually write a blog post lenghty comment and honestly - that warmed my heart!

You all happen to be soooo passionate when it comes to music and I love that.

But there can only be one winner and it is:

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Giveaway Winner + I'm a DJ!

 Hey guys,

what a headline, right?

Ok so let's get you informed.

The SPS giveaway is ending today and I'd like to thank everyone who joined! I especially loved the instagram photos! Thanks! :)

But there can only be one winner and it is:

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Updates + Announcement

Hey guys,

I just wanted to make a little statement:

 since January house in the sand has worked with over 50 different bands. That's quite a lot as it's only me doing all the work behind it - no team. 

I'm actually really busy right now. 

(and I know that this sounds sooo like I'm trying to sound important and cool, but I'm not.) 

As most of you know house in the sand is not the only project I'm working on; I also write for the webzine "Albumcheck" and currently have 21 CDs I need to review for it.
Also I just got asked to contribute articles to another project but I can't really tell you about that yet. It's going to launch in October so you'll get details soon. :)

Of course HITS is my baby and I love working on new projects but it just takes a lot of time.

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