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:




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





Thank you for your visit!

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

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Cover Of The Day: "Crazy In Love" (Beyoncé) by Jack Garratt

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I've last uploaded a little "Cover Of The Day" post, but fear not - we're back on a roll!
It's really amazing how sometimes just one great performance inspires me to bring back an entire segment.

What I love about covers which are a lot different to the original, is how you'll hear an artist's real sound.
When a musician changes the style or the pace of a song, it's most likely done in their very own style.
To me, one of the many fascinating things about music, is how many different ways there are to perform a song.

Today I'm very happy to showcase a cover performed by one of the most fascinating artists at the moment - Jack Garratt.

Jack Garratt is a multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter based in London, UK.
The musician who grew up in Buckinghamshire, UK started making music, or "noises" as he calls it himself, at a very young age.

With a talent not too many people have, Jack manages to combine multiple genres and creates a sound which is mix of electronic beats, dirty e-guitar riffs, jazzy piano parts and a voice that's just a varying as the instrumentals; ranging from a warm, deep voice to a brilliant falsetto, to moments where nothing is raspier than Garratt's voice.

So far he released three EPs:
Remnants (2014)
Remnix (2014)
Synthesiac (2015)

And earlier this year, Jack Garratt celebrated the release of his debut record, "Phase".

His skills and sounds received the BBC Sound Of 2016 award, as well as the Critics Choice Award at the Brit Awards 2015.

His endless amount of gigs, festivals and sessions is always filled with some surprises.
From covering the Spice Girls classic "Wannabe" on tour, to his mindblowing Live Lounge cover of "7 Days" by Craig David and "Senorita" by Justin Timberlake.

His most recent cover for Australia's radio station triple j is definitely one of those covers you need to see and hear.
Jack performed his version of Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love".


I am sure the most of you know the original; the fiery and up beat R'n'B track featuring Jay Z is a classic, whether you're into it or not.

Jack took the song into a completely different direction and he did it with style.
His keyboard rendition of the song starts off mellow, calm and really souly.
You'd think the musician is going for a laid back version, but that's just Garratt's way of turning things into an intense performance.

Right after the first chorus things get a lot funkier and a lot more energetic.
His vocals vary from warm to raspy before they turn into Beyoncé-esque killer vibes.
The diversity which Jack offers is undeniable and it's a treat!

Check out Jack Garratt's fabulous cover of "Crazy In Love" below!






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





Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Text & Image: Vanessa Jertschewske | Video: via triple j on YouTube

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Cover Of The Day: "Can't Feel My Face" (The Weeknd) by Ciaran Lavery

Hey guys!

Covers are quite powerful.
They can make you fall in love with a song you didn't like before, they let you discover different sides of a song, and sometimes you don't like them at all.

Personally, I prefer those covers that sound a lot different compared to the original. Those covers where the artists put their own spin onto.
I think those covers show how every song can be seen/heard in many lights and to me, that's what art is about.

I'm happy to present you another "Cover Of The Day" today, performed by Ciaran Lavery.

Ciaran Lavery is a singer/songwriter from Aghagallon, Ireland.

His music is passionate, expresses all different states of heartache and could be classified as alternative folk / acoustic rock.

He's been making music for quite a while and already released a debut album ("Not Nearly Dark") and three EPs ("You Will Be A Stranger Now", "The Maker Of Things", "Kosher").

His music got him some fantastic feedback from Zane Lowe, Snow Patrol's very own Gary Lightbody and many more.

Ciaran spent Autumn and Winter 2015 touring the UK and Germany.

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Ciaran and his fantastic support act Tommy Reilly before their Stuttgart show, so if you're interested in finding out more about that, click here.

Today I'd like to share Ciaran's performance of "Can't Feel My Face" by The Weeknd. 

He played this cover on tour and his version instantly grabbed my attention. 

The singer/songwriter turns the up beat, electronic-funk-pop track into a dark, slightly mysterious acoustic masterpiece.

Ciaran's raspy voice gives the song a lot of grip, edge and adds so much intensity to the rather light hearted song.  

The use of rather dark chords and the so called "hammer-on and pull-off" technique show cases Lavery's signature style and deepens the mysterious atmosphere.

Here's Ciaran's cover of "Can't Feel My Face" by The Weeknd performed for the In Bed With channel, make sure to check them out as well - fantastic content!

- click here for In Bed With -

Ciaran Lavery online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram

Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: via Ciaran Lavery | Video: via In Bed With YouTube

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Cover Of The Day: "Wonderwall" by Jourdan Myers (Oasis)

 

Hey guys!

How many of you have ever covered a song?
Don't we do it daily when we sing along to our favourite songs?

I love covers. I don't always like every single one I hear, but I think if there's a song you love and you want to cover, go ahead and do it.

My favourite covers are those which sound different to the original.
Those which are the artist's own version of the song, those which make you listen to the song in a completely different way.

And I'm absolutely excited to share one of those covers with you today. 

Jourdan Myers is a singer/songwriter from Minneapolis, US. 

 

Her sound varies from alternative to folk to pop and even draws in some rock elements at times. 

So far Jourdan released a fantastic album called "Ruin Me With Love".

 

 It showcases her wide range of vocals; one minute she sounds as vulnerable as a fairy, the other she burts out into intense and strong vocals.

 

Her performance is just as remarkable, but dear HITS-readers, you'll find that out yourself today.

I'm sure we all know the Oasis hit "Wonderwall". In fact, I'm sure most of us had a go at singing it. 

(Or performing it on the guitar. Hello first four chords we ever learned!)

When Jourdan emailed me about this cover, I was very curious because I couldn't imagine her singing the standart guitar based version, and I turned out to be right.

The singer/songwriter re-worked the song and turned it into a ballad focused on vocals and piano.
Light percussions underline the song and play along comfortably whilst Jourdan's gorgeous vocals shimmer in many lights. 

Varying from deep and raspy vocals to light, angel like notes in the chorus, the vocals are definitely what control the track.

There are millions of covers of "Wonderwall" out there, yet I really recommend you check this one out.
It'll surprise you, I guarantee!

Enjoy!

 

Jourdan Myers online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube

Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jerschewske | Image & Video: Jourdan Myers 
 

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Cover Of The Day: "Chandelier" by Stephen Langstaff (Sia)

 

Hey guys!

The mainstream charts are a tricky thing for me. I never really know how to feel about them.

There are songs where I totally get the hype that's being made about them (hello James Bay!) and there are songs that are hyped but just don't get me.

The very popular song "Chadelier" by Sia didn't quite catch me to be honest. I'm in no way saying it's a bad song, I just didn't find it very special.

Not, until I've heard a brilliant cover version by the very talented Stephen Langstaff.

Stephen Langstaff is a singer/songwriter from Liverpool, England. 

He writes songs which are genrefied as acoustic pop. They convince with soothing yet expressive vocals, honest and storytelling lyrics and well arranged instrumentals.

His talent speaks for itself, nonetheless some of Stephen's achievements should be mentioned: so far he's supported acts like Lightening Seeds and China Crisis, sold out multiple shows and released his single "Sirens" along with some acoustic versions.
Even BBC Merseyside approves Stephen's sound.

Now, let's speak about his cover of "Chandelier" by Sia.
Stephen recently shared a video of him covering the song. It's an all acoustic version which means it's only Stephen's voice accompanied by light guitar work.

I think it's the simplicity and honesty of his version that absolutely grabbed my attention.
It's the way Stephen made this song his own in such beautiful way.

Have a listen yourself!

 

Stephen Langstaff online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

 
More of Stephen on house in the sand: music video | exclusive performance

Thank you for reading!

 

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Stephen Langstaff

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Cover Of The Day: "Centuries" - Brittany Butler (Fall Out Boy)

Hey guys!

New segment allert!

"Cover Of The Day" is probably pretty self-explanatory: there are tons of cover versions of pretty much any song online.

And this segment is going to showcase the ones I stumble upon and thoroughly enjoy.

The first cover I'd like to share with you is performed by Brittany Butler, a singer/songwriter from Boston, USA.

Brittany has been uploading covers and original songs on her YouTube channel for about seven years.

Music has always been a part of her life; at the age of 9 years she met a Berklee College of Music alum who suggested that she should audition for Berklee City Music. Once young Brittany was old enough, she auditioned and was accepted to study.

A lot has happened since then and her career is nowhere close to an end. Just last year Brittany was a contestant on The Voice, her blind audition made Pharell Williams and Gwen Stefani turn their chairs. She then joined Pharell's team.

Her version of "Centuries" (originally performed by Fall Out Boy) blew me away.

 It's a lot different if you compare it to the original, an alternative-rock tune. Brittany has put her own twist on the song and converted it into a jazzy and r'n'b masterpiece. Her vocals are only supported by her guitar playing and some light backing vocals. 

The laid back vibe Brittany put on the song goes along so well with her voice, it will leave you wanting more.

Have a listen yourself!

Brittany Butler online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Thank you for reading!  

 

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Brittany Butler

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