Album Review: "A Beginner's Guide To Bravery" by David Keenan

16th January 2020 //

Hey everyone!

If on this mighty fine Thursday you are looking for an escape,
an escape to a sound world you might've not explore before,
we invite you to check out David Keenan's debut album.

We get this feeling of pure joy whenever an album takes us on a ride and lets us lose ourselves in the music. (Not an Eminem pun, promise!)
David Keenan's album did exactly that for us, so please join us on journey of discovering the album.


Artist: David Keenan
Title: A Beginner's Guide To Bravery
Genre: Folk
Label: Rubyworks
Release Date: 10th January 2020


David Keenan is a singer/songwriter from Dundalk, Ireland.

David has always found the fascinating in the seemlingly mundane. That creativity and imagination have helped the songwriter to find his style.
On the journey of finding his style and voice, David went to Liverpool to find Lee Mavers, singer of The La's. And while he didn't find Lee, he found confidence - confidence in his writing, his performing and his ability to sing each song like it was his last, an ability he admires in artist such as Damian Dempsey and Jacques Brel.

His debut album, "A Beginner's Guide To Bravery" was written over the span of four years, embedding stories of the past, present and future within the eleven tracks which were recorded within a week. Giving the songs time to tell him exactly where they wanted to go shows David's ability to really lean in and let his craft develop.

And he's right - there's no sense in rushing, it's just the beginning. Journeys unfold over time.

His passionate performances have captivated large audience including the times he played support sets for Glen Hansard, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Hozier.


Tracklist:
1) James Dean
2) Unholy Ghosts
3) Altar Wine
4) Love In A Snug
5) Tin Pan Alley
6) Good Old Days
7) The Healing
8) Origin Of The World
9) Eastern Nights
10) Evidence Of Living
11) Subliminal Dublinia


Opener "James Dean" prepares you for the journey you are about to embark on in the most gentle way. It's minimalistic, it's soothing, the closer you listen, the more you'll find yourself ready for more. More poetry, more stories sung by David.

"Unholy Ghosts" unfolds and blossoms into a song bigger than the first few chords would let you suspect. Towards the end you are engulfed in warm fiddles, steady drums, welcoming acoustics and a voice you don't want to stop listening to. 
Of course "Altar Wine" needs to be mentioned. It gives us the feeling of driving on the highway past midnight, you're one of the only ones travelling, travelling to where you're going but also travelling to where David Keenan takes you with this song. It's one of the most haunting, most captivating songs on the record.

It seems like David has a thing for starting a song off calm and mysterious, but letting it crescent into something bigger than imaginable. With choruses that make you move your entire body, "The Healing" wins you over with rapid rhythms, intensifying instrumentals and the passion with which David tells you these stories.

To sum it up: David Keenan has managed to create his very own sound world. One that's filled with poetry, charm and mystery. It allows you to go on a journey as you travel through the songs, discovering new elements and highlights each time you listen. "A Beginner's Guide To Bravery" is a record that transports you into another place and time and that's a pretty big achievement.


You should listen to these tracks: Unholy Ghosts, Altar Wine, The Healing, Origin Of The World



Watch David's acoustic performance of "Alter Wine" right here:




- buy and/or stream "A Beginner's Guide To Bravery" here -



David Keenan online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: via Backseat PR

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7 songs: Liam McClair

8th January 2020 //

Hey everyone!

With this post we welcome you to 2020 at house in the sand.

We are excited to have another 12 months of music discovery ahead of us.
Just imagining how much fantastic music we will be hearing this year is getting us all giddy - and we hope you feel the same.

We promise you to find even more unique and exciting ways to showcase music for you this year, so all we ask is that you stay tuned and enjoy the process with us.

To kick off the year, we are thrilled to share Liam McClair's selection of seven songs.

We've featured Liam multiple times and always get excited to hear new music. With his at times calming, at times rumbling folk pop sound, Liam has found his signature sound with ease.

Hailing in from Manchester, UK, it's no surprise he has been a big part of the music scene up there. But he's not only an essential in the local giging scene, Liam has also won over fans all over Europe with his thoughtful lyrics, warm vocals and comforting instrumentals. He also played support slots for Newton Faulkner and Echo & The Bunnymen, showcasing his talents to bigger audiences.

To share his latest single, "Nice Guy" with you, we've asked Liam to talk us through seven songs he enjoys for different reasons and at the end of this post he even told us more about the new single.

Let's check out Liam's selection!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1) a song which makes you dance

"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder

When I was a student in Liverpool, I'm sure I annoyed a lot of the DJs in the bars I'd go to by asking them to play this, then forgetting when they said no as I was a little drunk and asking them again!
I love it and it always makes me want to dance.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) a song that calms you down
"Something So Right" by Paul Simon

This song is really soothing and we used to listen to it in the car when my mum was driving.
There is something about the feel of the song I find so relaxing and the older I get, the more I can relate with the lyrics.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) a song that means a lot to you
"American Pie" by Don McLean

I think I'll go with "American Pie" by Don McLean.
Every Easter as a kid or as many I can remember, my family and I would visit the Isle Of Arran of the coast of Scotland and this would be our song we would all sing along to as we winded our way around the island via the narrow country lanes. It always makes me smile.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) a song that makes you feel nostalgic
"Bongo Bong" by Manu Chao

When I was 19, I travelled around Asia, Australia and America with four friends from home.
We had an amazing time and this song always reminds me of that trip. One of my friends made a photo slideshow and used the song as the soundtrack, so I've always been transported to the freedom of travelling whenever I hear it.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5) a song which has accompanied you for a while
"So Fresh" by Will Smith, Biz Markie, Slick Rick

When I was 10 or 11 I borrowed "Willenium" by Will Smith from my sister and I don't think I ever gave it back!
This track is one that I always find myself singing and I just loved it so much as a kid. I'd never heard four or five artists on one track before and I thought it was amazing.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6) a song from your favourite genre
"The Man In Me" by Bob Dylan

I love singer/songwriter music. If that counts as a genre, I'm not sure.
But Bob Dylan is one of my favourites and this is one of my favourites of his.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7) a song by an artist / a band which has surprised you
"Teeth White" by The Staves

I'd heard The Staves doing acoustic music and their harmonies blew me away, but I always thought they were predominately folky, when Spotify sent me "Teeth White" I loved it pretty much from the start and then the video just confirmed it's one of my favourite songs!


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you hope listeners will feel when listening to your new single "Nice Guy"?

Hopefully they can relate to the sense of wanting to feel like you have to be liked all the time and that being nice is a pressure that is prevalent in society.

Liam McClair online: Website | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram

And that was Liam's selection!
What did you think? Did he feature any tracks you love?



Previous 7 songs features: The Rose Affair | Ava Rae Heatley | John Thacker | Racoon Racoon







Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (intro + outro): Vanessa Jetwash | Image + Words (about songs): Liam McClair

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Album Talkthrough: "Routes" by Stylusboy

14th November 2019 //

Hey everyone!

Well hello there, today we actually have a brand new feature on HITS.

Online that is, we got to premiere our album talkthrough segment in our print issue - so if you'd like to check that out, you can get a copy here. (We only have a handful left, so be quick.)

The title probably gives it away, but in this feature we invite artists to talk us through each track on their album to learn a few more things about the songs as we fall in love with them.

We are excited to see it become a regular feature here and of course would love your feedback.


- Album Talkthrough -
"Routes" by Stylusboy


Stylusboy is the moniker Steve Jones from Coventry, UK uses to release indie folk tracks.

The singer/songwriter has been releasing music since 2009 and has built a loyal fanbase over the years. With support from BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, Stylusboy has made himself a well respected name.

Influenced by the greats such as Damien Rice, Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, Neil Young and more, you'll find songs about love, loss and all things life. 

Having gigged all over the UK, including sold out shows and support sets for acts such as Newton Faulkner, John Smith, Lucy Ward and more, Stylusboy shows that he's an adaptable live performer who is comfortable at festivals, at house gigs, all sorts of venues and even a pro at playing online gigs.

Between the release of his debut album, "Hospitality for Hope" in 2015 and now, Steve has released multiple EPs and a live album.

On September 27th of 2019 Stylus released his new album, "Routes", via his own label Tortoise Records.


Steve kindly took the time to chat us each track on the album, 
here's what he had to say:

"I guess the best place to start when talking about my second album Routes is about the vision I had for it.
Since my first album, "Hospitality for Hope", my influences and style has changed and developed from a English folk-ish sound to more of a singer songwriter Americana style sound. I was listening to people like John Paul white, Jason Isabel and The Lone Bellow all of whom are American and have a more full band sound.

I wanted this album to have a different feel to my first one, more stripped back but also more full sounding.
It took me quite a long time to get the songs where I felt they were ready to record but I didn’t want to rush this process. The drums and double bass parts were recorded live in a gorgeous studio called Canvas Music on a farm just outside Birmingham by a wonderful engineer called David Plumb.
My old friend Tim Bowes played the drums and one of the busiest musicians I know John Parker played the double bass. These guys have added so much colour to the album and I’m so grateful to them.
All the guitars and vocals were recorded in my home studio The Truffle Room which is where I do a lot of writing and recording. Holly Hewitt, a wonderful blues singer local to me, kindly agreed to add harmonies to my songs and I love what she has created."

"Embrace The View":

"I was really keen to have this as the opening song and I worked for a long time deciding if the main guitar should be an electric or an acoustic, as you can tell when you listen I settled on an acoustic. Lyrically this song is all about keeping going when things are tough, not letting your current circumstances define you and keep you eyes on what is in front of you."

"Out Upon The Ocean":

"This is the first song I wrote for this album and it was the chorus line that came to me first. I am often inspired by the sea and I liked the idea of using a lighthouse for inspiration so its a fictional narrative but one i hope many people can relate to."

"For The Souls Of My Brothers":

"This song is inspired by the fact my Great Grandad was a fireman in my home city of Coventry during World War 2. One evening he was late home from his job and his family persuaded him to stay for dinner with them. This meant he was late for his fire crew shift and missed going out with them that night. Sadly his crew never returned that night and so this is the story of those feelings."

"All The Details":

"I co-wrote this song with my friend Jess Morgan, a wonderful singer songwriter from Norwich. We had wanted to write together for a while and so one Saturday morning we calved out some time in our diaries and came up with this song. It’s all about trying to find happiness in the small things in life. I love the feel of this song. Tim and John really influenced this at the final stage of recording by setting an almost Motown feel to it."

"Find Your Gold":

"This was one of those songs that was a real battle to finish and changed quite a lot from how it originally started. It’s written in DADGAD tuning and I was listening to a lot of John Paul White’s music when I was recording the guitar parts. Lyrically its all about battling with hard times and sad thoughts and finding your ‘gold’ in family and moving on."

"Keep You":

"This song is about reading Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis to my daughter and wanting to keep her at that point in her life. It’s a fairly reflective song. Musically I was really looking to keep the song as stripped back as I could so the end section really built to a big ending. To me I can hear a little bit of Elbow influence on this, maybe that's just me?"

"Ride This Storm":

"This is one of those songs that just fell out of me! I wrote the lyrics in one sitting and hardly edited them at all which is pretty unusual. It’s inspired by a story from the Bible which isn’t something I write directly from very often but my faith is a very important part of my life. Quite a few people have referenced Paul Simon in the overall sound and I am very happy with that!"

"Open The Door":

"This is actually a completely reworked version of one of my very first Stylusboy songs. This version came out of the jamming during the rehearsals for my first album and I really liked how it sounded so I was keen to explore it in a new way. It is completely recorded in my home studio where I have built up the layers of guitars. I love the way Holly has sang this with me."

"Shelter In The Light":

"Here is another one inspired by my Grandad. He use to go out on his Dad’s coal truck and so this is me imagining what that might have been like. The phrase ‘shelter in the light’ is about the fact they use to have a lantern on the coal truck. It is one of the only songs on the album with only electric guitars on it and I really like the end section that builds and allows Tim and John to really help the song ‘RAWK’ (in a folk rock kind of way!)."

"This Is Where I Belong":

"This was the last song I wrote for the album and I always wanted it to be the closing track. I’d had the chorus section for quite a while but the verses took a little longer to complete. It is very simply recorded with just acoustic guitar and my voice."

"For me the writing and recording is always just part of releasing my music.
I love creating the artwork and my fine art background comes out at this point. I worked with Paula Oakley, a wonderfully skilled illustrator, to create the artwork for Routes.

The print on the CD is from an map of Coventry (my home city) which I felt was appropriate as so many of the songs have been written at home or influenced by Coventry.
Finally I love make my CD sleeves by hand so when you buy a copy not only do you get my songs you get the CD hand made by myself."

Watch the music video for "Out Upon The Ocean" right here:




- buy and/or stream "Routes" here -



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








Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (intro): Vanessa Jetwash | Images & Words (about album): Stylusboy

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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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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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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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Behind The Song: "Young Wolves" by Racoon Racoon

Hey guys!

It's storytime time!
I wish we could all gather around a campfire and listen to these interesting stories together.

But since that's not possible (For now! We could always host a house in the sand summer camp!), we can just pretend while we read the stories.

I highly recommend you grab your headphones and a warm drink, and listen to the song while you find out how it came to life. 
Today we're getting an in-depth story, which really allows us to go on the creative journey with the artists.


- Behind The Song -

"Young Wolves" by Racoon Racoon


Racoon Racoon are a chamber folk duo from France.

Léa and Léonard, who have been a couple for eight years, started writing music together in 2015, while they were living in Belgium.
They soon had enough material and released their debut EP, "Our Love's Funeral", in February 2017 via the German label Majestic Casual Records.

Their second EP, "Dawn Chrous", was written in the heart of the Italian Alps and released earlier this year.
Racoon Racoon recorded in Belgium, and together with musicians from Brussels' Philharmonic Orchestra such as Thomas Fiorini (double bass) and Emile Verstraeten (violin, mandolin) which Léo had met while working as a set-up engineer for Ramin Djawadi.

In July of 2018 they released their stunning cover version of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound Of Silence" and made us all fall in love with their sound.

Léa and Léo are currently gearing up to release new music in 2019.
To shorten the wait, they are looking back on their past releases and are sharing them with us again.


The wonderful Léa took the time to chat us through the story behind "Young Wolves":


""Young Wolves" was written in the very first days we arrived in Brussels, Belgium, in 2015.
 I (Léa) have been moving a lot all my life, but it was the first time Léo left his hometown (Bordeaux, France) to settle abroad, and it was quite a chance. Furthermore, our first weeks were quite uncertain; no flat, no job for him, we kind of left in a hurry because I found an intership there, so that was our unique lead, the rest followed right after.

So yeah, Léo began to write this song being alone with a ukulele in a crappy flat... Not glamorous at all. Maybe that's why this song is so ambiguously sad, waving goodbye to the past and saying hello to a very uncertain future! In the moment it just feels hard to let go.

Long rainy weekends locked up in our flat in Brussels pushed us to experiment music together...
That was a first in 5 years. We find tuned "Young Wolves", arranged the melody, changed the lyrics and started writing a few songs. "Our Love's Funeral" was the first one entirely written and composed together. After Christmas that year, we started to think about recording them as a minimalist acoustic EP and began to wonder when and where we could record them.

Being both interns at that time, we had zero money to invest in the project... Léo was working as an assistant in a big studio called Dada along with two friends, Baptiste and Marin. We waited for weeks to have the studio empty to start recording... The opportunity finally came out in March: an empty professional studio for a FULL weekend just for us! We set up 5 mics (Neumann, U47, U67) on Saturday and recorded the 6 songs live during a long session engineered by Baptiste that ended around 5am...

On Sunday we did a few backings, Rhodes and Philicorda.
The recording process was a bit done in an emergency cause we knew there would be no opportunity for re-recording. And as a result, it sounded too demo, because Léo just had one classical guitar for the session, the only instrument he brought to Belgium. So he spoke to Thomas Fiorini, a double bass player he met while working on classical music recording sessions for Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones soundtrack composer).
Luckily Thomas loved our songs and we recorded his parts a few weeks later, tracking everything first take. Thomas was a real game changer. Léo mixed it in August, right after we moved from Brussels to Turin, Italy. Told you, I have a thing for movings. Our first EP was born.

We've always been amazed with how the audience welcomed this song, to us it doesn't sound the best, because we know, or think we know, we could have done way better. But every single time we've tried to reinterpret it so far, it was a failure, haha.
This track just has a peculiar vibe, someting really nostalic and far away... A Je-Ne-Sais-Quoi that makes its imperfections perfect to anyone who listens, at least that's what we're told. The future will tell us if we can improve it or not! :)"


Listen to "Young Wolves" right here:




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





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (Intro): Vanessa Jetwash | Image & Words (About Song): Racoon Racoon

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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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Behind The Song: "Last Dance" by Simon Alexander

Hey guys!

It's Monday. And that's okay.
We might all be a little tired, a little sad that the weekend is over - but you know what?
A new week means we have another set of days to listen to great music.

There is so much new music waiting to be heard, and even though it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, we still love the fact that we will never run out of music to check out.

That's pretty cool, isn't it?

So let's not waste any time - we've got new and exciting music to listen to.


- Behind The Song -
"Last Dance" by Simon Alexander


Simon Alexander is a singer/songwriter from Göteborg, Sweden. 

His sound walks on the fine line between Folk and Indie and combines those key elements seemingly effortlessly, creating a sound that sweeps you off your feet, while still keeping you grounded with honest and storytelling lyrics.

Influenced by the early day heroes such as Jeff Buckley and Neil Young, it's no surprise that nowadays he's drawn to the sounds of Hozier and Matt Corby.

Simon has always had a big interest in music and spent the majority of his time as a drummer in multiple constellations, all while also working on his own material.

In 2015 the project Distant City Light released "Cold Shiver", which marked Simon's first release as a songwriter.
He then moved to Malmö, where he continued his music studies and kept on working on his solo music.

In Summer of 2016 he met up with Tobias Ekqvist and started working on his debut EP "Won't Be Found", which then got self-released on February 15th 2017.

This EP got him signed by Rehn Music Group which celebrated the release of his single "Slide" earlier this year.

Just last week Simon Alexander released his latest single, "Last Dance".


Today we're excited to share with you the story behind the song, told by Simon himself:


"Right before I headed into the studio to record my previous single, "Slide", we had the idea to record two songs in that session. But I didn't really have another song that felt right.
So I started to look through my library of unfinished songs - and found a bunch of ideas that I had recorded a couple years ago.
Some of them were not meant to see the light of day, but when I began playing around with a couple of them, they started to morph into what eventually became "Last Dance".

I knew that this was going to become something different from what I had written before. I wanted it to be a more fun and danceable track than my previous material, pushing me a bit out of my comfort zone, since I've only released more mellow and folky tracks these past years.

Once again I teamed up with producer Tobias Ekqvist (electric guitar) and Jonnie Holmberg (drums) in Studio Sunnana in Malmö. We based the song off a pre-production that I recorded in my home in Gothenburg, but we added a lot of ingredients on the spot. If one of had an idea in the studio that got us all grooving, we knew that we were onto something.

The guitar solo was one of those things. It was made one late night by Tobias, where he just played around until we found something that felt just perfect for the song.

The music video, which is being released very soon, was created by the same team that is behind the video for "Won't Be Found". It's a story-driven interpretation of the song which makes it very special."


Listen to "Last Dance" right here:




Simon Alexander online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Simon Alexander via Pon't Danic Music

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Album Review: "Stay Awake With Me" by Dan Owen

Hey guys!

One of the questions I get asked the most when people find out what my little part in the music industry is, is "So what kind of music do you write about?"

Over the years my answer has progressed from "Oh, a lot! Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, actually the variety is pretty big." to "Music that feels passionate and refreshing."

To be fair, both answers are fairly vague - but come on, what else am I going to say?
HITS is a home for all the music the team loves, so there really isn't an answer that lets people know what to expect.

But I like it that way.

And I hope that I can always surprise you with the music I decide to share with you.

I'm not sure if you'll be surprised today, but you'll love the music - that's for sure.

So let's do this!


Artist: Dan Owen
Title: Stay Awake With Me

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Blues
Label: Atlantic Records
Release Date: 17th August 2018

Dan Owen is a singer/songwriter from Shrewsbury, UK.

He is one of those artists who effortlessly blow you away. He mixes Acoustic with some of the finest Blues and Rock elements in the most intense, yet thoughtful way.

Dan has been performing in public ever since he was 13 years, accompanying his sister on the guitar.
At the age of 17, he discovered his love (and talent!) for singing and soon started to gig his way through the UK.
Dan Owen has mastered the craft of playing everywhere which led to him playing 150-200 gigs a year.

His talent didn't go unnoticed after one of his performances went viral on the internet- Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood himself invited Dan for dinner to chat to him about music and offer him advice.

In October 2016, Dan released his EP "Open Hands and Enemies" and has been touring intensely, also supporting Birdy on tour. (We managed to catch one of the shows, you can check out photos here.)

"Made To Love You", the first single off of "Stay Awake With Me" has amassed over 13 million streams on Spotify alone, giving away just how greatly appreciated Dan's talent is.
All of the following singles got radio support from Radio 1, Radio 2 and Virgin Radio.

And now it's time for us to jump right into the review.


So, let's check out Dan's debut album!


Tracklist:
1) What Is A Man
2) Icarus

3) Made To Love You
4) Fall Like A Feather
5) Hideaway
6) Hand That You Hold
7) Parachute
8) Stay Awake With Me
9) Call My Name
10) Splinter


Opener "What Is A Man" greets you in the friendliest and warmest way possible; brass instruments happily chirp their melodies into your ears and allow you to dive into the album headfirst. Dan's powerful and smokey voice soon joins the occasion and takes the lead.
Whilst duetting with the choir-esque backing vocals in the chorus, you can clearly hear the strength and urgency in Dan's voice.
With "What Is A Man" building up towards the last chorus and shining in the lights of a clever arrangement and a catchy melody, us listeners get a good idea of what is yet to come.

Once we've had our first encounter with the opener track, "Icarus" is here to ease us into the depths of the album, giving us time to adjust to the serious side of Dan's songs. With vocals this big and gripping, it's hard not to focus on the vocals and only the vocals on every track.
But, although his voice is one you'll remember, it would be a mistake to ignore the well arranged and produced instrumentals.
The variety of elements, textures and dynamics plays a huge part in making the album what it is, as well as showing what kind of songwriter you have come across - a detailed oriented and passionate one.


The half-time point, "Hideaway", is definitely one of the highlights on Dan's debut.
It's raw, it's huge, it's going to send shivers down your spine.
The smokey and heavy atmosphere soaks you in right from the very first note you hear.
In fact, there is no way to listen to this track without the song fully grabbing your attention and holding onto it for the entire song.
Dan's way of expressing emotions through vocals is on another level, making it obvious that he can make you feel the same emotions he's experienced - whether you are in the same state of mind or not.


To sum it up: "Stay Awake With Me" is the kind of album that makes you double check to see if it actually is a debut album.
Dan seems to have already found his sound, yet he doesn't shy away from trying out new elements and it works in his favour. Each song is carefully crafted and plays exactly the part it is supposed to. So ladies and gentlemen, grab your headphones and join Dan Owen's journey.


You should listen to these tracks: Icarus, Made To Love You, Hideaway, Call My Name





- buy and/or stream "Stay Awake With Me" here -



Dan Owen online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram







Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Dan Owen via Wilful Publicity

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7 songs: Racoon Racoon

Hey guys!

Okay, I have this routine whenever I edit photos.
I sit at my desk, have my vinyl player about two metres away from me and listen to my "Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits" record.

I do that because I'm usually a very active person - I don't really enjoy sitting still for long (which is why I am terrified of long-haul flights and bus journeys to Berlin).

So, Simon & Garfunkel do the one thing usually only yoga does for me, they calm me down and allow me to focus on whatever task I might be tackling.
Not only does it mean that they can take credit for most of the edited photos you can see on my Instagram, it also means that I enjoy their music a lot.


Today I get to introduce you to a band who has covered one of my favourite S&G songs (is that even the official abbreviation?) and I can't wait for you to listen to it.


Raccon Racoon is a chamber folk duo from France.

Léa and Léonard, who have been a couple for seven years, started writing music together in 2016, while they were living in Belgium.
They soon had enough material and released their debut EP, "Our Love's Funeral", in February 2017 via the German label Majestic Casual Records.

Their second EP, "Dawn Chrous", was written in the heart of the Italian Alps and released earlier this year.
Racoon Racoon recorded in Belgium, and together with musicians from Brussels' Philharmonic Orchestra such as Thomas Fiorini (double bass) and Emile Verstraeten (violin, mandolin) which Léo had met while working as a set-up engineer for Ramin Djawadi.

On July 13th, they've released their beautiful cover of "The Sound Of Silence", an iconic song by the ever so brilliant Simon & Garfunkel.

Most of us acoustic fans probably adore the track.
We might've grown up with it or we found the track later on in life.

Either way, most of us know it - and if you don't, this doesn't make you any less cool. You've got all the time in the world to discover the classics, so please don't let anyone shame you for not knowing them all just yet.

Wheew, that got deep.

Let's let the music take over and let's all dive headfirst into this beautiful cover.


Listen to "The Sound Of Silence" performed by Racoon Racoon right here:



Racoon Racoon online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram | Spotify


Now, let's check out Racoon Racoon's personal playlist!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1) a song which makes you dance

"Soup For Brains" by David Whoolhouse

This song triggers something I can't quite grasp, but anytime I listen to it I feel like dancing in my living room with a glass of Martini and a pyjama on. Absolutely sexy.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) a song that calms you down
"The Chopin Project" by Ólafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott

Particularly the first track, "Verses", and "Reminiscence", but I usually listen to the whole album almost each day in the morning when I do yoga. I think I'll never get bored of it.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) a song with a deep meaning
"Cold Water" by Damien Rice

This song is historic for Léo and I. It echoes to the first moment we were together. (Cheesy.)


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) a song that makes you feel nostalgic
"Veridis Quo" by Daft Punk

Don't know why, but this song is deeply nostalgic to me.
When I listen to it, I feel overwhelmed by something beautiful and sad. It has a touch of classic combined with a rhythm that goes on and on and never stops, as if life would, and will, continue whether or not you're on board.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5) a song which has accompanied you for a while
"Bunker" by Balthazar

We discovered Balthazar going to an Editors concert years ago in Paris.
They were their support band and we fell in love with them that day. I've been listening to their songs since then, especially their last album, "Thin Walls", and this track, "Bunker". We're also huge fans of their recent solo projects.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6) a song from your favourite genre
"Life In Vain" by Daniel Johnston

I discovered Daniel thanks to NPR tiny desk.
This track is legendary.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7) a song by an artist / a band which has surprised you
"Feels Like Home" by Marti West

This song is really cool, I like it very much.
It is really cool and sounds warm. Marti produced it alone, I was really impressed when I first heard it.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________


And that's it!
Did you enjoy Racoon Racoon's selection? Did you discover a new track?
Let us know!



Previous 7 songs features: Jackson Dyer | Simon Alexander | GOUX | Meadowlark





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (Intro & Outro): Vanessa Jetwash | Words (Song Selection): Racoon Racoon | Image: Julien Fourcade

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Song Of The Day: "The Ballad Of Anne Beverley" by Charlie Hole

Hey guys!

Some musicians just seem to release one fine track after the other.

I'm pretty sure you know the kind and also know of a bunch of musicians who fit that description.
This website is pretty much filled with them, just in case you're ever looking for your new favourite acts.

Charlie Hole is one of them - not only is he on the road pretty much all the time (talk about Instagram travel photo goals!), but he also keeps releasing tracks that let you feel and let you relax.

Today we're thrilled to share his latest release with you, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.


- Song Of The Day -

"The Ballad Of Anne Beverley" 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 he released a new single, "The Ballad Of Anne Beverley".


"The Ballad Of Anne Beverley" is a vividly told story, showcasing Charlie's talent for writing lyrics that describe scenes and hit home with you on a personal level.

It has a gentle and melancholic feeling to it and greets you with soft percussions, paired with a nostalgic sounding piano melody.
The lightly strummed acoustic guitar adds enough depth, whilst still allowing Charlie's vocals to take the lead.

You'll find yourself eagerly awaiting the next words and verses, to see where the story of Anne Beverley takes you.
Charlie narrates the story in such respectful, yet honest manner. His vocals guide you through the song and let you discover each element.

Towards the last quarter of the song, a cleverly arranged instrumental duets with the vocals and creates a brilliant finale for the track.


Check out this live version of "The Ballad Of Anne Beverley" - but don't forget to stream the studio version below:




- stream "The Ballad Of Anne Beverley" here -



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




Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: Charlie Hole

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Behind The Song: "Stray" by Douglas Joshua

Hey guys!

Thanks to the beauty of scheduled posts and organised work behaviour, it's actually been over a week since I've last sat down to write.

Now, before you go and call me lazy, I've actually been stuck somewhere between GDPR emails and music submissions and boy, was it a lot to get done.

In between writing emails and trying to get some sleep, I've almost lost my mind on Social Media and was melting in Stuttgart's sun while interviewing bands.

So it actually feels nice to be back on here, sharing brilliant songs with you.

Without getting too cheesy - thanks guys! For coming over to listen to the tracks we want to share.
I hope you enjoy your stay and find new songs you love.

Today we'll get to learn more about the story behind Douglas Joshua's debut single.


- Behind The Song -
"Stray" by Douglas Joshua


Douglas Joshua is a singer/songwriter from Bath, UK.

His sound combines Folk and Acoustic elements in such seemingly effortlessly manner, that you can't help but stop in your tracks to listen to his songs.

"Stray" is one of those songs that will let you dive into the depths of it.
Right from the first few notes, you know you're in for a treat - you'll relax and you might even find those relatable words you're looking for.

It's a genuine and heartfelt song and that becomes apparent the deeper you fall into the song.

If Douglas' debut is this good - we sure can't wait to hear the follow-ups.


Find out what Douglas told us about what inspired him to write the song, the recording process and watch out for a pretty funny story from the video shoot:

"This song narrates the feelings of helplessness as a close friend or relative is struggling with mental illness.

I came to write about this when a close friend of mine was suffering with depression and alcohol addiction.
As I became more aware of the situation, I began feeling more and more worried, but also guilty. I wanted to help, but I didn't know how. I have found it a difficult topic to talk about, so I thought it was appropriate to express how I felt through the music.
I do still find it difficult, but the song has helped me to understand my own feelings, let go of that feeling of guilt and also share it with others, which I think is important. I feel a weight off my shoulders when I sing it

Currently I produce, engineer and mix all of my own work.
Although this can be a slow process and sometimes makes it difficult to be objective about my work, it does give me as much creative control as possible from start to finish.

I've managed to put together a great band and we work really well together in constructing arrangements for my songs.
We started recording back in December 2017; I would go into the studio with each musician individually to track their parts, starting with drums. This really gave me an opportunity to appreciate each instrument's role in the overall arrangement and work with the band to fine-tune and get the dynamics of the performance just right.

We were lucky enough to be able to record drums and vocals in the studio through a lovely TL Audio valve desk, and using my new favourite vocal mic: the Sontronics Aria. The rest was either recorded in mine or Dave's living rooms.

I think this track is a lot more personal, raw and honest than songs I have written in the past, so I'm proud for it to be my debut single. (It also changes time signature a lot, which is fun!)

The most fun I've had during this whole process has definitely got to be the video shoot!
We decided to record a live video in an empty swimming pool in Cheltenham, only to find that it was half full when we arrived! I fell in the water twice while trying to empty the pool on bucket at a time - but thankfully I had a good team of helpers to empty the pool and the weather was good enough to dry my clothes off before the band and crew arrived!"


Watch the live video for "Stray" right here:




- stream "Stray" -



Douglas Joshua online: Website | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Words (Intro & Outro): Vanessa Jetwash | Image & Words (about song): Douglas Joshua

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