Video: HITS x Berlin

Hey guys!

 Well, this is an interesting one to type up.

Our first ever house in the sand gig happened and it probably couldn't have been any better.
Not only did we have a brilliant lineup, we also got to celebrate this debut in a city that has been so important to house in the sand - Berlin.

I honestly don't know how to structure this post and how to stop myself from repeating what I have been saying ever since I got back from the show.

Hosting a house in the sand gig has been on my bucket list for many years now and I always thought I had to be in the business longer and learn more before I could even think about doing it.
But sometimes you'll meet people and you'll chat to people who ask you about your goals, and when you name them, they might actually help you to make them happen.

And that was exactly the case with this gig. I e-met the brilliant Christian Müller through the blog and when I told him about the visions I had for HITS, he helped me make it happen.
So, he told me about this brilliant venue in Berlin, that also serves vegan food (which was enough to convince me!) and after briefly checking it out online, I knew it was the one for this first show.

And then the artists came on board and I had my lineup together faster than I could've imagined.
I want to say though, that if it would've been possible, I would've wanted every one of my music friends to play.
But three acts were a decent amount for a gig and so we found a date and confirmed the gig.

I'm not gonna lie, the day before I flew to Berlin, I was just waiting for someone to cancel or for something to go horribly wrong - but that wasn't the case and this show happened.

And of course - this would've been a very lonely gig without everyone who came down.
It seriously made me so happy to see so many wonderful people at the show. You were all so attentive and just open to new music and that was the best visualisation of the house in the sand community.

But also - thank you to everyone who sent me a message on the day of the show. My phone was going nuts with all the notifications and messages from you wonderful people and with each message coming in, I felt even more empowered.


Now, enough blabbering - please enjoy our video from the gig:




I'm probably the queen of cheesy posts, so this is just my way of proving that I've still got it.

I want to thank the brilliant and super talented lineup;
that's Dylan Cassin, whom I've known for almost six years now and who has become one of the people I annoy the most. Thank you for flying in not only to play a brilliant set, but also to show your support. You're alright, I guess.

Thank you to Josh Savage who hasn't been trapped in the house in the sand gang for that long but has already been a part of some special HITS moments. Thank you for celebrating this milestone with us and for dealing with all the Golden Girls gifs I send your way.

And then there's Martin Kelly, who is part of the band that inspired me to start this blog.
The band let me steal a line from their song to make it the blog name and luckily they still haven't sued me.
For over six years both Martin and James have said yes to everything I threw their way and they've done that without hesitation.
So thank you playing the title track of the blog and for all the support.
Talk about things coming full circle!

Another huge thank you goes to Ryan McNeil who is the coolest member of Martin and James.
(Yes, I said it.)
Thank you for always helping out, always being supportive, teaching me how to babysit artists and for treating me like a pro when I was just 16 and trying to figure all of this out.

THANK YOU to Ardalan Aram at RAWCREATION for gifting us his time and talent - without Adi this video wouldn't even exist. You've been so generous and so brilliant, so thank you so so so much! I really hope I didn't butcher your work with my edit.

Also, thank you to Jack Grewe who was the sound engineer at the gig and provided us with perfect sound - which of course made the gig so enjoyable. The sound is such an important part of a gig and I'm so glad that you've nailed it. Thanks so much!

Thank you to Christian Müller - this gig wouldn't have happened without your help! Thank you for donating your wisdom and for helping me to make this happen - you've literally made the biggest HITS thing ever happen and for that I'm so thankful.

Of course - thank you to everyone at Barkett! What an iconic venue you are and you might not even know it! My vegan heart was so happy about the food and also the atmosphere. I cannot wait to be back and eat my weight in food. I hope you're ready for that.

And finally - thank you to everyone who has ever supported house in the sand - you're all brilliant and I'm so thankful.


Now that was a long post, wasn't it...
Sorry about that, but I had to get it all out.



Thank you for your visit and support!

Credits // Words, Image & Video Edit: Vanessa Jetwash | Camera: RAWCREATION

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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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EP Review: "Fine Love" by Martin Kelly

Hey guys!

We all have these artists, whose work we've been following for a while, right?

Ever since I've been running house in the sand, I've had a handful of acts, I have had the pleasure to watch as they continue to put out amazing work.
Not only is it wonderful as a music fan, it's also extremely inspiring to see how passionate these musicians are.

And because we think that passionate and talented musicians deserve all the noise we can make,
we're excited to share this EP with you!

Artist: Martin Kelly
Title: Fine Love
Genre: Indie, Folk
Label: Grand Hotel van Cleef
Release Date: 28th July 2017

Martin Kelly is a musician originally from Scotland, now based in Berlin, Germany.
A lot of you know Martin as one half of the duo Martin and James.

Ever since the band things slowed down, Martin has been writing and recording on his own.
His first tour and support tour with Noah Guthrie went down a treat and led to more gigs all over Germany.

Just last week, on July 28th, Martin released his debut EP as a solo artist and we couldn't be more excited about it.

Check out our review below!

Tracklist:
1) Match Already Burned
2) Far Away
3) Fine Love
4) Heart On A Wire
5) Fisherman's Blues

Opener "Match Already Burned" has the scary job of giving a great first impression of the EP.
And it does its job perfectly.
Martin's signature finger picking on the acoustic guitar guides you carefully through the track.
The simplicity of the instrumentation is beautiful, yet anything but shallow. You can clearly tell that there's a lot of life in this song, the howling but subtle e-guitar being one of those breathing elements.
Whilst the lead vocals stay in the lower register, the backing vocals highlight the lyrics and give the song more grip.

Track two, "Far Away", stands out. Whilst the verses are kept charmingly calm, the choruses grow into something big and uplifting.
The bass drum, piano and percussion, give the song a very folky feeling and will make you clap your hands in along to the beat. It's that kind of song, you immediately start learning all the words to, so you can sing along.

"Heart On A Wire" might sound familiar to some of you - we've had the pleasure of hearing this song at an early stage, whilst Martin played it on a bridge in the woods - check out his performance here.
It has kept its acoustic charm, but has been turned into something slightly louder and more vivid.
One of the most surprising elements of the song, is the strong bassline that thrives throughout the song.

To sum it up: "Fine Love" is a carefully crafted EP. Every detail is tied in neatly and put together with so much thought.
You'll find ballads to dream to and folky tracks to sing along. It's never easy to showcase your catalogue with just five tracks, but Martin really nailed it.

You should listen to these tracks: Match Already Burned, Far Away, Fine Love


Listen to "Match Already Burned" below:

- buy "Fine Love" -
- stream "Fine Love" -



Martin Kelly online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram




Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jertschewske | Artwork: via Martin Kelly

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Day 19: Martin Kelly | #HITSBC17

Hey guys!

A little less than five years ago I approached the first band to work with.
I had absolutely no idea of the music industry and I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

I did my first ever email interview with one of my favourite bands and that was when the music journalism bug bit me.
Luck was on my side and I soon realised I had asked the perfect band to work with - they made my job so easy and nothing has changed about that over the past few years.

I'd like to think that the first interaction sort of sets the scene, so thankfully it all worked out super well.

Fun fact - one member of that band is here to celebrate with us today!


What is #HITSBC17?
HITSBC17 stands for house in the sand's Birthday Countdown 2017.
Throughout the entire month of February, we are going to celebrate house in the sand's fifth birthday.
(Because why celebrate on one day, if you can celebrate for an entire month, right?)
With the support from some of the finest artists and bands around, each day in February will be filled with an exclusive performance just for us.

Who is performing today?
Martin Kelly.
He is a musician from Scotland, now based in Berlin, Germany.
A lot of you know Martin from the Scottish duo Martin and James who are currently on a break.

Ever since the band things slowed down, Martin has been writing and recording on his own.
His first tour and support tour with Noah Guthrie went down a treat and allowed him to get his music heard.
The musician is currently mixing his upcoming EP whilst playing gigs here and there.

What needs to be said about this performance?
It's a new song which you'll find on the upcoming EP. As per usual, we are super excited to share this with you. We recommend grabbing a cup of tea, a few biscuits of your choice and finding a comfortable spot on the couch before you start watching the video.

Comfy? Good! Here we go, check out Martin's performance of his song "Match Already Burned".





Where can we find Martin Kelly online?
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram

Who deserves a thank you?
Martin deserves a huge thank you for recording the video and for always been wonderful to collab with. I appreciate all the support and positivity a lot.

What can we do now?
If you enjoyed this video and post, please help us reach more people.
Share it online along with the hashtag #HITSBC17.
We would love to hear what you think, so please feel free to comment.


I hope you had a fabulous time checking out today's video.
Stay tuned for the next few days, as we still got some fantastic musicians lined up.




Day 18:                                                                                                 Day 20:
                                                                        

Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Text & Image: Vanessa Jertschewske | Video: Martin Kelly for house in the sand

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HITS exclusive: "Heart On A Wire" by Martin Kelly

Hey guys!

Over the years I got to film quite a few performances.
A lot of them were filmed in backstage areas, dressing rooms and living rooms.
But my favourite shoots are outdoor shoots.

It's always so much fun to wander around to find the perfect spot. You never really know what you get and that's pretty cool in my opinion.

Today I'm happy to present you a lovely HITS exclusive performed by Martin Kelly.


Martin Kelly is a musician originally from Scotland, now based in Berlin, Germany.
He is one half of house in the sand's favourite duo, Martin and James.
With the band being on a break, both individuals are now making music on their own.

Martin's music combines honest songwriting which could remind you of Simon and Garfunkel, clever guitar riffs and melodies, and a voice you won't forget.

So far he shared a few of his new songs online (find all his links below!) and sold a five-track EP on the road.

This performance was filmed in February when Martin was touring Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
We filmed it in my hometown, on a little bridge in the woods. (Well, I wasn't on the bride. Click here for a little behind the scenes impression.)

Now, enjoy Martin Kelly perform one of his new songs "Heart On A Wire" for house in the sand.




Martin Kelly online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram

As usual, massive thank you to Ryan and Martin. Was a blast to wander around town with a dying camera battery!




Thank you for your visit!

HITS online: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

Credits // Text, Image & Video: Vanessa Jertschewske | Video intro (audio) & performance: Martin Kelly

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Day 26: Martin Kelly | #HITSBC16

Hey guys!

Looking back on the four years of house in the sand is a beautiful thing.
There have been so many amazing moments and I would love to list them all,

but let's be honest- that would bore everyone.

So I'd like to send a big thank you to those artists who have been a part of this website from the very beginning.
In fact, some of them inspired this website so much.
One of them is performing today and I think that just shows how personal HITS is.


What is #HITSBC16?
HITSBC16 stands for house in the sand's Birthday Countdown 2016.
Throughout the entire month of February, we will be celebrating this website's fourth birthday.
One artist/band a day is going to wish us a happy birthday and then perform a song exclusively for this sweet occasion.

Who is performing today?
Martin Kelly.
He is a musician originally from Scotland, now based in Berlin, Germany.
He is one half of house in the sand's favourite duo, Martin and James.
With the band being on a break, both individuals are now making music on their own.

Martin's music combines the honest songwriting which could remind you of Simon and Garfunkel, clever guitar riffs and melodies and a voice you won't forget.


What is special about this video?
It gives you a good idea why I made it my goal to support these artists as much as I can. Martin's performance represents what we at HITS really enjoy - it's honest, it's passionate and it bloody fantastic!


Please check out Martin Kelly performing his song "Love Is A Landslide" for us!




Where can we find Martin Kelly online?
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram

Who do we need to thank?
Martin himself for delivering this marvellous performance and always being great fun to work with.
Just like James, he's been supporting this website from the beginning and has helped me out so many times I stopped counting.
Thank you, Martin! I really appreciate it!

What can we do now?
If you've enjoyed this article, please help us reach more people by sharing it along with the hashtag #HITSBC16.
Everybody who uses the hashtag on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram has the chance to win something lovely once the countdown is over.


I hope you enjoyed day 26!

Day 25:




Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Text, Image & Video intro (visual): Vanessa Jertschewske | Video (performance, camera & into (audio): Martin Kelly

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