Video Of The Day: "Grin And Bear It" by Ava Rae Heatley

Hey guys!

We love music videos that tell a story and act like the perfect visualisation for the songs.

Songs are such powerful tools to express certain emotions or maybe even address issues - but paired with an expressive music video, you have the ultimate combination.

Those kinds of videos are what inspired us to start a segment dedicated to music videos - and the amount of great videos is exactly what keeps us going.

So, here we are - with another music video we love.


- Video Of The Day -
"Grin And Bear It" by Ava Rae Heatley


Ava Rae Heatley is a singer/songwriter from Warwick (New York), USA.

Her sound is influenced by artists such as Sara Bareilles, Ben Folds and Elton John - creating a Pop/Rock meets Acoustic sound.

Ava started out playing at local coffee shops such as Caffe A La Mode in Warwick and Music at the Mission in New Jersey, where she's the winner of the open mic competition.

She has also been 95.3 DNH's "Discovered Artist of the month" in June 2017 which led to her song "Good For You" being played on their station for the entire month.

Her debut EP "The Drive" won us over by storm and we've been loving Ava's sound ever since.

Ava's latest single, "Grin And Bear It" speaks for itself but convinces even more with a relatable and expressive music video, which we think you need to watch today.
It represents struggles which I'm pretty sure you can relate to at one point or another.


Check out Ava Rae Heatley's music video for "Grin And Bear It" here:




- buy or stream "Grin And Bear It" -




Ava Rae Heatley online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Iris Rogers Photography

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Video Of The Day: "Downhill From Here" by Alx Green

Hey guys!

When you're working on your own and also for yourself, you sometimes lose sight of what you're working towards.
It's a natural cycle that you sometimes just slip into without really noticing.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, a lot of times it's the music which really pulls me out of this rather unpleasant cycle.
All it takes to spark the flame, is a song you really want to write about and share with everyone who is interested.

And that's why we have another brilliant song for you today.

Video Of The Day:
- "Downhill From Here" by Alx Green -

Alx Green is a singer/songwriter from Chester, UK.
His sound combines modern Folk with classic Blues elements.
He released multiple demo EPs before recording and releasing his first studio EP in 2016.

Touring Europe in 2015 and constantly releasing music, got him the attention and support of BBC Radio 2, BBC Introducing, BBC Radio Merseyside and many more.

After dropping everything to fully focus on his music, Alx started to make himself a name, touring over 22 cities on one tour and shaping his craft.

Alx is now here with a brand new music video for his song "Downhill From Here".
I sometimes like having songs for certain seasons - even though any song can be heard at any given time of the year. Some songs just really suit a certain time of year.

"Downhill From Here" is the perfect song for a day in Spring; the melancholic melody is light enough to not weigh you down. Alx' vocals are as smooth as ever and have a calming effect on the listener.

The guitar work on this track is absolutely brilliant and I'm definitely lacking words.
It combines the prettiest finger picking with enchantingly expressive percussions and beautiful strumming.

You'll just have to check it out yourself, you won't be disappointed.

It's music like this which makes running house in the sand such a joyful task.

Check out the video below:




- buy it -
- stream it -


Alx Green online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram

Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Alx Green

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Video Premiere: "Banshees" by Pamela Hute

Hey guys!

Don't you think music is a magical thing?
I mean.. what exactly is music?
It's melodies and rhythms, lyrics and harmonies, beats and riffs.
It's something which moves millions and millions of people every single day.

It's something we can only hear. We can't touch it. But it touches us.
It's art. And it can be definied in thousands of different ways.

I guess, it's magic.

And today, as per usual, house in the sand gets to share some magic with you.


Video Premiere: "Banshees" by Pamela Hute

 

Pamela Hute is a musician from Paris, France.
Pin-pointing her sound is like taming a lion- it's rather difficult.
She dances somewhere inbetween Electronic, Pop, Post-Punk and Rock and makes this mixture work beautifully.

Her love for music has been present for her entire life and early on she formed a band, in which she played until 2006.
Soon after that she started her solo career which has proven to be exactly the right path to take.

In 2010 her autobiographical debut album "Turtle Tales From Overseas" convinced the critics and pleased Pamela's loyal fanbase.

With two band mates, Igor Bolender on snythesisers and Ernest Lo on drums, Pamela got to play some of Frances most important stages.

Follow-up album "Bandit" was presented to the world in 2013.

Ever since then, the musician expanded her band and has shared her third longplayer "Highline" in February 2017.

"Highline" is inspired by her travels and has turned her sound into a fairytale of Pop and Indie.

And today we are extremely excited to share Pamela Hute's brand new music video for "Banshees" with you.
If I had to sum it up in three words, I'd say: artistic, expressive and sparkly.
Those are some great words, right?

As we are hosting the German premiere of the music video, you are some of the first people to check out "Banshees".


Watch it here!




Buy/stream the album: physical | digital


Pamela Hute online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Pamela Hute

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Video Of The Day: "Every Other Heartbeat" by Bare Knuckle Parade

Hey guys!

I'm extremely glad I get to run this website.
Of course there are lots of reasons for that, however the main reason is:
I love sharing music.

My inbox is always filled with new songs - and I'll admit, there was a time when it felt almost frustrating, knowing I couldn't listen to every single song because a day only has 24 hours.
But there are still so many tracks I can sit down and listen to, and that's wonderful.

The best part will always be logging in on house in the sand and uploading a new post.

And today is no exception! I get to share a song with you which is going to make you want to learn the words to it, so you can sing along.


Video Of The Day:
- "Every Other Heartbeat" by Bare Knuckle Parade -


Bare Knuckle Parade are a five piece outfit from Bath, UK.
Their sound combines all the elements you're looking for in your new favourite band; Alt-Rock meets Indie-Folk in such charming and exciting manner.

Bare Knuckle Parade are:
Jamie Beale
Tom Cory
Callum Moloney
Ben Lythe
Tom Turner

The band has shown in the past that they have a thing for throwing fantastic music videos at their fans.
And they're at it again - this time for their recent single "Every Other Heartbeat", which the band recorded and produced themselves.

The song itself is infectious, energetic and catchy. 
It will give you a clue what Bare Knuckle Parade stands for, and it gives you the chance to dive into their sound.
The video is just as entertaining - with great cinematography and pleasing effects, song and video go hand in hand.

Check out "Every Other Heartbeat" below and get ready to sing along.





- buy the song -



Bare Knuckle Parade online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Bare Knuckle Parade

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Video Premiere: "Rise Up" by Bella Loka

Hey guys!

So, it's Autumn!
I'm sure I'm not the only person who loves the warm, yet breezy vibe this time of the year has offer.
I think the atmosphere of this season is never the same, it's always unique - every single year.
And to me, that's magical.

Maybe you'll agree with me, that a lot of times music can perfectly create certain atmospheres - just like the seasons can.

Today I'm delighted to premiere the music video for Bella Loka's recent single "Rise Up".
In my opinion it creates a super magical and mysterious vibe.

Please learn more about the band, the song and the production of the video below!


Bella Loka are an electronic indie pop duo based in London, UK.
Members Tea and David Boothby have been making music together for years.

Their recent single "Rise Up", which is the opening track of Bella Loka's upcoming debut album, was produced at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

Tea Boothby describes the song as “a love story between the day and the night, the light and the dark. Having become separated 'in the beginning' the light and the dark are irresistibly drawn back together, with seemingly opposing chess pieces depicting how love can appear as a battle, until it's won."

The video for "Rise Up" was filmed and produced by the singer herself.
As part of the production of the video, Tea stood motionless against the iconic London skyline on Primrose Hill for 5 hours from dawn as the sun came up to film time-lapse footage of the rolling clouds and shifting shadows. 

Make sure to be one of the very first people to watch the music video for "Rise Up" now!





Bella Loka online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram




Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Photography: Michael Robert Williams | Video & Quotes: Bella Loka

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Video Of The Day: "Which Way To New York" by Robbie Cavanagh

Hey guys!

Back in January I went to Manchester.
One thing you have to do when in Manchester, is going to an open mic night!

I highly recommend the one at The Whiskey Jar on Tuesday nights. (It seriously made me want to move there.)

Whilst being there I got to see so many fantastic musicians; Liam McClair, James Holt, Lee Parry - just to name a few.
Another incredibly talented musician I got to meet that night was Robbie Cavanagh.

Robbie Cavanagh is a singer/songwriter from Manchester, UK.
Robbie's music can be genrefied as Acoustic as most of his songs are guitar and vocal based - yet there's more to him than that.

His album "The State Of Maine" consists of handcrafted, storytelling and relatable songs presented as interesting and lively tracks.

The musician keeps releasing fantastic songs as well as touching music videos and is gigging his way through the UK.

Before I share the music video with you, I'll just let you know that it really touched me. I've already told Robbie, so I might as well tell you - it made my cry.

"Which Way To New York" is a gorgeous track to start off with. The calm, acoustic guitar based song is definitely going straight onto our next "comfort songs" playlist.
The backing vocals create soft and enchanting harmonies, whilst Robbie's lead vocals lead you through the song.

The music video for "Which Way To New York" is probably the most beautiful video I've seen in months.
Camera work and story line are nothing but spot on. They compliment the song so well and present the two main characters in the best light possible.

It's incredible how powerful this video is, how close it brings you to the song and how simple it seems at first.

You should definitely watch this now!





Robbie Cavanagh online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram




Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Robbie Cavanagh

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Video Of The Day: "Lions Roar" by Speak, Brother

Hey guys!

I've got a question for you: where do you go when you're looking for new music? 

I feel very lucky because my answer would be "my emails".

Yeah, every morning I wake up to a couple of new music submissions and I love it. I always have a place to go when I'm craving new music.

Of course it's also my job to go through the submissions and introduce new music to you, but I really do love it for personal reasons as well.

Just yesterday I found out about Speak, Brother.

Speak, Brother are a three piece band from Rugby, England. 

The trio formed in 2011 and was known as James Herring Band until 2013, when their sound became more and more clear and they re-formed as Speak, Brother.

Inspired by acts such Ben Howard, Newton Faulkner, The Lumineers and Kings Of Leon, the bands sound marches into the indie-folk direction.
Mature songwriting, clever arrangements and songs filled with emotion is what the trio from England stands for.

Speak, Brother are:
James Herring

Matthew Cotterill
Nathan Morris

Speak, Brother are now here with their new single "Lions Roar".

The first time I saw the video and heard the song, I felt incredibly moved.
The choir, the images of people being together - it all comes together so smoothly and transports very strong and intense emotions. Video and song go together hand in hand, showcasing the feeling of community and strength.
The choir you hear in the song consists of over 400 schoolchildren from Rugby, it collides with the lead vocals in the most gorgeous way.

This song is absolutely beautiful! 

Pre-order "Lions Roar" now, it's out on September 11th 2015.


Here's the fantastic video:

Speak, Brother online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube

Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text:

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Video Premiere: "Colin" by Bella Loka

Hey guys!

Sometimes I just need to sit down for a few minutes and realise how much things have changed for house in the sand.
With an audience that grows every single day, I am now in the very lucky position of never running out of good music because there's always a band or a solo act submitting their music.

When I started out things were different and so it's even more special when nowadays bands ask HITS to premiere their music videos. 

The very talented Bella Loka asked me to do so and I'm absolutely excited to show you their music video today.

Bella Loka are a two piece, originally from Bristol, UK, now based in Camden Town, London, UK. 
The two members being husband and wife makes their musical bond even more special than you'd already expect.

Tea Boothy (vocals, guitar, piano, songwriting) and David Boothby (guitar, laptop, production) create an unique indie pop and electronic sound.

Their latest release, "The Escape EP", features their current single "Colin".
Recorded at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London, Bella Loka have already managed to create a sound your ears will enjoy listening to.

Now they are here with an animated music video for "Colin", a song inspired by a friend of the band called Colin, a pianist with musical superpowers.

The video sketches were done by Tea herself. The singer/songwriter and video producer drew all characters and then imported them to a visual effects software in which she created the film.

"The video expands the story to an epic tale of two anti-heroes called Colin and the Blue Miner who connect across time and space to fight an epic battle on a higher plane resulting in the exchange of powers and the birth of a star.", is how the band describes their newest work.

Are you as curious as I was now?

I am absolutely impressed by the amount of creativity this piece of art provides us with and am very proud to present you the official music video for "Colin" by the very talented Bella Loka.

Enjoy!






Bella Loka online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube

Thank you for reading!

 

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & video: Bella Loka

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Video Of The Day: "Light Up The Dark" by Gabrielle Aplin

 

Hey guys!

I just spent a week in England. It was so nice to be in a country I've been connected with for a long time now. Most of the artists and bands you've seen on house in the sand are from the UK.

During my time there, one of my favourite artists released a new song + music video.

And we all know, I just need to share music I love with you. 

So, let's put today's spotlight on Gabrielle Aplin's newest release. 

Gabrielle Aplin is a singer/songwriter from Bath, England. To genrefy her you could use acoustic sprinkled with rock and folk elements.


Gabrielle made herself a name by uploading videos on YouTube of her covering songs like 'My Heart' by Paramore or 'The Liar and The Lighter' by You Me At Six.
She didn't mean to upload covers though, it was a friend who told her to upload some music and see what happens.
So far 'Gabby' has played tons of festivals, supported John Mayer on tour and sold quite a few copies of her record and the EPs.
She released her debut album "English Rain" in May 2013.

Earlier this week Gabrielle announced the release of her upcoming record which is available for preorder now. 

Along with the exciting announcement, the musician presented us her music video for the title track of the album, "Light Up The Dark".

The song grabs your attention by sounding more mysterious and slightly rockier than Gabrielle's previous material. The e-guitar is more dominant, the bassline is more present, the percussion and drum section compliment each other.

When it comes to lyrics, it's no news that Miss Aplin knows how to win us over. The songwriter manages to tell stories in a way that makes you think about each word she uses and the reason behind it. 

The vocals vary from hugging the instrumentals in the verses to standing on their own in the choruses. 

To say it in one word? Brilliant!

This is a song you don't want to miss, so feel free to watch it now, on house in the sand.


If you are from Germany, here's a link for you to watch the video.
 

Gabrielle Aplin online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Thank you for reading! 

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Gabrielle Aplin (image: Facebook)

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Video Of The Day: "Sirens" by Stephen Langstaff

 

Hey guys!

As you're reading these lines, I'm on tour with one of my favourite bands to document their first headline tour in Germany. 

I'm probably trying my best to film a nice tour diary at this very minute.

So as you can probably tell, videography is something I'm very passionate about.

I just love how you can 

a) document memories and basically re-live them whenever you want

and b) visualize songs by telling stories with filmed clips

(Of course there are c)s and d)s and z)s why film making is fascinating, but the ones above are the ones I want to focus on.)

Earlier this month I've received an email from Stephen Langstaff, an artist I've enjoyed working with for our Birthday Countdown 2015. (Watch his performance here.)

He released his music video for his new single "Sirens" and I definitely want to share it with you.

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

He writes acoustic pop songs which convince with soothing yet expressive vocals, honest and emotional lyrics and well arranged instrumentals.

His talent speaks for itself, nonetheless some of his achievements should be mentioned:

So far Stephen has supported acts like Lightening Seeds and China Crisis, 

sold out multiple shows in his hometown Liverpool and even BBC Merseyside approves Langstaff's sound.

The music video for "Sirens" is the perfect example for a video which tells a song's story. 

Stephen says about the song: "I wrote a song called "Sirens" about a girl with a bad reputation and a big heart."

And the video exactly reflects his message; it shows a girl who struggles to get along with others, steals, fights, drinks. Stephen's character sees the good in her and tries to protect her and keep her safe.

The camera work is lively, shows all scenes with the certain emotions (fight scenes are a bit blurry, the slightly romantic once are calm) and captures the song perfectly.

But have a look yourself!

Buy "Sirens" here.  

(Link leads to iTunes page, download does NOT start without your permission!)

Stephen Langstaff online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Thank you for reading!

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

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Video Of The Day: "Orphan" by Ciaran Lavery

Hey guys!

On my previous playlist I mentioned how on pretty much every playlist I put together at least one song has to be by Ciaran Lavery.
I'm a big fan of his sound and really glad I get to work with such talented people like him.

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.

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").

 He just released the music video for "Orphan" off of the "Kosher" EP.
The song itself is a pretty up beat, rock'n'roll-ish tune. It's definitely going to make you want to move to the rhythm. Ciaran's voice definitely stands out - in such fantastic way; it varies from soft to raspy - at the same time.

Watch the music video here:

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

Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | image & video: Ciaran Lavery

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Video Premiere: 'The Girl' by Mark Mathews

Hey guys!

Today is a premiere of a premiere.
Alright, before I'll completely confuse you, let me explain; today house in the sand is going to premiere a music video. And since we've never done that before it's a premiere of a premiere.

(Yeah, I have definitely written better intros before... Sorry, I'm just excited!)

As you probably already know after reading the title the music video we're premiering is 'The Girl' by Mark Mathews.

The singer/songwriter from the Queens own garden - Kent, UK is no new face to house in the sand.
His music could be described as indie-pop with a folk twist to it and even some light sprinkles of folk-rock if you ask me.
Inspired by bands such as The Beatles, The Kinks and Oasis he likes to write about "love, going out, getting out of the town or a situation you're in and your mates", so the singer himself.

Mark has been really busy recently shooting videos, writing new tunes and gigging his way through London's streets and bar's.

The videography for 'The Girl' is inspired by The Beatles video for 'A Hard Days Night'.
Some of the scenes were shot on VHS (yes, it still does exist!) to represent Mark's memories and feelings about the girl.

Now I could go on and write what I think about the video in details but I'll keep it short - I bloody love it.

Watch it yourself and feel special because you are the first people to watch it!

Mark Mathews online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Soundcloud


Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Mark Mathews and crew

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Video Of The Day: 'Other Lives' by Florida Room

Hey guys,

It seems like a lot of you are enjoying those 'Song Of The Day' and 'Video Of The Day' features.
And I really enjoy writing them, so I think those are good conditions to keep a certain feature going, right?

Our video of the day is by a band called Florida Room.
The quartet from East London, UK formed about two years ago and has established a steady growing fan base due to their great indie sound.

Florida Room consist of:
Frazer Twyman
Jelle Ijsbrandy
Martin Moore
Michael Perera

The guys filmed the video themselves and did a really good job!

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Video Of The Day: 'Say No' by Casino Circus

 Hey guys,

A lot of you have noticed how videography is becoming a bigger part of house in the sand. I'm getting more and more into video making and just the whole concept of visualizing certain emotions and moments by capturing things the right way is absolutely fascinating to me.

And that's why I've decided to publish more "Video Of The Day" features.
The video that's in the spotlight is the music video for 'Say No' by Casino Circus.

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Video Of The Day: 'London Lives' by Mark Mathews

 Hey guys,

Music videos are strange things.

There are only two options you have when you watch them:

1) The video visualizes the song perfectly and represents the lines sung in moving pictures

2) You just don't get a single thing about what's happening on your screen

At least that's the only options I've ever experienced while watching videos.

Really.

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Video: "Matilda" - Martin and James

Hey guys,

this isn't a planned post but I just decided to write it.

Martin and James, the acoustic duo from Scotland, just released their music video for their current single "Matilda".

The video was shot in Scotland and to be honest it seems to be way too sunny.

They always tell us the most horrible stories about the Scottish, rainy weather. Haha.

I have always liked their music videos.

They are simple, but not in a boring way.

 There are effects but not too many. 

The video is focused on the song - not the other way round.

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Music video: "Only One" - The Bora

Hey guys,

it's music video time on house in the sand.

This time I'll be showing you the brand new video by The Bora for their song "Only One".

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"Through My Weakness" - Jim Kroft

imge: Jim Kroft Facebook

Hey guys,

this is another very spontaneous post for HITS but I feel like the unplanned things in life make it special, so why not go with it?

This time I really want to show you a music video which made it's way to my "top three videos" after watching it for just one time.

The video is by Jim Kroft and it's for the song "Through My Weakness" off of his third studio album "Lunatic Lullabies".

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