Playlist: HITS magazine

To celebrate the release of our first print issues, here's a playlist featuring all artists involved.

HITS x Berlin

We hosted our very first live gig in Berlin - and this is what it looked like.

Cover The HITS

Our latest video series - covers performed by our favourite acts, exclusively for us.

Video Interview: Scenic Route To Alaska

Melting away in front of Stuttgart's castle, we had a chat about touring, band names, Toy Story and a lot more.

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Showing posts with label simon alexander. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simon alexander. Show all posts

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

7 songs: Simon Alexander



Hey guys!

We've already completed the first week of May 2018 - 
isn't that crazy?

I mean, I know, we all say it all the time - but time flies and we genuinely hope that you're making the most of your time.
And just to clarify, "making the most of your time" doesn't always mean constanly working hard and never taking any breaks- no. In fact, I think in order to make the most of the time we have,
we also need to relax and make sure we're actually living in the moment.

And in order to do that, we will continue to find the coolest playlists for you guys - so lean back and enjoy the music.


Today we have another guest DJ taking over and it's 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 recently celebrated the release of his single "Slide".


Listen to "Slide" right here:




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



Let's check out Simon's selection!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1) a song which makes you dance
"Bad Bad News" by Leon Bridges

I loved Leon's previous record and had been waiting for some new music when he released this one a couple of weeks ago.
I've been jammin' to it ever since. I really can't help myself when I walk around with it in my headphones, the groove is just too good. In the music video he's even dancing to it himself!


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2) a song that calms you down
"Shepherd" by Anais Mitchell

Before I knew anything about her, someone compared me to her in a YouTube comment, so obviously I had to check her out. In my search I stumbled across a live video of her performing on NPR Tiny Desk Concert and I just fell for this lovely song.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) a song with a deep meaning
"Death With Dignity" by Sufjan Stevens

If someone asks me for a singer/songwriter that can convey true emotions, then Sufjan is my go-to-guy.
This song centers around the death of his mother, and he fully grabs your attention and tells his story. If you're not moved by this, then you're just cold.


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4) a song that makes you feel nostalgic
"Going To California" by Led Zeppelin

With several Zeppelin tattoos on my body I can't deny that this band has meant a lot to me.
My dad got me hooked on them from an early age and they've kept me company for as long as I can remember. "Going To California" always stood out for me and was constantly played on my vinyl player during my late teens and early twenties.


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5) a song which has accompanied you for a while
"Old Man" by Neil Young

The same goes for "Old Man" as above.
I remember it from when I was young, but started listening to it more when I heard it in the film "Lords Of Dogtown" from 2005. From there on it has stayed as one of my favorite songs, even to this day.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6) a song from your favourite genre
"Angela" by The Lumineers

Their "Cleopatra" record must be one of the best folk records of this decade.
Every song offers some seriously good songwriting, and to me singer Wesley Schultz defines what is a perfect vocallist for this genre.
I find myself playing "Angela" way too often, but it's just such a good song.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7) a song by an artist / a band which has surprised you
"33 "God"" by Bon Iver

I can't make a list like this and not mention Justin Vernon.
I mean, I've been a rabid fan for years but weirdly enough not yet been able to go and see him live. No matter what record he could've put out as a follow-up to his sophomore album, I knew I'd love it. But sure did he surprise me with the direction he went, creating something completely different from what fans were expecting. And to no suprise... I totally loved it.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________


And that was Simon Alexander's playlist - did you enjoy it?



Previous 7 songs features: GOUX | Meadowlark | Arlissa | Marion Harper





Thank you for your visit!















Credits // Words (Intro & Outro): Vanessa Jetwash | Words (7 songs): Simon Alexandder | Image: Ian Moloney via PR kit