7 songs: Arlissa

Hey guys!

What have you been listening to lately?
And what have you been listening to when you were younger?
Which song has a deeper meaning to you?

Which track makes you boogie?
And which song calms you down?

Those are just a few questions we ask our guest DJs who join us for our 7 songs features.

Today we are thrilled to listen to Arlissa's playlist, which is definitely going to make you boogie at one point.


But first, let's get to know today's playlist curator!


Arlissa is a German and American singer/songwriter based in London, UK.

Born in Hanau, Germany, the young musician knew she wanted to write and record her own music ever since she was a kid.
When her father, who played in a Prince cover band, introduce her to Prince's famous song "Purple Rain", she realised how much she wanted to make music and quickly began writing her own material at the age of 14.

Just a year later she found herself in the studio for the first time and continued to work on her vocals and performance.
At just 19 she signed her first record deal and released "Hard To Love Somebody" with NAS and "Sticks and Stones" - both song did very well.

But Arlissa didn't enjoy the restrictions that came with her contract and felt like she was losing control over her music and identity.
So she took it upon herself and published her own songs online. 
 
The acoustic version of her song "Hearts Ain't Gonna Lie" reached 1 million streams in less than a week without Arlissa having a management or following.
By now the song has been streamed almost 50 million times. 

DJ and producer Jonas Blue discovered the song and immediately knew that he wanted to be involved. And so the two artists worked on the rhythmic dance version of the track which is a first taste of Arlissa's upcoming debut album.


Check out the music video for "Hearts Ain't Gonna Lie" featuring Jonas Blue:




Arlissa online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram


Let's check out Arlissa's playlist!

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1) a song which makes you dance

"Lemon" by N.E.R.D & Rihanna


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2) a song that calms you down
"Lilac Wine" by Nina Simone


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3) a song with a deep meaning
"Evergreen" by YEBBA


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4) a song that makes you feel nostalgic
"Check On It" by Beyoncé ft. Bun B & Slim Thug


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5) a song which has accompanied you for a while
"Lover, You Should've Come Over" by Jeff Buckley


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6) a song from your favourite genre
- I don't have a favourite genre!!! -
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7) a song by an artist / a band which has surprised you
"Hot Shit" by Towkio


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And that was Arlissa's selection - let us know what you think!


Previous 7 songs features: Marion Harper | Jalen N'Gonda | Hannah Slavin | Violetta Zironi





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jetwash | Image: via MCS Presse | Playlist: Arlissa

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Gig Photos: Alice Merton at LKA Longhorn in Stuttgart

Hey guys!

We're back in the photo pits of all the venues - and it feels good.

It's that moment when the lights go down, the pre-gig playlist stops and the fans cheer louder and louder, waiting in anticipation for their favourite bands to come on stage.

It's just magical and being in that area between the artists and the fans, it's honestly one of the coolest places.
The energy is just thrilling and it's what keeps us inspired and motivated.

So yeah, you'll be getting a lot of gig photos this season.

I recently got to photograph the fabulous Alice Merton and today I get to share the photos with you.


If you feel like saying hi to me, here are my links:
website | twitter | facebook | instagram

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date: 2nd March 2018
Venue: LKA Longhorn, Stuttgart (GER)

Support: Sion Hill


Sion Hill is a singer/songwriter from Mullingar, Ireland.

He won the crowd over with a bunch of covers ("Skyfall" by Adele and "I Wanna Be Like You" from the Jungle Book being two highlights) and his Soul Pop originals.

His sound is definitely recognizeable and offers a lot of depth, even when presented in a singer/guitarist setting.

With a debut album out ("Elephant", 2017), the young musician has been able to showcase his sound to audiences world wide.

His live set is entertaining, he knows how to work a crowd that came to see the main act - and that surely isn't an easy task to fulfill.

Alice Merton's fans definitely enjoyed the acoustic treat and sang along to the catchy songs.

Sion Hill did a great job warming up the crowd, but we are convinced he's also worth seeing playing headline shows.





Sion Hill online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

























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 Headliner: Alice Merton


Alice Merton is a singer/songwriter who was born in Germany, raised in Canada, has resided in the UK and seems to be constantly switching between places.

With her mother being German and her father being Irish, the singer has done a lot of travelling and moving in between the countries.
Inspired by never really staying in one place for very long, her viral hit "No Roots" deals with those emotions.

She founded her own label, Paper Plane Records International, and released the "No Roots" EP in 2017.
Said EP features another hit single, "Hit The Ground Running" and is the perfect introduction to Alice's sound.

The second single was also the opening track at the Stuttgart show and well, Alice hit the ground running. Excuse the pun. 

Her live show is bubbly, filled with laughter, honesty and gratitude.
The latter which the audience could feel throughout the show.
Multiple times during the set, Alice would talk about how thankful she was that people showed up and gave her their time and willingness to listen to her music.

The trio that makes up Alice's band definitely deserves a mention; 
whether that's guitars, keys or drums - every member played a brilliant part and made it obvious that each musician really enjoyed being on stage.
The communication between the band and Alice herself seemed flawless and definitely affected the overall mood of the show. 

With calm and serious ballads such as "Back To Berlin" and the melancholic "Jealousy", Alice sat down at the piano and demonstrated her skills as a musician.
Of course the crowd went wild when the catchy riff for "No Roots" and happily chanted along during the chorus.

To sum it up, it was an enjoyable and entertaining show and so worth going, just to support a grateful and talented musician.





Alice Merton online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram

















































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And that's that!
I hope you enjoyed the photos, please let us know what you think.


For more, come visit our Instagram account and stay up to date with all things HITS.




Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words & Photography: Vanessa Jertschewske | **a ticket and photo pass have kindly been provided**

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Behind The Song: "All That I Am" by Ian Late

Hey guys!

Did you miss us?
We've been unexpectedly busy which led to us being way too quite on here.

We apologise.

In case of emergency, please check out Sounds Good - one of our favourite blogs which you should all be reading anyways. This fine music blog is written by a person who has not committed a crime and isn't full of themselves - which is a rare find these days.

So, while we're here - please let us introduce you to one of our new favourite songs.


- Behind The Song -
"All That I Am" by Ian Late


Ian Late is a musician based in Berlin, Germany.

His sound marches on the fine line between Pop and Indie-Folk and creates beautiful and vivid atmospheres.
His lyrics deal with society's problems and tell personal stories, always aiming to make you feel and think.

Ian's debut EP "II" was released in 2014 and has allowed the singer/songwriter to build a loyal fanbase, as well as tour Germany, Austria and Switzerland and play lots of festivals on top of that.
But he's also been able to travel further than that and play shows in Nashville, New York City, Shanghai and Taipei.

As for now we can look forward to the release of his debut album "Choices" which will be out on May 4th this year. 
 

You can now find out what Ian told us about the story behind "All That I Am":

"My band and me took a weekend off the city (Berlin) to work on new song ideas at a small town's barn.
My lead guitarist Markus came up with a beautiful chord change and my drummer Peter and bass player Ben started playing along. It instantly inspired me to sing a melody which turned out to be the verse line.
It was one of the few songs that come up naturally and that is written in a few minutes.
I love those moments!

My band and I are the writers, musicians and producers of our own records.
Two of them work as engineers under the name of "Zodiaque" and brought their amazing outboard gear (the classic vintage stuff like a Neumann U47, Neve preamps, Urei compressors, etc.) to a foresters house that we rented for two weeks to record our album "Choices".
After a week the electricity broke down because a storm on Halloween caused a tree to fall into the power line near our house.
Fortunately they could fix it the next day and the recordings went on.
The rest of the album was recorded back in Berlin over the course of a year. We also worked with some amazing guest musicians mostly for keys, synths, piano, cello and female backing vocals.

Compared to my earlier material, this time the band was mroe involved in the songwriting process.
The songs and sounds are darker, deeper, more diversified and more mature - as well as the lyrics.
Less folkie, more indie.

In the music video for the song I am an astronaut who is walking in the streets of Berlin and enters a theatre and its stage, singing "all that I am, just a simple man". Suddenly I am surrounded by outer space...
We shot the video in 24 hours and it was freezing cold but I was really happy to work with a small but super professional crew.
Everything was super spontaneous and done in no time - starting with a little screenplay, from organizing the costume, the film equipment, the camera guys and renting the theatre location.

The lyrics are about how we treat our planet and about finally taking responsibility and taking care of it.
About doing something and not only talking about it."


Check out the music video for "All That I Am" right here:




- buy "All That I Am" -

- stream "All That I Am" -

Ian Late online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (Intro): Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Words (about song): Ian Late

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7 songs: Marion Harper

Hey guys!

I'll be honest - the best case scenario of hosting the "7 songs" features is finding a song I didn't know before and immediately loving it.

That is the case for today's episode of the feature.
We got the wonderful Marion Harper to chat to us about her seven songs - and she recommended a track by Lorde - which I've currently got on repeat.

Please let us know if that happens to you as well?
We'd love to hear which song you've discovered today or any day.

Please feel free to share some songs yourself.


Today's DJ is Marion Harper, a singer/songwriter from Barcelona, Spain.


Her sound is delicate, mysterious and hypnotizing.
She'll win you over with darker beats and light vocals and grabs you attention with vivid storytelling and addictive harmonies.


Check out Marion's music video for "Insides":




Marion Harper online: Twitter | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram


Let's check out Marion's selection!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1) a song which makes you dance

"I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li

No matter how many times I listen to it, I can't not dance every single time.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) a song that calms you down
"Terrible Love" by The National

I'm not going to lie... I've got a playlist filled with songs that calm me down.
The thing with this one is not only it calms me down, but also takes me far away from all my concerns.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) a song with a deep meaning
"Beautiful People Beautiful Problems" by Lana del Rey feat. Stevie Nicks

I completely adore this collaboration.
This songs talks about how much we struggle to solve all our problems in a world full of them and how important it is to surround ourselves with people who put their art and love first.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) a song that makes you feel nostalgic
"Seaside" by The Kooks

I'm pretty sure this song is the best mental photo album I've got in my brain.
Simple and beautiful.


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5) a song which has accompanied you for a while
"Somebody Else" by The 1975

I actually discovered this song when I was looking for inspiration to write the script for the "If I Saw You Again" video clip and once I listened to it, I had to play it another 74 times.
Their last album is so so so good.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6) a song from your favourite genre
"Buzzcut Season" by Lorde

In this song Lorde speaks about how ridiculous modern life can be.
Its production is perfect.


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7) a song by an artist / a band which has surprised you
"Figure 8" by FKA Twigs

Aleix Iglesias (producer) showed me this artist one day we were working at the studio and it was such a pleasant surprise.
Her powerful sound and personality are unmistakeable.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________


And that was Marion's "7 songs" playlist.

What did you think?



Previous 7 songs features: Jalen N'Gonda | Hannah Slavin | Violetta Zironi | Saint Alto





Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (Intro) | Image & Words (about songs): Marion Harper

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6 years of house in the sand

Dear house in the sand,

It's your 6th birthday.
Six years ago I sat down with the little Internet knowledge I had and created this blog via Google.

You were started out of pure admiration for music and the need to tell stories and share images. 
I didn't know what I was doing but you've helped me figure it out.
You've helped me create my own path.

This first version of you looked nothing like you do today - so I guess puberty did you well.
One thing that has never changed though, is the love for music which you present. 

And I grew up with you.
I grew up somewhere between the Internet and the music industry.
When I started this, I was 15 and I didn't quite know where I belonged back then.

You became my online home and to this day I feel like I can escape whenever I produce content for you.

There were a few artists and managers who saw potential in this and they've allowed us to take our first steps while guiding us with so much support and teaching us so much about the industry.

And a few became a lot,
PR agencies and (major) labels found us
- and soon we got to do "the big shit".

And I'll admit, some of the big opportunities came before I was ready for them,
but that's never been an issue because of the helping hands and warming words.

The one thing that I would never want to miss again, is the beauty of connecting with like minded people.
There is a sense of community in this part of the entertainment industry and that has helped me so much.

I still can't wrap my head around the fact that some of the artists I've featured over the years are now some of my close friends, are friends who let me stay in their homes, who show my around their home towns.
I couldn't imagine doing this without having such personal connections to so many of the people I get to work with.

Dear house in the sand,

You taught me how to create, develop, fail and start again.

No matter how many times I've hit a wall, you've always opened another door.

I've learned how to write, how to host interviews, how to develop different types of features for different effects, I found my voice, I found my future.
I've learned how to not set my laptop on fire whilst working on HTML and video editing
and I learned that if you're genuine, you'll always be fine.

And from day one we've had music fans on this journey with us who listened to the music we've shared,
who recommended their favourite tracks to us and who have realised the importance in supporting music blogs.
They've allowed us to be the source for music we've wanted to be.
We got to be their friends and got to bring incredible music into their headphones.

Out of all the things we've achieved so far,
the fact that we've featured a big variety of music makes me the happiest.
We found songs that made us laugh, cry and dance, and we heard stories that left us speechless.

And I'm so proud of that.

Dear house in the sand,

Thank you for six years of being my home.




Love,

Credits // Words, Image & Audio: Vanessa Jertschewske

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Video Of The Day: "Silver Screen" by Novatines

Hey guys!

It's almost March of 2018 and let's be honest - do you still remember your new years resolutions?
Well... let's not dwell on that topic, shall we?

But if you wanted to discover more music this year, consider us your friend trying to hold you accountable for your achievements.
We're here to present you music that we think you'll love.

So if you need music to listen to in the gym, or some background tunes whilst you're drinking more water or getting more sleep - glad you're here, we're happy to be your source.

Today's VOTD falls under the category "songs to lose yourself in".
Now might also be a good time to hydrate, babes - so grab some water and get ready to jam.


- Video Of The Day -

"Silver Screen" by Novatines


Novatines are a four piece from Bath, UK.

They are new, they are loud and they are ready to take over.
None of the statements above are exaggerated - and you will figure that out yourself as you get to know the band.

Novatines are:
Jamie Beale
Tom Cory
Callum Moloney
 Tom Turner

So far they've played a bunch of gigs throughout the UK, built a passionate fan base and kept us hungry for more.

March 2018 will see the band touring the UK, so make sure to head over to their website for all tour dates.


Their debut single "Medicine" was the rock song you needed in your life and now they're here with their new track and video "Silver Screen".


The song greets you with a mysterious atmosphere, sounding light and calm at first - but don't let first impressions fool you.
A few seconds into the song, the vocals let you know that you're about to fall in love with the depth of the song.
As backing vocals join the mix, it becomes apparent just how many layers there are to this track.

The lead vocals guide you through the verse and chorus with confidence, all while the guitar strumming gives us a false impression of calmness, showcasing the band's ability to keep their listeners surprised.

Once the first chorus ends, the big Rock'n'Roll explosion happens and we're catapulted into the Classic Rock era and we're here to stay.

Novatines know how to bring class and atmosphere to your ears and they do it so well.
The soaring guitars, the steady and controlling drums and the heavy bass paired with the leading vocals - all elements just work together so smoothly.

We know you guys around here love Rock music, so take the song and let it be your song of the day.


Check out the video for "Silver Screen" right here:




- stream "Silver Screen" -
- buy "Silver Screen" -



Novatines online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram






Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Novatines

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EP Review: "Bad Timing" by Rhys Lewis

Hey guys!

I don't know about you, but I'm already loving 2018 in this industry.

We're seeing musicians speaking up politically (uhm, hello - how incredible was Stormzy's performance at the Brits?), we get to watch impressive lyric videos (Eminem's "Untouchable" is genius) and all our favourites are touring (remember when I cried at a Paramore show last month?) - long story short: the situation could be worse.

And - spoiler: it's not going downhill.

Tomorrow (if you're reading this on February 22nd), one of house in the sand's favourite acts is releasing his debut EP - and if he isn't one of your favs yet, this will do the last bit of convincing you might need.

So let's check it out, yeah?

Artist: Rhys Lewis
Title: Bad Timing
Genre: Soul, Pop
Label: Decca, Universal Music
Release Date: 23rd February 2018

Rhys Lewis is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, originally from Oxford (UK), now based in London (UK).

His sound is influenced by legends such as Carole King, Bill Withers and James Taylor.
Rhys' signature sound is a blend of Soul, Pop and Blues with hints of Rock and Folk here and there.
The diversity of his sounds, paired with his talent for story telling has led to millions of streams on his previously released singles.

Rhys has quickly gained a large following, allowing him to sell out shows in the UK and Europe inbetween support shows for JP Cooper and James TW.

Before he's heading on his second European headline tour in April, Rhys can be seen at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas (US).

But first he's treating us with his debut EP, "Bad Timing".

So let's check it out!


Tracklist:

1) Bad Timing
2) Reason To Hate You
3) Bloodstains
4) Don't Wanna Believe It (Acoustic)


Opener and title track "Bad Timing" is a timeless and refreshing track.
There's something about the way it is arranged that feels like you've heard it before, like it's an old friend you haven't seen in a while.
But every element in the track offers excitement in the most comforting way. The dark instrumentation acts like a highlighter, intensifying the heavy emotions felt in the situation which Rhys describes with his words.

For "Reason To Hate You", all we hear is Rhys' voice and the electric guitar.
This simplicity could be tragically monotonous to listen to, but it isn't - instead it soaks you in and makes sure you listen to the track with all of your attention.
Maybe it's Rhys' confidence in his writing, maybe it's the universal and relatable heartbreak he's singing about, maybe it's magic.

"Bloodstains" is our personal stand-out track.
It sounds like Soul-Pop music you would've heard in the 60s or 70s somewhere in the States, it's classy but also modern.
The beat is straight forward and marches confidently through the track, the bass is booming through the speakers and will get you on your feet to dance along.
Rhys sings about the addictive feeling you can get in relationships that might not be working out.
Rhys' e-guitar soars in a dirtier and heavier manner than before and it works brilliantly, underlining the frustration we hear in his voice.

To sum it up: Not many four-track EPs can win you over with variety. But Rhys surely found a way to showcase different elements while still keeping the theme of the EP cohesive and meaningful. 

The listeners get to follow him through a journey of emotions and his honesty and vivid storytelling make it so easy to relate to his emotions. 

No matter how hard you try to listen to the instrumentations (and you should try hard because they are brilliant!), you just can't go without mentioning Rhys' warm and expressive vocals that just shine in any set-up - whether that's in a full band situation or during an acoustic performance.
We've said it before and we'll say it again - we can't wait for the debut album.


You should listen to these tracks: Bad Timing, Bloodstains





Rhys Lewis online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram



More of Rhys Lewis on house in the sand: Video Interview | Song Title Challenge







Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: via Universal UK

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