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.

Find us on YouTube!

Visit us on the 'tubes for interviews, exclusive performances and outtakes.

End Of The Year: 2016



Hey guys!

WOW. The year is over. (well, almost!)
Please allow me a moment to reflect on the year. I have to warn you, it might get really cheesy.

Like I said before, it's been a weird year for the most of us.

2016 has taught me a lot of things.
I've realised what art and creativity really mean to me and how I define creative happiness.
Creating something is not just a career choice, it's a need I have and I'm forever grateful I get to share it online.

I have also learned a lot of personal things; such as - one should never have to apologise for not wanting to be with someone.
Or, that it is important to take responsibility for this planet we live on. 2016 was my first year of being vegan and learning more about animal cruelty. It made me realise how much I want to help those creatures whose voice isn't heard by everyone.

It was a year of understanding that impulses and quick decisions can bring you a lot of happiness.

I started the year with a trip to Manchester in January. I travelled alone but had the best company once I arrived. After years of talking online, I got to meet those music friends in person. I got to see so many special places in Manchester and met some wonderful new friends.
It was one of those trips that made me realise how simple it can be to make new friends. 

In April my wonderful friend Jim Kroft asked me to join him for his 48 hours recording marathon.
Jim and his band decided to record an album within two days, in order to raise money. The money (+19.000€) funded a boat which later helped saving refugees from drowning in the sea.
There has never been a project like this one, which made me so incredibly thankful to be a part of. The time in the studio was emotional, inspiring and is probably my favourite memory of the year. I saw people unite for a wonderful and much needed cause and it was magical.

This year I got to watch so many of my friends work their behinds off. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing passionate people succeed. I'm forever proud to be in this community.

I've also learned that no matter how lonely you might feel, there are always people who have got your back. Sometimes you just don't see them at first.

I've learned that believing in your dreams will always pay off.

I've learned that sleepless nights are worth it.

And I've learned that life isn't always butterflies and fairy lights.
Sometimes motivation and inspiration leave you for a brief moment, and it will scare you. It makes you questions your decisions and makes you think you went wrong.

But it's always worth it to make it through those moments.
After every low comes a high. Always.


Alright - I hope I haven't bored you to tears with all of this, but once I started writing, I couldn't stop.

Just because I'm a weirdo, I've decided to list every post we've published this year.
This is a fantastic way to look back on 2016 and it also helps me to figure out what kind of content we need more of.

I'm incredibly proud of the content we've created and the names we've worked with.

Absolutely every artist and every band I got to work with this year has been a dream.
That's something to be thankful for.

I would like to say a massive thank you to all members of the house in the sand team who have done such incredible jobs and have been nothing but fabulous to work with.


So here we go, below are all posts we've published in 2016:



Access All Areas:




And that's it for this year!

I hope you've all had a good time. I'm forever thankful to have this platform and I hope that we will get to spend a lot of time together in 2017.
Enjoy the last few hours and have a great start into 2017.

The only advice I can give you, in order to make the next year a good one, is - be compassionate. Help others, protect others and you'll feel truly fantastic.


Lots of love!!!



Thank you for 2016!













Credits // Text & Image: Vanessa Jertschewske

Best Of 2016: a video



Hey guys!

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that 2016 was a weird year for the music industry.

Many exciting artists have joined this fast-paced business, and unfortunately, many fantastic artists have left it.

One thing I've always wanted this little website to be, is positive. Rather than focussing on the frustrating moments and losses of beloved and respected musicians, I want us to remember the exciting and cheerful moments.

In 2016 we have extended our team who went out and took some brilliant photos of artists all over the world. 
You can check our photo best of by clicking here.

Today I'd like to focus on the videos that have been published on house in the sand this year.

As of today, I'm the only one interviewing acts and filming videos for HITS.

This year we have celebrated house in the sand's fourth birthday for which 26 of my favourite artists have performed a song for us.

In 2016 I got to collaborate with friends, interview some of my favourite acts, spent 48 hours in the studio with an incredible team, go on tour with mates and showcase some fantastic music. 

And whilst doing all of the above, I also got to meet a lot of amazing people, which is my favourite perk of it all.

Working in front of and behind the camera has been a massive learning process this year and it's been a lot of fun.

There have been times where I've felt really intimidated by the challenges and my own expectations.
Interviewing artists who have been asked every single question there is at least twenty times, can be a tricky situation to master.

But afterall I'm incredibly proud, because the video below makes me smile.

I've had the chance to film with insanely talented people who have been absolutely wonderful and fun to work with.
I couldn't ever take this for granted and I'm forever thankful for all these amazing opportunies.


I hope our "Best Of 2016" is going to entertain you! 





house in the sand online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram




Thank you for your continued support!













Credits // Text, Image & Video: Vanessa Jertschewske | Music: Jack Garratt (free download via twitter)

Best Of 2016: Music Photography



Hey guys!

With 2016 coming to an end, it's only right for us to start the "Best Of" post-marathon.

I love reflecting on a certain amount of time.

Whilst preparing this "Best Of" photography edition, I realised how many incredible artists we've had in front of our lenses this year.

2016 has been the first year of me working with a team of photographers.
Even typing that feels surreal to me - it's absolutely wonderful.

I'll be posting another write-up in which I'll talk more about that.

For today I really want us all to focus on the photography.

house in the sand has really made the jump from being an online blog written by a small town girl, to becoming an ever growing music publication.

This has allowed us photographers to go out and capture some fantastic gigs.

At this point I would like to thank our talented photo team who have not only created incredible work, but have also helped me to take things to another level.

Below are my personal favourites of 2016!
By clicking on the artist, you'll be lead to the full gallery of the gig.

(note: next to every artist will be the name of the photographer, please head to our "about the team" page to find all their social media links and show them some support.)


Gabrielle Aplin // Manchester, UK
- photographed by Vanessa -




Lewis Watson // Manchester, UK
- photographed by Vanessa -




Hannah Grace // Manchester, UK
- photographed by Vanessa -




Martin Kelly // near Stuttgart, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Kodaline // Stuttgart, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -










All Tvvins // Stuttgart, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -






Chris Pate // Burgrieden, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Revolverheld // Stuttgart, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Jim Kroft & band // Berlin, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -










Jack Garratt // Munich, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Martin Luke Brown // Munich, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Robbie Cavanagh // Liverpool, UK
- photographed by Alex -




Barn on the Farm // Gloucester, UK
- photographed by Vanessa -




Jess Kemp // Amsterdam, NL
- photographed by Saar -




The Hush Sound // Detroit, USA
- photographed by Reva -




Ryan Vail // Stuttgart, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Noah Guthrie // Stuttgart, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Hyena // near Stuttgart, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Birdy // Manchester, UK
- photographed by Alex -




Dan Owen // Manchester, UK
- photographed by Alex -




Bear's Den // Amsterdam, NL
- photographed by Saar -




K.Flay // New York City, USA
- photographed by Gina -




Tom Odell // Munich, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Jane's Party // Munich, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -










The Beach // Munich, GER
- photographed by Vanessa -




Bastille // New York City, USA
- photographed by Gina -




The 1975 // New York City, USA
- photographed by Gina -




Porter Robinson & Madeon // Seattle, USA
- photographed by Cissy -




Matt Austin // Detroit, USA
- photographed by Maggie -




Olivia Lane // Detroit, USA
- photographed by Maggie -






Thank you for your visit!
And thank you for your support!













Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Photography: Vanessa Jertschewske, Alex Lloyd, Saar de Graaf, Reva May, Cissy Ding, Gina Garcia, Maggie Clark

Playlist: Christmas 2016



Hey guys!

For the first time ever I've decided to put a little Christmas playlist together.

The older I get, the more I realise how much music can influence my mood.
(And I say that at the age of 20- what other realisations will I be facing soon?)

Because I wasn't quite feeling festive this season, I figured a Christmas playlist might do the trick.
So little, desperate me went on Spotify to listen to all the usual Christmas playlists.

But guys, what kind of music blogger would I be, if I didn't feel the need to create my own playlist?

So when I've noticed that some friends started uploading their own versions of classic Christmas tunes, it was my time to open a new post and type away.
(More like, "embed" away.)

And here we go!
Below you can find my personal Christmas playlist which I shall have on repeat until Christmas!


I hope you enjoy!


Please feel free to share this with your friends and leave a comment telling us your favourite Christmas song!

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"White Christmas" performed by Martin Kelly

This song is one of my favourites, so it was super interesting to see where Martin would take it.
Obviously, he did a fantastic job and therefore makes the perfect opener for this playlist.



_________________________________________________________________________

"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" performed by Ciaran Lavery

Another classic, another classy artist!
Ciaran's voice paired with the softly played guitar and the beautiful string section, just create the perfect Christmas scene.



_________________________________________________________________________

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" performed by The Ragamuffins

Alright, if you haven't done at least one intense performance; dancing around the room, singing Mariah Carey's mega hit song, you're clearly missing out.
The Ragamuffins have had the guts (and the talent!) to publish their version of it and I LOVE IT.

Now, let's DANCE! (And leave the music to the band, they do it so much better!)



_________________________________________________________________________

"Oh Holy Night" performed by Bastille

This is just great. There's not much to say other than that.



_________________________________________________________________________

"Fairytale Of New York" performed by Gavin James

Gavin James released a Winter EP and made my heart melt with it.
It was really tough to pick a song to put on the playlist, but his version of "Fairytale Of New York" was the one I wanted to share with you.



_________________________________________________________________________

"Baby It's Cold Outside" performed by Lewis Watson and dodie

Not only do I appreciate this beautiful version of the well known duett, but I also appreciate that Lewis and dodie also take a bit of time to question the lyrics. This just shows our standards and expectations have changed a lot - and we should be proud.



_________________________________________________________________________

"River" performed by Lissie

Joni Mitchell's "River" is one of the most beautiful songs out there, am I right?
When you love an original version of a song so much, it can be strange to hear a cover version.
However, Lissie has nailed it and delivered a stunning version of this song.



_________________________________________________________________________

"Merry Christmas Everyone" performed by Lucy Rose

Okay, I've got a confession to make - Shakin Stevens' hit song is my favourite Christmas song ever. I love the upbeat and cheerful vibe.
So, of course, I was excited to see a modern day artist put her own twist on it.



_________________________________________________________________________

"Lonely This Christmas" performed by Kodaline

From a cheerful tune, to a rather sad one. But it's Kodaline covering Elvis - what's not to enjoy?



_________________________________________________________________________

"Spending All My Christmas With You (Next Year)" by Tom Odell

Don't you get sad, here's an uptempo and mega rock'n'roll track for you to boogie!
Tom Odell is just fabulous.



_________________________________________________________________________

"Silent Night" performed by Tori Kelly

This stunning acapella version of this beautiful classic is honestly breathtaking.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do.




And now I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas,
whether you celebrate it or not - I hope you'll have a wonderful time off.

Let's all use this time to find ways to make this crazy world a good one again.
I think we need it.




Happy Holidays!











Credits // Text & Image: Vanessa Jertschewske

Audio Interview: James Edan



Hey guys!

The audio interviews have quickly made it onto my list of favourite features.
Doing phone interviews or interviews that are just taped, you often end up transcribing the entire conversation so you can later publish it.

This was honestly the most annoying part of my journalism studies.
When you read a statement, there are so many ways to interpret it.
But when you listen to somebody state their opinion, you're most likely to understand it just the way they've meant it.

And because that's exactly what I want to do with house in the sand, these recorded interviews make life a little bit easier and better.

I recently had a chat with one of the most wonderful guys in this industry, James Edan.

James Edan is a singer/songwriter from Glasgow, Scotland.
James 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.

James' influences vary from intensity of Bruce Springsteen, to Simon and Garfunkel's handcrafted songs, to the Spice Girls and their catchy pop vibes.

His own sound blends Rock, Pop and Folk - in the charming acoustic manner, as well as with big compositions.
His upcoming EP "Flying Solo" showcases his strong and expressive voice and his writing skills. Make sure to keep an eye and an ear on James.

Just a few days ago I got to call James to record a little interview.

We had a little chat about his rather random and unexpected solo career, treating songwriting as a 9 to 5 job, social media and a lot more.


You can listen to our conversation here:




Check out this EP teaser to get a preview of all songs on James' upcoming EP "Flying Solo":




James Edan online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram





Thank you for your visit!










Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: via James Edan Facebook