Conversation With PIEN

Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?

A: Hiya! Of course! I’m originally from a small sea side town, 20 minutes from  Amsterdam, The Netherlands but life now in London (UK) since 8 months.

I feel I can express my artistry best in music. I’ve been training as an actor (and still am) for many years and even went to Fashion School (to study Fashion Styling) for a year but I feel I can put all my creativity best in music. 

And I’ve been basically singing all my life, I can’t imagine a life where there’s no music or me not singing. 

Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?

A: I recently discovered Beabadoobee and can’t stop playing her album ‘Beatopia’ and I got back into Pink Floyd and Rex Orange County as well since a few months.

Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?

A: I grew up in a very funny household (music wise), my mom was (and still is) a huge soul and jazz fan and my dad is more the rock ’n’ roll kinda guy. So my very first musical influences were artists like U2 and Ella Fitzgerald.

I think because of these blends of genres I’ve grew up with, I’ve been naturally combining multiple styles in my music and I’m always looking for experimenting with different sounds and samples. 

Q: You have just released your new single, ‘WTF’. Is there a story behind it?

A: ‘WTF’ is about the struggle of finding love and keeping things real in a world full of expectations. 

I wrote this song during one of my outburst after another break-up. I was so sick and tired of all the trying I did to keep myself in a relationship with someone even if it wasn’t the best for me. I just wanted to find my ‘happy ending’ to get it over with but unfortunately love doesn’t work like that.

Q: How do you hope listeners will respond to the song?

A: I normally write very depressing music and lyrics so to write an uptempo song with only sad lyrics is kinda new for me but I love it! I hope my listeners love the song as much as I do and that they get surprised by the new sound and want more of it.

Q: What challenges did you face while working on “WTF”?

A: This song was one of those ‘wrote-it-in-20-minutes’ kinda song so I remember the only challenge I had to face was to find the mood/energy of the song while recording and producing it. 

I wrote it as another depressing sad girl song but while Colin (Lanz) and I were in the studio we found a new inside of the story and the sound of the song which surprised us in a very good way. 

Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?

A: I’ve only ‘really’ started my music career since I moved to London in September last year (2022), so it’s still all very new to me. (I wrote songs and short stories since the age of 14 but only started professionally since my move to London.) 

So it’s kinda hard for me to know or feel that fulfilment, specially because I’m always thinking of the next step, the next thing. 

But for now I would say, looking back at everything I’ve accomplished since moving to London, that the work is paying off and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the lovely people I’ve met and collaborated with. 

I can’t wait to show the world more of myself and my music!

Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?

A: It always starts with a strong emotion that I can’t shake, the only way to do that is to sit down and write a song about it. Sometimes lyrics come first, other times it’s a melody, it really depends. I always record what I’ve wrote on my phone and while I’m on my way to meetings or work I like to listen to those recordings on the subway or bus.

Once I’m sure the song has potential, I’ll send it to one of the producers I’m working with or find new ones to collaborate with and let them hear the song. We meet up in the studio and start working on it. 

Every producer is different in their approach and creative process but one thing that I love about working with producers and composers is the dedication that we both have to make the most out of the song and the conversations that come up during a session. 

Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

A: There hasn’t really been one specific moment or think so far, I only just started out so who knows what I’ll find on my musical journey. 

But one of the things I’ve learned so far is that you need to have a vision and that you need to learn to make decisions. And to stick with them or at least dare to make them even if it’s the ‘wrong’ one. 

Although, I believe as long as you follow your gut feeling you will never make a ‘wrong’ decision. 

Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

A: This sounds very cheesy but I’m very proud of this single and this is defiantly my best work so far and I can’t wait to see how I will grow as an artist and performer. 

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