Follow PIEN
Pien is a Dutch artist now based in Scotland and a friend of Sven Ross. I first fell under her spell back in September, just before launching the magazine, when she released The Cover. I was completely drawn to her simplicity and slightly offbeat personality, which makes her such a wonderful human being.
So when she submitted “Not Yet” in early February, I welcomed it with open arms. What a little masterpiece! Wow, those high notes are absolutely divine. And if you think they’re fake, just watch the live version on YouTube and you’ll see! But what is this song about? It is actually quite simple: trying to forget an ex and move on. Yes, I know, that theme has been explored countless times in music. But has anyone ever done it PIEN’s way? Ah! Got you there.
Because PIEN’s way is far from ordinary. First, you need to know that this song is nearly four years old. It had already been recorded, but the artist wasn’t completely happy with the production. So she took her song under her arm and knocked on another producer’s door. That producer was Colin Lanze, who immediately understood the direction PIEN wanted for the song. This new version is the one she had been waiting so long to release.
There is a little production trick here that I absolutely love. Right after the bridge, the chorus comes back, but the first line is stripped down to just acoustic guitar before the full production kicks back in on the second line. I have no idea what this technique is called because I am not a producer, just a music lover. So I am going to call it the “suspended chorus intro.” I love how it adds real dynamics to the song. When the chorus starts, you think it’s back in full force, but then it isn’t… and then it is!
The songwriting is razor-sharp but incredibly honest: “I’m through the most pain I’ve ever been / But you don’t have a clue what state I’m in“. And then there’s this kind of resilience that really gets to me: “They are all asking me when I’m done with grieving over you / But I don’t know if I ever will“. In most songs like this, there is usually a door left open. Here, there isn’t. That’s just how it is for now. Time will do its thing, as it often does.
If I had to sum it up, I’d say that PIEN moves me with her honest lyricism, soaring vocals that make me dream, and once again, her ability to craft a melody that is both catchy and unforgettable. I listened to the song once, and I was humming it all day. When that happens, it is always a good sign. If I were still a radio programmer, this would go straight into high rotation because the potential is undeniable. But since I am not, let’s just enjoy it on repeat wherever you listen to music!
Photo credit: Justina
PIEN’s take on “Not Yet”
I wrote this song a few months before I moved to Scotland (in 2021) and I recorded it over there as an electronic folk song. In the end, I wasn’t really happy with the production and decided to bring the song to a different producer (Colin Lanz) and he really understood what I was going for. Because of this collaboration I found my new sound and I couldn’t be happier to finally share this with everyone!
