Addicted to the Struggle by Pien

A classic Americana single from everyone’s favourite London-based Dutch musician.

Pien’s fourth single of the year follows hot on the heels of July’s The Cover, which was rare for being a literal cover of her own earlier song. Let’s take a look.

Addicted to the Struggle begins with a lovely pedal steel glissando swooping in the background as the song opens, and it is immediately catchy. In some ways this is more immediately accessible than The Cover and is a great place to start listening to Pien’s music for new fans.

I know they can smell it, it’s hanging in the air
Maybe I’m unlucky or they just don’t care
They know where to find me, running all over town
Painting grasses greener while looking like a clown
It’s what I’m used to, it’s not ok but I don’t know what to say

The chorus is a good summary of addiction in all its forms, because the song is clearly about more than alcohol. It is about addiction in relationships, in being a sucker for the difficult days, and that’s what is unusual or surprising: on some level the singer enjoys the struggle, and seeks it out.

I’m addicted to the struggle, longing for the pain
Hand me the bottle, it won’t end up in the drain
I’m addicted to the feeling of slowly driving insane
Give me all your bullshit, I’ll be the last one to remain

I managed to run into Pien at Chiswick’s own Lil Nashville a couple of weeks ago and we watched a Song Suffragettes together. It was fascinating getting to talk to her about this year’s singles and her plans for next year. She gigs in and around London so is easy to track down, and I do recommend seeing her live.

Pien thinks deeply about her music, is herself a marketing genius and is deeply into the music of Fleetwood Mac. I believe some of her upcoming music might be inspired by everyone’s favourite ‘70s five-piece.

However, these recent songs are intended to remain standalone singles, so don’t go waiting for an album. Crack on with streaming them today!

Pien has noted the following comparisons that listeners sometimes make: Ella Langley, Fleetwood Mac, and Kacey Musgraves. Her music has already garnered strong support from BBC Introducing and Dutch national radio station Radio Veronica, as well as publications such as Earmilk, Clout, and Happy Magazine Australia. With over 80,000 streams across platforms, Pien is steadily growing an international audience drawn to her distinctive blend of indie and Americana.

Pien’s website is here. You can of course catch her on Instagram and TikTok too!