Double interview with Pien Feith and Sam de Laat

Upstairs in the Burgerweeshuis's Spiegelzaal, sunlight pours in through large windows. Sam knows this room well. He and the rest of Droom Dit—a “poetic Dutch-indie-pop outfit” according to 3voor12—eat here before performing at the venue. And there have been quite a few shows over the past few months. Although four of the six band members live in Enschede, including Sam, the Burgerweeshuis feels like home to Droom Dit. (Where have we heard that before?)

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Life after Burger

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When Sam is at home, Pien is visiting. She stood on this stage in a past life, back when she was a singer herself. Between 2007 and 2013, she released three synth-pop records. Pien: "The room has a low ceiling, right? I remember Burger as a nice, intimate place. You can still find that old-school music venue culture here." She now works as head of bookings at concert and event organizer Friendly Fire. In that role, she maintains warm ties with Burger. So yes, she knows this place, but then again, she knows all the music venues.

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"I hold the parties around us responsible for the good things that happen to us"

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Pien has joined Sam, because today we are talking about "life after Burger." Less than a year ago, Droom Dit wrapped up their Burger Beurs year, and by now... Well, by now everything is different. Droom Dit has had their breakthrough. How did they manage that? Sam: "I hold the parties around us responsible for the good things that happen to us. That’s how the past year has felt: a lot of things have just happened to us." To which he immediately adds: they have also worked hard, he and the other band members.

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A dress against my skin

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In addition to the Burgerweeshuis, the Droom Dit team consists of production house Brut, distributor Great News, marketing agency Boemklap Industries, and booking agency Friendly Fire. The latter is particularly notable. What starting band can say they’ve been signed by Friendly Fire, which, along with Mojo, is the most prominent booking agency in the Netherlands? Is that luck? A twist of fate? Pien thinks for a moment – "Hmm" – and then says: "Of course, it happens often enough that very good artists don't get the right opportunities. On the other hand: Droom Dit was very good right from the start. The songs were good, the live performance was good."

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"I saw immediately that you have star power"

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This video from the Overijsselse Ambassade put him on her radar. She had it playing in the background while busy with other work. But when she heard Sam's impassioned singing—“Ik wil een jurk om mijn huid / Ik wil een bruid zijn” [I want a dress against my skin / I want to be a bride]—she set her work aside. Pien leaned back and really tuned in. Looking at Sam now, she reflects on that moment: “I immediately saw that you have star power.” Sam grins and pumps his fists: “Yes!” Pien continues: “A lot of young artists move the way they think they're supposed to move. Not you; you get completely lost in the music. For the audience, that’s great—they can just relax and be swept along.”

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Popronde first

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Regarding Droom Dit's lyrics, she says: "They are open, almost painfully open. Sam was really telling a story. And not just repeating things he’d heard around him, as starting artists often do." She thinks for a moment, then concludes: "It felt inspired. You can develop many things, but something like inspiration and expressiveness: that’s either there or it isn't. As for the arrangements, I saw room for improvement. It could be more professional and refined, but that’s already been fixed." Sam clenches his fist again. "Yes! Nice, nice."

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"We had made the best possible impression and she had seen it all"

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Shortly after Pien saw the video, Sam and Pien spoke for ten minutes. That was during the Booster Festival in Enschede, a kind of speed date. Sam: "Shit, I thought, this conversation is coming too early. We weren't ready for Friendly Fire yet. Pien said we had to do the Popronde first, and I understood that." At the end of the conversation, Sam asked if she wanted to come watch Droom Dit's performance that evening. When the show started, Sam let his eyes scan the room. And sure enough: she was there. Sam: "And at the end, she was still there! We had made the best possible impression and she had seen it all."

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A moment to cheer

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After that, things moved quickly. Droom Dit was selected for the Popronde and played at Oerol. On the last day of the festival – Sam and the other band members were already on the boat – they received an email from Pien. "Shall we just go for it?" she wrote. Sam remembers it very well: "It was truly a moment to cheer; we immediately ordered champagne on the boat." Pien laughs: "You didn't tell me that at all!" Sam, now laughing too: "That would be a bit sad to say, wouldn't it? Now it's fine. We were euphoric then! It felt like another big step."

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"Look at Eefje de Visser. That wasn't an instant hit either"

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Following Popronde in the autumn of 2023, Noorderslag followed in early 2024. Droom Dit played in a small room with a low ceiling. Sam, referring to the Burger venue: "That felt familiar." Afterwards, 3voor12 wrote: "What a crushing band!" The headline of the piece: "Droom Dit deserves a dream breakthrough." The festivals then lined up: Valkhof, Dauwpop, Best Kept Secret, Wilde Weide. "We played every week, often multiple times. The summer was amazing."

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A slow climb

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Now—the interview takes place in late November—Droom Dit stands on the brink of a new chapter. Early next year marks the release of their debut: Het Hart Bestaat Niet En De Rest Ook Niet. The future is wide open for Sam and his band. A make-or-break moment? Pien shakes her head. “No, no, there are many paths. Look at Eefje de Visser. That didn’t explode overnight either. It wasn't until Bitterzoet that things really took off. Only one percent go from zero to sixty instantly. For everyone else, it’s a slow climb. Take Wies or Personal Trainer—they definitely didn't start out selling out the main hall at Paradiso.”

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"I don't mind living in a squat for a while"

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Sam listens attentively, looking dreamily ahead. When Pien finishes, he says: "Statements like these give me peace of mind, because the artists Pien mentions are where we want to be. I shouldn't forget that I'm only 23 years old. I don't mind living in a squat for a while. I just want to make music; as long as I can do that without too many compromises, I'm happy. If it turns out it took ten years, I'll still be standing in the main hall of Paradiso by the time I'm thirty." Pien: "Sooner is my goal. Twenty-five, twenty-six." Sam: "Deal!" He laughs again.

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No plan B

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Still, Pien admits, there is an element of survival of the fittest in her line of work. She points to her own music career as an example. She never made it big enough to make a living purely from music. Around the age of thirty, she had had enough. Pien: “By then, I had fifteen years of playing and rehearsing under my belt. I’d seen and done a lot. The role of frontperson wasn’t always for me. I didn't enjoy being the center of attention, and I hated interviews and photo shoots. I love being backstage and behind the scenes. That's what I truly enjoy now.”

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"There is no recipe for becoming a successful musician"

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What does Droom Dit need to do to ensure they're still playing in ten years? Sam sits up straight and turns his chair toward Pien. She says: “It’s different for everyone. Some artists keep going no matter what, sometimes with a side hustle. They don’t have a plan B, and they don’t want one. But then there are others like me who say after ten years: I’ve shared what I wanted to share, and now I’m done. There’s no recipe for becoming a successful musician. Except that you have to stay intrinsically motivated. The fire has to keep burning.”

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The next step

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Sam leans back again, looking relieved. As if to say: oh, well then it’ll all work out. When asked, he nods: “Yeah! Because for me, it's this or nothing.” And if it doesn't pan out? “I have no idea!” Suddenly growing much more serious: “I've been worried over the last few months. During the summer, we were on a trajectory like this.” He slants his flat hand upward. “Now festival season is over, and the momentum has leveled off. The 3voor12 review of our show at Noorderslag and the talent development programs are behind us. We have to take the next step ourselves, and that’s pretty terrifying. But our new record deserves to reach the right ears.” He leans toward the recorder on the table. “February 7th! Droom Dit at the Burgerweeshuis.”

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Photography: Isabelle Renate la Poutré

Interview: Job Hulsman