Anna von Hausswolff – Struggle With the Beast
Anna von Hausswolff takes nine minutes to build “Struggle With the Beast” into something massive. The Swedish organist and composer worked with producer Filip Leyman on the track. He brought in Otis Sandsjö on saxophone and clarinet, David Sabel on bass, Joel Fabiansson on guitar, and a string section including Jenny Jonsson, Alexander Chojecki, Annie Svedune, and Charlotta Grahn-Wetter on violins.
Sandsjö’s saxophone riff drives the opening. It’s feverish and repetitive, establishing the groove before everything else piles on. Drums come in hard, played live with no restraint. Guitars layer over strings, and von Hausswolff’s organ cuts through with that beautiful darkness she’s known for. She doesn’t start singing until a few minutes in, then belts lines about a manic episode and scaring her family with wild intensity.
Von Hausswolff wrote the song after a close friend experienced psychosis. She watched someone she knew become completely disconnected, as if living in a parallel universe with all social barriers dissolved. The friend is fine now, but the experience stuck. The song captures that unstoppable, unfiltered state.
The track comes from Iconoclasts, her first album for YEAR0001, out October 31st. The album features Ethel Cain, Iggy Pop, and Abul Mogard. Von Hausswolff produced it with Leyman, moving her sound toward something brighter and more cinematic while keeping the mammoth intensity intact. Sven Johansson mixed it, Magnus Lindberg mastered it.
Von Hausswolff tours extensively through Europe, the UK, and North America starting in December. She’ll perform on organ and keys with a handpicked ensemble.
Tracklist
- Struggle With the Beast
Tour Dates
Europe
- 4 December 2025: Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 5 December 2025: Moriskan, Malmö, Sweden
- 10 December 2025: Vulkan, Oslo, Norway
- 11 December 2025: Örebro, Sweden
- 12 December 2025: Fållan, Stockholm, Sweden
- 14 December 2025: Tavastia, Helsinki, Finland
- 21 January 2026: Knust, Hamburg, Germany
- 22 January 2026: Columbia Theatre, Berlin, Germany
- 23 January 2026: Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 25 January 2026: Thekla, Bristol, UK
- 27 January 2026: YES, Manchester, UK
- 28 January 2026: Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK
- 30 January 2026: Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
- 31 January 2026: Trabendo, Paris, France
- 2 February 2026: Aeronef Club, Lille, France
- 3 February 2026: Les Trinitaires, Metz, France
- 4 February 2026: Gebaude 9, Cologne, Germany
- 6 February 2026: Ampere, Munich, Germany
- 7 February 2026: WUK, Vienna, Austria
- 9 February 2026: Nova Spirala, Prague, Czech Republic
- 11 February 2026: Santeria Toscana 31, Milan, Italy
- 12 February 2026: Locomotiv, Bologna, Italy
- 13 February 2026: Antigel Festival, Geneva, Switzerland
- 4 March 2026: Atlas Song, Göteborgs Operan, Sweden
- 5 March 2026: Atlas Song, Göteborgs Operan, Sweden
- 21 May 2026: Atlas Song, St Pölten, Austria
- 22 May 2026: Atlas Song, St Pölten, Austria
- 3-7 July 2026: Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain
North America
- 17 March 2026: Brick & Mortar, San Francisco, CA
- 18 March 2026: Facing Atlas, Los Angeles, CA
- 20 March 2026: Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
- 22 March 2026: The Drake, Toronto, ON, Canada
- 25 March 2026: Zone One, Brooklyn, NY
- 26 March 2026: Songbyrd, Washington, DC
