Back in October, I was asked to cover the album release of Dust Cwaine, local singer-songwriter and drag queen, for their sophomore album, Arcana. The album, like Dust, was immersed in pop colour, featuring an arrangement of talent from artists such as producer PLEASEBENiCE, rapper Tea Fannie and Dust’s main producer and bandmate Josh Eastman. 

Arcana tells a story that rarely gets the spotlight for pop music. Lyrics that are personal, with beats of confidence and self-awareness. These incredibly catchy songs offer listeners moments of reflection and a surge of electricity from Dust's life, as intimate as the venue they took place in. 

The Lido was alive, laced in vines and accompanied by the sounds of artists gracing the stage, including host Shanda Leer, Tea Fannie, Indigenous rapper TWiiNWALKER, and Dust's band The River Children.

I had a chance to talk to Dust before the night kicked off. They wore their iconic baby doll dress and moved through their show, sold-out and extended to the parking lot, with utter euphoria.

Dust, You look incredible. Thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to see your drag mother hosting tonight's event! Are there elements of your music career that are inspired by her?

Of course! Thanks so much for coming! To answer your question, a drag mother's situation is very much our own thing. We acknowledge a different learning style between us, and we learn together and inspire each other, which is really nice, and that's the special part and the enduring part of the relationship. With the whole music thing, she always taught me about the value of community and has always pointed me in the right direction. Anytime I've had problems or anything, she's always been there for me. In the artistic sense, she is my anchor.

Your first album Amateur was written during COVID lockdown. What was your writing process like for Arcana? 

The writing process for Arcana was done proficiently with direction and intentionality. Amateur was a way for me to explore and have some fun and get excited about making music. Arcana was definitely more research based; I read books, I interviewed people, and I learned the difference between poetry and lyrics and writing them. I learned about craft, understanding even the small stuff like working with syllables and hooks. There's a lot sonically that you learn lyrically when you're being a little bit more intentional with it. With Arcana I took two years, and with Amateur I took two weeks.

Were there any collaborators on Arcana? Would you work with them again?

Josh Eastmon was my main producer. I also worked with Tea Fannie, who performed tonight; she has a feature on the song “Innuendo.” She's fierce. I worked with the producer called PLEASEBENiCE on a track called “Hearts in Atlantis”; she's an experimental hyper-pop artist and works on her own projects too. We became friends during the pandemic through mutual friends, and I asked if she wanted to make a song with me on Arcana, and she said yes–out of the demos I sent to her, she picked “Hearts in Atlantis.” We all just have a really good vibe in the studio and as pals.

What does the drag and music scene mean to you in Vancouver?

I mean it's an uphill battle. I see a lot of negative things from both sides, and I see a lot of positive things from both sides. For me, I feel like there is a lot of opportunity for people to come in, shift genres, shift opportunities. I think there's just room and availability, but in truth, I think people feel intimidated by warmth. I've been challenged in that regard. There seems to be this sentiment in this city that you have to earn it, which is fine. When I moved here, I didn't really have a place where I could fit, so I worked for a magazine and started writing articles about drag, which is how I met Shanda. Being able to contribute something to the community is to set a precedent. I have the proficiency and understanding of how to put on events, like I did this one–it's a big risk, but it sold out which is super exciting!

I know! It was so sold-out, I couldn't even get in to conduct the interview! I was like “Oh, shit. I needed to get into this event.”

[Laughs] I love it.

When you were pursuing music, did you know you were going to go as your stage name Dust Caine? What did you hope your aesthetic would become moving forward with it?

I was actually having a really hard time with drag when I was working on Arcana. I reconciled with the fact that my image was going to be David (Dust’s off stage name) and Dust. I get to choose who comes to the gig–that's up to me. The way I share my album imagery is that I actually share both of those two beings, because of the understanding that I'm not one without the other. If one doesn't want to come out and play, then the other can take over. I'm letting it be a choice instead of a chore. While it's music presented in drag, I think drag is a visual presentation I might use, and sometimes it's not. 

Last one. I don't want to keep you too long as you have a whole amazing night ahead of you. 

You started Sleepy Queers Productions to showcase new drag queens in the scene. Would you contribute your experience of bearing witness to new creatives as an inspiration for you to start your solo music career?

Sleepy Queers was all about creating a corner of drag for anyone to be able to shine, and it's about showcasing all forms of drag, and it really embraces that and people who embrace cool, new weird ideas. I think Arcana is a testament to all things I've learned in drag and all things that are important to me like that community.

What's next for you?

More music!

You can follow Dust Cwaine on Instagram (@unicornriverchild) and stream Arcana now: here.

Allison Shields (she/her) is a Latinx Creative Writing student at KPU. She currently resides on the ancestral and unceded territories of thexʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people. Her work has been featured in The Lyre Magazine and the I Like Your Dress podcast. In her past-time, you can find her outside, at her desk writing or listening to memoir audio-books in the shower.