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Acclaimed drag performer and indie pop-rock artist Dust Cwaine (they/them) unveils their sophomore album Twin Lakes today, alongside the feature single and video, “Burn After Reading.” The release follows Dust’s recent performance at Victoria’s Rifflandia Festival and precedes their highly anticipated album launch show at The Fox Cabaret in Vancouver on October 2nd.
Written with longtime collaborator and producer Josh Eastman (Kylie V, Turunesh), Twin Lakes is Dust’s most personal and ambitious project to date. Loosely named after the small community outside Cranbrook, BC, where they grew up, the record draws from the “Artefacts” of their past – memories and wounds that no longer pose danger but still shape emotion. Across 11 tracks, Dust translates those Artefacts into songs that balance vulnerability with resilience, weaving stories of childhood survival, accountability, toxic relationships, and unconditional love.
“Being hit as a child looms largest among my Artefacts,” Dust shares. “This album is my way of translating my life to myself. There are songs that capture the visceral nature of those memories, and others that speak to the sweeter experiences. Twin Lakes lives in a harmonious balance of themes that remind us we can’t have the highs without the lows.”
Musically, Twin Lakes builds on the “navel-gaze pop rock” of Dust’s debut album Arcana and EP 17. With acoustic-driven rhythms, shimmering synths, and lo-fi textures inspired by early Tragically Hip and late-’90s David Gray, the album nods to influences like Haim, Tracy Chapman, Indigo Girls, Counting Crows, Matchbox Twenty, and Third Eye Blind. Songs shift perspective verse by verse, creating a dynamic conversation between Dust, their inner child, and the listener.
The feature single “Burn After Reading” (written by Dust and Nathan Doyle) captures this duality, pairing confessional lyricism with a buoyant, cathartic hook. Its video, directed by Cole Schmidt, trades heaviness for levity – a collection of silly, home-video vibes with friends shot in and around Vancouver. The playful footage underscores the song’s uplifting energy, capturing the same sense of release and buoyancy that drives the chorus.
The album also features standout moments like “Little Plans,” a joyful T4T love song that kicked off the project; the cathartic title track and second single “Twin Lakes,” reckoning with childhood trauma and loss; “Tiger Lily,” an imagined letter from Dust’s mother; “Violent Heart,” a song of solidarity between Dust and their younger self; “Starman,” a reminder of being fundamentally loved; and “The Acolyte,” a pulsing reflection on breaking free from toxicity.
“Don’t let the heaviness of the subject matter deter you,” says Dust. “This album is VERY fun, but at its core holds the Artefacts that shaped me. We write our own stories. This is mine, and now it’s yours. Burn After Reading.”
With nearly a decade of performance experience, Dust Cwaine has become a fixture in Vancouver’s drag and music scenes, celebrated for their spellbinding performances and unflinching songwriting. Their work has been championed by Exclaim!, The Jann Arden Podcast, and The Georgia Straight, which named them a Vancouver Local Hero in 2024.
Twin Lakes is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more info, please visit dustcwaine.ca.
Dust Cwaine Show Dates
October 2 - Vancouver, BC – The Fox Cabaret (Album Release Show)
Tracklisting
Dust Cwaine - Twin Lakes
(Independent)
01. Twin Lakes
02. Burn After Reading
03. Violent Heart
04. Brooklyn
05. The Acolyte
06. Interlude
07. Tiger Lily
08. Starman
09. Little Plans
10. Jupiter
11. Take My Stories
FOLLOW DUST CWAINE:
Website | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
PRAISE FOR DUST CWAINE:
"On this release, Dust Cwaine demonstrates that the most personal stories are often the most powerful, and that healing sometimes sings. This is Dust Cwaine at their darkest and bravest. And it's only the beginning. - Zillions Magazine
"Their newest single, 'Little Plans', has a synthesized bop perking up the chorus, pairing with the squealing electric guitar and Cwaine’s enthusiastic vocals to tell a story about the giddy euphoria of love. It’s catchy and cute—the perfect song to hum while picking daisies or painting a Pride placard." - The Georgia Straight
"'Little Plans' captures how new love transforms daily life, emphasizing the ritual in intimacy and validating identities through a T4T lens, supported by vibrant production and emotional depth." - B-Side Guys
"It’s the kind of song that can make someone feel seen, not just heard.” - PopFad
MEDIA TOOLS:
WATCH/POST "Burn After Reading" HERE
CLICK HERE for bio, press photos, album art + digital downloads (for radio play)
