This project started at the cusp of my COVID 19 isolation when a friend said to me “you should record an album” and in under 24 hours I had begun. As things progressed, I realized very quickly that I had no actual technical “making music” skillset, and that just inspired me more. This is what inspired the album title, AMATEUR.

One of the major reflections I had during my isolation was that prior to COVID, I wanted my life to halt so badly so I could breathe. When it finally did, within days I realized that it’s not something I actually wanted. The human experience is so wild because we want what we don’t have. We wish for something else, and that something else is never what we EXPECT it to be. There’s always a catch or a hook that doesn’t quite make it comfortable. I think it will be apparent that I am not skilled and that I am not comfortable making music, however it will also show a raw side of music that I have always loved. This brings to mind Bryan Adams MTV unplugged from 1997, its raw, stripped and Emotional, specifically “I’m ready” which even at 7 years old I knew it fucked. This is by no means a comparison but simply a sensibility about music that is fond, familiar and passionate.

AMATEUR is rooted in identity, at a time when some of the parts of our identities are ripped away from us, our jobs, our close intimate connections to name few. I dove deep into my identity as a non-binary person, looking at what influences me and what that identity can look like for some folks. I found inspiration thinking about the friends in my life that I love and what it would feel like to be able to hug them again and how hard it is to sit around knowing that some are experiencing pain and that I can’t wipe their tears away or hold them close. I wanted it to be infused with the inspiration I get from having such a vibrant and beautiful queer family. As a drag performer a lot of our art is viewed as LIP SYNC and I have always had a passion for singing live because it connects differently to an audience. I love the emotional impact of words and I wanted this project to feel like me more than anything.

AMATEUR does have some fun Dragesque parts however, it does play serious at times. I revisited some songs that I love and reimagined them. Some of the tracks have a non-binary Willy Nelson Vibe that I adore so much. My biggest inspirations while making this album were Springsteen who I love for raw emotion and musicality, Jann Arden because she truly does make music her bitch and we stan a bisexual Canadian songstress, and MRS DASH because she’s such a versatile seasoning!

I am excited to share the project. It was a lot of trial and error, I laughed, I cried, I got excited, I felt insecure, It’s choppy, its’ raw, it’s AMATEUR.

This is the first Album by a Non-Binary Drag Performer to be released in Vancouver.

“A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like, I’m the Queen” - Elsa

XO Dust






A percentage of the sales of this album will be going to INDIGENOUS RENAISSANCE, an event hosted and produced by Bo Dyp & to be co-produced by DJ Kot'a. This event is created to hold space for indigenous artists and speakers to share their work and to hold our people up amongst reminders of what it means to be indigenous. This event is typically produced on Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21st.