Trouser Dress – Dandelion and Burdock

Following the critical success of their debut release Devil Town, about issues of transgender and self-identification, genderqueer singer-songwriter Trouser Dress is back with a new single Dandelion & Burdock. Released on Hull’s Warren Records and recorded at their in-house studios with local indie producer Adam Pattrick, it’s a song about personal growth and an evolving sense of self-awareness.

As with their previous release, Dandelion & Burdock’s arrangement is centered around a ukelele (which was given to them at the tender age of 11, and from where their own musical journey began) but this time it’s with a fuller sound, thanks to the drums, bass and Adam’s mixing.

As for the lyric: Dandelions are weeds that people kill because they’re seen as ugly – but killing them won’t work because their seeds spread in the wind and so regrow and recover. The artist explains further saying

It’s a song about my personal growth and how I’ve learned more about myself and where I stand than I ever thought I could. I’ve had most of my family and friends stand beside me and support me in my identity, although I have lost people along the way. This song in particular describes my relationship with my dad and how growing older, removed the rose-tinted glasses I saw him through. In terms of the music, the song acts as the bridge between the style I preferred when I was younger and the style that fits best now.

Coming from East Yorkshire, Cardin Mucklin AKA Trouser Dress explains how the alias comes from the way they’ve always seen themselves growing up, pouring their lived experiences of being queer and trans plus their journey through the mental health jungle into songwriting and their other creative passion; photography. Musically they’ve taken influence from artists like Lontalius, Cavetown and Dodie, relating to the soft ambiance in their music. In particular, Trouser Dress looks to Cavetown, as a trans man who started their career before transitioning. Having performed at Hull’s Adelphi Theatre and at last summer’s Tribefest with Freedom Road Creative Arts, Trouser Dress continues to develop their sound and songwriting through their explorations into personal identity and reaching out to others through music.

Listen to this song and more emerging artists just like this one on “Discover”, playing Sundays at 10 am PT/1 pm ET on Channel R – Today’s Hits & Your All-Time Favorites.