Queen Kwong

Queen Kwong

Black & white photo of Carré Callaway, aka Queen Kwong, in London.
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres Rock, Alternative
Years active 2009–present
Labels Dissention Records and Artist Management, Smoky Carrot, Instant Records
Associated acts Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, The Raveonettes, Dum Dum Girls, Joe Cardamone, The Icarus Line
Website www.queenkwong.com
Members Carré Kwong Callaway, Wes Borland, Fred Sablan, Hayden C. Scott

Queen Kwong is an American Indie rock band founded in Los Angeles, California. The band was founded by multi-instrumentalist Carré Callaway (or Carré Kwong Callaway), the band's sole singer and songwriter who was discovered at age 17 by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.[1][2][3]

Queen Kwong usually plays as a three piece line up (guitar, bass, drums).

History

Carré Callaway was discovered by Trent Reznor in his New Orleans studio.[2] She first gained notoriety when she opened for Nine Inch Nails on the 2005 With Teeth tour.[1][3] At this time she was performing solo as a singer/songwriter and soon after moved to Los Angeles under the guidance of Trent Reznor. Callaway dropped out of the music scene for a couple of years[2] and then reemerged in 2009, once again supporting Nine Inch Nails for the Nine Inch Nails "Wave Goodbye" tour this time as Queen Kwong.[3]

In 2010 the band was exposed to a wider audience due to NBC Los Angeles, local indie radio and UK's BBC RADIO 6 featuring the first digitally released single "Pet" off of the EP "Love Is A Bruise"[4] which was accompanied by a promo video directed by Callaway.

In fall 2011, Queen Kwong went on a fan funded Kickstarter [5] tour to London and Paris. During this time Carre Callaway was interviewed on BBC RADIO 6 by DJ Tom Robinson. She is currently managed by Scott Cohen and Richard Gottehrer who also represent the Indie rock bands The Raveonettes, Dum Dum Girls, and The Deer Tracks.[6]

Music and performance style

Queen Kwong's sound has been described as primal rock 'n' roll, drawing comparisons to bands such as Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, and Hole.[2]

In 2010, Queen Kwong released the self-produced digital EP Love is a Bruise consisting of three demo songs: Pet, Eddie the Kid, and the ballad The Thin Line.[7] The song Pet from Love is a Bruise was featured as part of Levi's fall 2010 European ad campaign.[8]

In 2011, Queen Kwong released the single Bitter Lips with the B-Side track Eddie The Kid.

In 2012, Queen Kwong released the single Long Gone which was co-written with Joe Cardamone, singer of the Indie rock band The Icarus Line. The single was digitally released via UK record label Smoky Carrot. Following the release, London's Artrocker Magazine wrote "Queen Kwong may well be the saviour of rock'n'roll".[9] The music video for the single "Long Gone" which was directed by Carre Callaway was featured on music magazine NME website.[10] In March 2012, Queen Kwong was featured on the Subculture music section of the Fred Perry fashion website.[11]

In May 2012, Queen Kwong made her New York City debut by playing her first show in the city to a packed crowd at the Pianos music venue on the lower east side. The show was positively reviewed and Callaway's music and performance was described as "She snarls, screams, grinds away on her guitar, spits, sneers and thrashes her head around in a fury of emotion. Maybe the Queen is the King of the new L.A. rock set?"[12]

In June 11, 2013, Queen Kwong released the 5-track EP Bad Lieutenant off Instant Records.

In April 2015, Queen Kwong selected Dissention Records to release her next record, expected in the Summer prior to her Leeds and Reading Festival debut. It is anticipated that her single, Cold Daggers, will be released on Dissention in May 2015 leading up to her performance at The Great Escape.[13]

Videography

Carré Callaway has conceived, filmed and/or directed the music videos for Queen Kwong's singles.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Queen Kwong". iHEARTRadio. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Phull, Hardeep (November 2011). "Queen Kwong". SXSW Schedule. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Queen Kwong". Last.fm. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Queen Kwong". Club Red. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "Queen Kwong Tour to London and Paris by Carre Callaway — Kickstarter". Kickstarter.com. 2011-09-22. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  6. ↑ "SCOTT COHEN, FOUNDER OF THE ORCHARD, WILL GIVE A TALK IN BIME". BIME. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Queen Kwong Austin Shows on Do512". Do512.com. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  8. ↑ "Queen Kwong's biography at amazingtunes.com". Queenkwong.amazingtunes.com. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  9. ↑ "Queen Kwong," by Toby Rogers, Artrocker Magazine, January/February 2012 issue.
  10. ↑ "Queen Kwong - 'Long Gone' - NMETV Latest Music Videos and Clips". Nme.Com. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  11. ↑ "The Best New Music / Fred Perry Subculture / Queen Kwong". Fredperrysubculture.com. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  12. ↑ "Queen Kwong @ Pianos". Music Snobbery. 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  13. ↑ {{cite web|url=http://www.dissentionrecords.com/
  14. ↑ "Queen Kwong - 'Long Gone' video". NME. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  15. ↑ "Queen Kwong Ike Turner Video," NME Magazine, accessed 3 July 2013.

External links