LA-based Queen Kwong (a.k.a. Carré Kwong Callaway) has shared her latest single “Without You, Whatever” from her forthcoming Joe Cardamone (The Icarus Line / Dark Mark vs Skeleton Joe) produced album Couples Only, out July 12 via Sonic Ritual. It follows “On The Run,” which featured keys and synths by Roger O’Donnell (The Cure).

The one and only ‘pop’ song Carré has ever written, “Without You, Whatever,” is about missing a person despite knowing their impact was laced with negativity. “Initially, it wasn’t even going to be on the record,” Callaway says. “When I recorded it, I was just trying to entertain Joe (Cardamone) by singing in falsetto and trying to imitate Bowie. When I sent the folder of tracks to Tchad Blake [Arctic Monkeys, Elvis Costello, Fiona Apple] I said, ‘oh, don’t bother mixing Without You, Whatever because I’m not going to release it,’ and Tchad basically said, ‘WTF? That’s your single!’ So he mixed it and I added it to the record at the last minute. It’s nearly impossible for me to sing because it’s so high and out of my range, but I like that it’s extremely different from anything I’ve ever released.”

Couples Only could be described as a divorce record, but really it’s much more than that.  Carré’s third album is a fearless account of facing the worst betrayals and accepting the deepest losses; it’s the realization of one’s mortality and the impermanence of everything we know and cherish. 

Photo Courtesy: Laura-Mary Carter