The Pretty Reckless
The Pretty Reckless happened when producer Kato Khandwala paired singer/actress Taylor Momsen with guitarist Ben Phillips.
There are some people who seem destined for a career in showbiz. Momsen, who had been singing and acting since childhood, was one of them. She played Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl before adding modeling to her resume. Still, it was music that held the most appeal.
“Music is where I can be me,” Momsen stated. “Acting is easy. But you’re playing a character instead of yourself. Music is more personal because you’re writing it and you’re involved in every step of it.”
Momsen’s music influences included Kurt Cobain and Joan Jett.
Momsen and Phillips developed a songwriting collaboration that was the core of the band which was fortunate since the group stumbled out of the gate. A handful of band member departures resulting in the addition of bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.
With a new line-up, The Pretty Reckless issued their initial offering, a four-song self-titled EP. Their take on Glam and Hair Metal didn’t do much.
But the debut full-length album, “Light Me Up,” a ’10 release in the U.K., turned things around.
The album peaked at #6 on the U.K. chart while the single “Make Me Wanna Die,” topped the Rock Chart. “Light Me Up” didn’t get a U.S. release until early ‘11.
A year later the “Hit Me Like A Man” EP dropped with three new songs (the title track, “Cold Blooded” and “Under The Water”) and live performances of two songs from “Light Me Up” (“Make We Wanna Die” and “Since Your Gone”). In addition, The Pretty Reckless opened for the likes of Marilyn Manson and Evanescence. Momsen stated she was a “big fan” of the latter. By the end of the year The Pretty Reckless achieved headliner status.
The group’s “Kill Me” was heard at the end of the final episode of the series Gossip Girl. That seemed fitting.
“Going To Hell” arrived in early ’14. The sophomore full-length set improved the group’s standing. It debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 with 35,000 copies sold in its first week, becoming the band’s first Top 10 album.
“Heaven Knows,” a single from the album, was certified gold by the RIAA in ‘18 for accumulated sales of over 500,000 units.
“Who You Selling For” came next. “We had so much we wanted to say, it was like shaking a can of soda on tour, and then when we started writing we cracked the seal,” Momsen said of the songs on the ’16 album.
The set contained “Take Me Down,” which became the group’s fourth single to reach #1 on Billboard’s Rock chart (“Heaven Knows,” “Messed Up World” and “Follow Me Down,” all from “Going To Hell,” were the first three).
The Pretty Reckless now have the most #1 singles by a female-fronted Rock act.
Their ’22 album, “Other Worlds,” contained acoustic renditions of Elvis Costello’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding,” Soundgarden’s “Halfway There,” with Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron playing guitar, and an interpretation Chris Cornell’s (Soundgarden) “The Keeper.”
“We’ve gotten incredible feedback from fans about our acoustic performances, and we’d never put those out in any real format,” stated Momsen.
The band’s first new song in four years, “For I Am Death,” owned the top spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in November of ’25. It became the band’s the fourth consecutive #1.
“With ‘For I Am Death’ I want the music to speak for itself, allowing the listener to decide what it means to them,” Momsen. explained. “The interpretation of the song might align with my own, or it might come from the heart of the audience. Either way, I’m excited to see what people take away from it.”
For I Am Death
There was also “When I Wake Up,’ the story of a dream becoming a nightmare,” reflected Momsen. Both tracks appeared on the band’s fifth album, “Dear God;” which dropped in ’26.
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