The Pretty Reckless

A swaggering rock outfit drawing from post-grunge and metal traditions, the Pretty Reckless serves as the primary creative outlet for vocalist and actress Taylor Momsen. The group surfaced in 2010 amid Momsen’s rising profile on the popular CW series Gossip Girl, quickly attracting listeners through its glossy, roots-oriented hard rock approach shaped by acts such as Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Hole, and the Runaways. After modest early chart entries, the band achieved wider recognition via the 2014 release Going to Hell, which entered the Billboard 200 at number five and topped the mainstream rock survey with “Messed Up World (F’d Up World).” Continued road work and further mainstream rock successes followed, including “Take Me Down” from the 2016 album Who You Selling For and the title track of 2021’s Death by Rock and Roll, with the latter project succeeded a year later by the companion collection Other Worlds.

Momsen, born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1993, began performing and modeling in childhood and first gained widespread attention as a teenager through her role on Gossip Girl. Although acting occupied much of her time, exposure to her parents’ classic rock records fostered an enduring interest in singing. She assembled the Reckless in 2009, later adjusting the name to the Pretty Reckless for trademark reasons. With Momsen handling vocals alongside guitarist John Secolo, bassist Matt Chiarelli, and drummer Nick Carbone, the quartet set about merging classic hard rock with contemporary post-grunge textures. Early New York City performances led to an opening slot on the Veronicas’ North American tour later that year, after which Interscope Records offered the band a contract before year’s end.

In 2010 the Pretty Reckless overhauled its roster, retaining Momsen while installing guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon, and drummer Jamie Perkins in place of the original members. Following several months of recording, the group issued its debut single, “Make Me Wanna Die,” on the Kick-Ass soundtrack. Light Me Up appeared across Europe and Australia in late summer 2010 and reached North American stores the following year. Steady touring supported the album and yielded the Hit Me Like a Man EP in March 2012. The band’s sophomore effort, Going to Hell, arrived in 2013 and outperformed its predecessor, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200 and number eight in the U.K. on the strength of mainstream rock singles “Heaven Knows,” “Messed Up World,” and “Follow Me Down.”

Two years afterward, the Kato Khandwala-produced Who You Selling For marked the third album. Powered by the number-one mainstream rock single “Take Me Down,” it reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 and spawned additional singles “Oh My God” and “Back to the River.” The ensuing tour included dates supporting Soundgarden, culminating in the act’s final show with vocalist Chris Cornell on 17 May 2017 at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, the night before his death. By November 2019, Momsen and the Pretty Reckless had returned to the studio alongside Pearl Jam and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. The band later joined Fearless Records and, in February 2021, delivered its fourth album, Death by Rock and Roll. Its title track opened at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, while follow-up “And So It Went,” featuring Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, climbed to number 12. The set itself landed at number 28 on the Billboard 200 and was succeeded in October 2022 by Other Worlds, comprising covers, remixes, and alternate takes drawn from the preceding record.