{"id":670188,"date":"2026-07-02T17:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T17:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/670188\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T17:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T17:36:10","slug":"taylor-momsen-talks-tapping-into-the-innermost-darkest-corners-of-her-mind-for-the-pretty-reckless-new-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/670188\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Momsen talks \u201ctapping into the innermost, darkest corners\u201d of her mind for The Pretty Reckless\u2019 new album"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taylor Momsen<\/a> has spoken to NME about The Pretty Reckless<\/a>\u2019 \u201cextremely vulnerable\u201d new album \u2018Dear God<\/a>\u2019, and explained how \u201ctapping into the innermost, darkest corners\u201d of her mind has \u201crelit\u201d a fire that they haven\u2019t seen since their debut album.<\/p>\n

The new record arrived on Friday (June 26) as the fifth from the New York rock veterans and the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021\u2019s \u2018Death By Rock And Roll<\/a>\u2019. Speaking to NME over Zoom, Momsen explained how it is potentially their most \u201cvulnerable and emotional\u201d to date.<\/p>\n

As well as tackling themes of grief and depression, which Momsen has spoken candidly about<\/a> before \u2013 particularly following the untimely deaths of Chris Cornell in 2017<\/a> and her friend and producer Kato Khandwala a year later \u2013 the album also comes with an emerging sense of clarity.<\/p>\n

Across the 14 tracks, the singer not only confronts her hardships head on, but approaches them with a newfound acceptance, understanding that the only way to overcome them is to accept how much they have impacted her.<\/p>\n

\"TaylorTaylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless. Credit: Steph Gomez<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an extremely vulnerable and emotional side to this record, but also it\u2019s incredibly heavy and aggressive at the same time. It has done all the things that I wanted it to do, simply by tapping into the innermost, darkest corners of my mind,\u201d Momsen told NME.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith \u2018Dear God\u2019, I think \u2018Love Me\u2019 is the song that I\u2019ve been giving credit to the most so far. It was one of the first ones we wrote, and there was a moment where I took a step back from the song and saw just how ripped from my diary it actually was,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt was so blunt and direct, there was nothing drenched in metaphor. It\u2019s one that is so deeply personal, and it touches upon something in a way we haven\u2019t really done before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check out the full interview with Momsen below, where she also opens up about how songwriting is like a form of \u201ctherapy\u201d for her, her unwavering admiration for Chris Cornell<\/a> and Soundgarden<\/a>, her reluctance to be seen as a \u201crole model\u201d, and what to expect from their \u201cprimal\u201d 2026 tour dates.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Pretty Reckless \u2018Dear God\u2019 artwork. Credit: Press<\/p>\n

NME: Hi Taylor. Congratulations on the new album. How does it feel to finally have it out there and see the response from fans?<\/p>\n

Taylor Momsen: \u201cIt feels crazy, but also this past week has been a whirlwind of doing press, being in New York, playing in Europe, and now I\u2019m in LA! I\u2019ve been moving so much that it hasn\u2019t fully sunk in that it\u2019s out. But when I do take a second to think about it, it feels fantastic. We worked so hard on this record, and I\u2019m so proud of it because I think it feels new, fresh and different than our previous records.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not long ago you spoke so honestly about overcoming issues with depression and with grief in recent years. Did this album almost work as a coping mechanism in that way?<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course! I picked up writing when I was five-years-old, and I feel very fortunate that I figured that out really young that it was this tool that allowed me to be purely and utterly free. I realised I could write everything and anything I thought, and by doing it, I learned to process myself and process the world around me. It is something that has served me incredibly well in adulthood too. And that\u2019s not to say that life doesn\u2019t take its toll and things aren\u2019t incredibly hard at times, but definitely the writing aspect of it can be like therapy sometimes. Without it I don\u2019t know who I\u2019d be or where I\u2019d be. It\u2019s how I cope. It\u2019s how I deal with everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

A lot of fans online have spoken out about how much they respect you for being open with your struggles. It must be difficult to put it out there\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is, it\u2019s all a part of my story at this point. I went through a lot of loss \u2014 some I talked about publicly, some I didn\u2019t \u2014 and it affected me greatly. It would be the same for anyone who has gone through that kind of situation. It took me years to realise that it was not going to go away. [Grief] changes over time, and your reaction evolves as time goes on\u2026 but I realised that I\u2019m not the same person that I was before all of that, and I never will be again.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Death By Rock And Roll\u2019 was the immediate reaction of what got me through those immediate losses, or at least the ones I spoke about, and this record is in a lot of ways the aftermath of that of where I\u2019m at now with those things. It\u2019s me realising that all of those experiences, the good, the bad, the ugly, are a part of who I am and I can\u2019t run or hide from them. The only way to move forward is to wear it all like a badge of honour and treat it like your superpower.\u201d<\/p>\n

You previously said that \u2018When I Wake Up\u2019 is about a dream gradually becoming a nightmare, but not being able to recognise it until it\u2019s maybe too late. What did that mean for you personally?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe song\u2019s actually quite dark. I\u2019m proud of it because on a first listen, if you\u2019re not paying much attention, it\u2019s a very fun song. It\u2019s meant to be like that. It mirrors a time period in my life where I was in the fast lane and from the outside it looked like a really good time. But if you look slightly under the surface, the reality is that\u2019s not a sustainable life, where at some point you have to wake up from that and make a choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my case, I had a harsh moment of reality and I had to make a very conscious choice whether I was going to live or I was going to die. I was in a very bad place. That song is reflecting on that time period where I was very out of control, for lack of a better term. I was trying to use things outside of myself in order to escape my own brain and the circumstances that I felt like I was trapped inside of. I chose the unhealthy way to go about things for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

There are heavy themes like that across the album, but at the core it feels like there is an emerging sense of reflection, perseverance and gratitude. Would it be too simplistic to call this a bright new chapter?<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it is simplifying things too much because I think (and I hope) it\u2019s true! This record feels really inspired and fresh to us. In a lot of ways, it feels like the first album, \u2018Light Me Up\u2019 [2010]. Not musically, but in the way it has that same sense of intent and that same fire from when we were at the very beginning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to explain, but it feels very us. In one way it is incredibly effortless, but also there is this brutal honesty that comes from how much we\u2019ve gone through together and separately. It feels like a new band. There\u2019s a fire in all of us that I don\u2019t want to say ever died, but it has been relit and is burning with all the gasoline right now. This is us in our truest form.\u201d<\/p>\n

You have been a longtime fan of Soundgarden, toured with the band shortly before the untimely death of Chris Cornell, and regularly spoke about how much you admired him. Have you heard anything about that unreleased album the members have been hinting at<\/a>, which will feature the singer\u2019s voice?<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, man, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s my place to talk about. But what I will say though is that I love those guys. I\u2019m so excited and proud of them and everything that they are doing, and just stay tuned.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is it about Chris Cornell that really struck a chord with you, and why do you think his music and his words continue to resonate with people so strongly nearly 10 years after his passing?<\/p>\n

\u201cI can only speak for me, I can\u2019t speak for the world, but for me all of Chris Cornell\u2019s work speaks to me on a level that nothing else does. When something touches you that way, it\u2019s hard to put into words just exactly why. There is just this connection, and it\u2019s like it is speaking to you on a level that is so deep that it feels like a part of you. I\u2019ve listened to his solo work and to Soundgarden so many times, but every time I listen to them, it evokes something different in me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is the sheer amount of depth and sensitivity and aggression\u2026 [but] also, it\u2019s so smart. It\u2019s musically exquisite and complex \u2014 like this never-ending onion where you discover something new about it and about yourself every time you listen to it. I think that is so powerful and so fucking rare. It\u2019s coming from a place that\u2019s so deep and so powerful that it touches your soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TaylorTaylor Momsen performs with Soundgarden at a tribute to Chris Cornell in 2019. CREDIT: Jeff Kravitz\/Getty<\/p>\n

Are there any emerging artists who you\u2019ve come across in more recent years who have had a similar impact on you?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m such a creature of habit, I listen to the same records that I\u2019ve listened to my whole life. They\u2019re not exactly new artists now, but I do really like Courtney Barnett<\/a> and Die Antwoord<\/a>. They\u2019re new to me and I think that they are incredibly creative and everything they put out is just incredibly interesting and unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you think of the current rock and metal scene, and the climate for new talent trying to break out and trying to get heard?<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re in an interesting time. There will always be those people who love to put the label \u2018rock is dead\u2019 out into the ether, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s true. I believe rock is too primal to kill. It is so instinctually in all of us, and it has always gone through points where it has been more underground.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at it throughout time, rock music repeats itself a lot \u2014 not musically, but in terms of when it has its time in the sun. It follows this kind of arc of where the world is at. If you look at the \u201850s, it was very pop-oriented, but in the \u201860s and \u201870s it seemed like the artist took over again. Then the \u201880s came in and it got a little bit more corporate, but then the \u201890s kicked everyone\u2019s ass because there was an authenticity to what the grunge scene did that was unmatched.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt fell back into the pop side of things after that, but right now I see an interesting turning point because I think we\u2019re hitting a time in the world where people are craving it again, but in a real way. People are are craving authenticity and want to hear a human point of view that is truthful, raw, aggressive and honest\u2026 and not made by a fucking computer. Because of that all, we\u2019re in a very exciting time for rock music.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Do you think that desire for grit and authenticity stems from being in times of political unrest and social turmoil?<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely. Music mirrors the human condition in a lot of ways, and people gravitate towards what they\u2019re feeling. That\u2019s why a lot of the time when there\u2019s political unrest or turmoil in society \u2014 which god knows we have a lot of that right now \u2014 it\u2019s very natural for an audience to gravitate towards music that reflects that.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a modern female icon of rock, how does it feel to think that you are helping a new generation of girls pick up instruments and get into rock music?<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fucking crazy and incredibly flattering to think about. I used to get asked a lot when I was younger \u2018What does it feel like to be a role model?\u2019, and I really hated that title. I would immediately reject it because I, in no way, want to be someone\u2019s role model. I\u2019m a human being who is constantly making mistakes and trying to figure it out. I used to say, \u2018Don\u2019t follow me, kids\u2019 because it felt like too much pressure! But if I inspire anyone to pick up an instrument or to express themselves or to be the truest version of themselves\u2026 That is fantastic and I\u2019m happy to take on that role. They\u2019re very different things. If I\u2019ve done anything like that, that\u2019s absolutely incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pretty Reckless are heading out on tour again soon\u2026 What can fans expect?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be so much fun. I haven\u2019t been this genuinely excited about a tour in I don\u2019t know how many years. We have a fire in us that is ready to explode, and that translates into the show. We started rehearsals recently and, when we\u2019re playing the new songs, it\u2019s just awesome. There is this primal energy to the show, and as an artist who is dying to play the new material, you can feel that it is a very exciting time in our band\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many shows on the books, but I\u2019m still looking at them and saying: \u2018It\u2019s not enough. I want to do more\u2019 \u2013 so that\u2019s a good sign! The shows will be very high energy, live rock and roll, and as far as production and all that stuff goes we\u2019re very basic. There will be no click track, it\u2019s just the four of us on stage cranking amps and playing songs in a very organic and loud, real way. Because of that, every show will be different. It\u2019s free, every night is its own world, and it will be un-imitable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Dear God\u2019 is out now, and The Pretty Reckless will kick off their US tour dates on July 10, before heading over to the UK and Europe in November and December. Visit here<\/a> for tickets and more information.<\/p>\n

For help and advice on mental health:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Taylor Momsen has spoken to NME about The Pretty Reckless\u2019 \u201cextremely vulnerable\u201d new album \u2018Dear God\u2019, and explained…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":670189,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[96,78468,128,3584,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-670188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-lets-talk-mental-health","tag-music","tag-rock","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=670188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/670189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=670188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=670188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=670188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}