The Pretty Reckless

Hard rocking New York quartet fronted by ex-Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen

The Pretty Reckless formed in NYC in 2009 under the guidance of former actress and model Taylor Momsen. Famed for her roles in Gossip Girl and How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Momsen turned her back on acting to focus on a music career.

Specialising in a swaggering hard rock sound that drew on influences from Led Zeppelin to Hole, the band toured as opener for The Veronicas before releasing their first song ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ on the soundtrack to the film Kick-Ass. The Pretty Reckless’s first two albums saw their audience grow exponentially, with 2013’s Going To Hell landing at No.5 in the Billboard Top 200 off the back of singles ‘Messed Up World’ and ‘Follow Me Down’.

The band’s third album Who You Selling For, landed them a slot opening for Soundgarden, whose drummer Matt Cameron went on to produce their fourth album Death By Rock And Roll. Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello guest appeared on the album, which was released in early 2021.