The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen Discusses New Music + AC/DC

On Friday (Aug. 29), Taylor Momsen joined Loudwire Nights to dive into the Pretty Reckless‘ latest song, “For I Am Death,” as well as celebrate their worldwide tour with AC/DC.

Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

“I know they invented rock and roll, I know they’re one of the inventors of this, but to see it every night, it punches you in the face,” Momsen told host Chuck Armstrong about being on the road with AC/DC.

“I think they might be the greatest live band of all time. They’re insane and so I feel so honored and blessed to be out with them and to have such a great rapport.”

Momsen admitted that she’s been doing this a long time, but for many, many reasons, touring with AC/DC has been incredibly special.

“I think we’ve made a lifelong connection here,” she shared.

“They’re just the greatest people and they are what rock and roll is meant to be. This has been a dream come true.”

The Pretty Reckless’ New Song, ‘For I Am Death’

In addition to gushing over AC/DC and their legacy, Momsen and Chuck dove into the Pretty Reckless’ brand-new song, “For I Am Death.”

“Songs are like their own entities and I don’t necessarily know where they always come from,” Momsen said about the creation of the new track.

“Sometimes you work on something for a really long time, sometimes it falls out of the sky and lands in your lap.”

Regardless of where a song may come from, though, Momsen said with every line she writes, she’s always coming from a really personal perspective.

“Once it’s recorded and put out, the meaning of it to me — where it started and where it ends up — is ever evolving,” she said.

“Even songs that I finished six months ago mean something different to me today … Our first record, I still listen to that and I can remember exactly where I was and what I was writing about at the time. But to me now, as I sing [those songs] every night on stage, the meaning has transformed into something and relates to me now.”

Momsen said that’s the power of music and her goal will always be to write something that has those layers and depths to it.

“I think that’s the power of music in and of itself, it forces the human race to expand their minds and think past your day-to-day,” she explained.

“That’s always something I try really hard to not necessarily intentionally put into the writing, but to make sure that I’m doing that, I’m never writing from a face value, blanket place — there’s those layers to what I’m saying.”

What Else did the Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

How AC/DC and the Rolling Stones disrupted her recording plans: “My agent called and he goes, ‘Hey, I’ve got some shows, some offers for this and this and this,’ and I went, ‘I’m going to the studio and don’t call me, we’re not touring anymore. I need to make new music…unless the Rolling Stones or AC/DC call, don’t bother picking up the phone.'”
Remembering Ozzy Osbourne: “My heart sank. When you lose someone, when anyone loses anyone — whether that’s a figure or someone incredibly close to you — I feel like the initial feeling is always the same. Your heart sank. Your heart sinks to your feet and you can’t breathe. You’re stunned in this physical manner … The world changed and he changed the world. He will be forever missed.”
Whether or not “For I Am Death” is pointing toward more new music: “It might be…you might be onto something there. I can’t tell you. There’s so much to say and so much I’m not allowed to say. What I can say is stay tuned. This is just the beginning and the next 12 months is going to be insane. We have a lot on the horizon, a lot of different things, some of them are going to take you by surprise.”