# The Pretty Reckless
**The Pretty Reckless** is an American hard rock band from New York City, fronted by singer and songwriter [Taylor Momsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/taylor-momsen) and known for a string of Mainstream Rock chart-topping singles that includes "Heaven Knows," "Take Me Down," and "Death by Rock and Roll." The current lineup pairs Momsen with guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon, and drummer [Jamie Perkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/jamie-perkins).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless-mn0001630569)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed | New York City, 2009, initially as The Reckless; renamed to avoid trademark problems[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless-mn0001630569) |
| Members | Taylor Momsen (vocals), Ben Phillips (guitar), Mark Damon (bass), Jamie Perkins (drums)[2](https://concord.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless/) |
| Debut album | *Light Me Up* (2010), preceded by the single "Make Me Wanna Die" on the *Kick-Ass* soundtrack[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless-mn0001630569) |
| Breakthrough | *Going to Hell* (2014) debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 with three #1 rock radio hits; "Heaven Knows" spent 18 weeks at #1[3](https://fearlessrecords.com/artists/the-pretty-reckless/) |
| Chart record | "Take Me Down" (2016) made them the first act to send its first four singles to #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart[4](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2016/Billboard-2016-12-17-%28Double-Issue%29.pdf) |
| Latest album | *Dear God*, 14 tracks, released June 26, 2026 via Fearless Records[5](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/the-pretty-reckless-announce-fifth-album-dear-god) |
| Songwriting | The discography was written entirely by Momsen and Ben Phillips[3](https://fearlessrecords.com/artists/the-pretty-reckless/) |
## Formation and debut
Taylor Momsen entered public life as a child actor, appearing at age five in the 2000 film *How the Grinch Stole Christmas* and later as [Jenny Humphrey](https://www.edgepedia.org/jenny-humphrey) on the teen drama *Gossip Girl*.[6](https://www.loudersound.com/features/taylor-momsen-the-big-metal-hammer-interview) She had been raised on her parents' classic rock records and launched the band in 2009 to pursue music.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless-mn0001630569) • [7](https://www.revolvermag.com/feature/the-pretty-reckless-taylor-momsen-2026-cover-story) The first version of the group, called The Reckless, featured John Secolo on guitar, Matt Chiarelli on bass, and Nick Carbone on drums; after initial shows in New York and an opening slot on the Veronicas' North American tour, [Interscope Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/interscope-records) signed the band before the year ended. The name became The Pretty Reckless to avoid trademark problems.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless-mn0001630569)
In 2010 the lineup was rebuilt around Momsen with Phillips, Damon, and Perkins. The band's first single, "Make Me Wanna Die," appeared on the *Kick-Ass* soundtrack, and the debut album *Light Me Up* was released in Europe and Australia in late summer 2010, reaching North America in 2011.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless-mn0001630569) Momsen's *Gossip Girl* contract was resolved amicably; she has said the show's writers "were gracious enough to write me out of the scripts" so she could record and tour.[6](https://www.loudersound.com/features/taylor-momsen-the-big-metal-hammer-interview)
## Going to Hell and commercial breakthrough
The second album, *Going to Hell*, released March 18, 2014, debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 and produced three #1 rock radio hits: the Platinum-certified "Heaven Knows," "Fucked Up World," and "Follow Me Down." "Heaven Knows" was 2014's most successful Mainstream Rock single, holding the top spot for 18 weeks.[3](https://fearlessrecords.com/artists/the-pretty-reckless/) • [8](https://www.harmonixmusic.com/blog/an-interview-with-taylor-momsen-of-the-pretty-reckless) According to the band's label biography, this run of three #1 hits from one album had not been accomplished by a female-fronted group since [The Pretenders](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-pretenders) in 1984.[2](https://concord.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless/)
After two years of touring, the band recorded its third album, *Who You Selling For*, released October 21, 2016 and produced, like its predecessors, by Kato Khandwala.[3](https://fearlessrecords.com/artists/the-pretty-reckless/) • [9](https://fearlessrecords.com/releases/dear-god-2/) The record broadened the band's sound, with Warren Haynes of The Allman Brothers Band adding a slide solo to "Back to the River."[8](https://www.harmonixmusic.com/blog/an-interview-with-taylor-momsen-of-the-pretty-reckless) Its lead single "Take Me Down" reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart in October 2016, making The Pretty Reckless the first act to send its first four singles to the top of that chart, as Billboard reported.[4](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2016/Billboard-2016-12-17-%28Double-Issue%29.pdf)
## Losses and Death by Rock and Roll
In 2017, while opening for [Soundgarden](https://www.edgepedia.org/soundgarden) in amphitheaters across the United States, the band lost [Chris Cornell](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-cornell), a close friend and personal hero of Momsen's, who died by suicide after a show in Detroit. The band canceled most of its touring and withdrew from public view. Eleven months later, in 2018, longtime producer Kato Khandwala was killed in a motorcycle crash.[2](https://concord.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless/) • [6](https://www.loudersound.com/features/taylor-momsen-the-big-metal-hammer-interview)
The band returned to the studio in late 2018, and the grief that followed the two deaths shaped its fourth album. *Death by Rock and Roll*, released February 12, 2021 on [Fearless Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless-records), topped album charts in 11 countries and yielded three #1 rock radio hits in the United States. According to the band's label, the record set the mark for the most #1 songs by any female-fronted rock act, solo or as a group.[3](https://fearlessrecords.com/artists/the-pretty-reckless/) A covers and alternate-versions collection, *Other Worlds*, followed on November 4, 2022.[9](https://fearlessrecords.com/releases/dear-god-2/)
## Dear God and recent activity
*[Dear God](https://www.edgepedia.org/dear-god-album)*, the band's fifth studio album and first in five years, arrived on June 26, 2026 via Fearless Records. The 14-track record includes the 2025 single "For I Am Death," the band's first new material since 2021, along with "When I Wake Up," the title track, and "About You." Momsen described the album as "one giant confession" of her life.[5](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/the-pretty-reckless-announce-fifth-album-dear-god) • [6](https://www.loudersound.com/features/taylor-momsen-the-big-metal-hammer-interview) Reviewers received it as the band's darkest work: Kerrang! scored it 4/5, calling it "darker than almost anything that's come before" and praising the title track and the acoustic-driven "Dragonfire."[10](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-the-pretty-reckless-dear-god)
The album cycle has kept the band on major stages. It supported AC/DC on the North American leg of the Power Up tour, and Momsen sang with Soundgarden at a [Seattle Seahawks](https://www.edgepedia.org/seattle-seahawks) halftime show.[11](https://www.loudersound.com/music/tracks-singles/theres-nothing-better-than-jamming-with-friends-the-pretty-reckless-launch-video-for-new-version-of-about-you-with-foo-fighters-dave-grohl-and-pat-smear) In October 2026 the band released a video for "About You (Bonus Version)," recorded with [Foo Fighters](https://www.edgepedia.org/foo-fighters) frontman [Dave Grohl](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-grohl) and guitarist Pat Smear, and prepared for a European leg of the Dear God tour beginning November 9, 2026 in Madrid.[11](https://www.loudersound.com/music/tracks-singles/theres-nothing-better-than-jamming-with-friends-the-pretty-reckless-launch-video-for-new-version-of-about-you-with-foo-fighters-dave-grohl-and-pat-smear)
## Sound and songwriting
The band's catalog balances classic hard rock with post-grunge, and its discography was written entirely by Momsen and Phillips.[3](https://fearlessrecords.com/artists/the-pretty-reckless/) *Who You Selling For* drew on blues references from 1968 to 1975, including nods to the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" and [The Zombies](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-zombies)' "Time of the Season," and included "Mad Love," written as a tribute to [David Bowie](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-bowie) after his death.[12](https://www.vogue.com/article/taylor-momsen-the-pretty-reckless-new-album) Momsen has cited seeing [The White Stripes](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-white-stripes) at age nine as a formative moment, alongside Led Zeppelin, The Who, Soundgarden, and Nirvana.[13](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/pretty-reckless/biography/)
## References
1. [The Pretty Reckless — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless-mn0001630569)
2. [The Pretty Reckless, Concord](https://concord.com/artist/the-pretty-reckless/)
3. [The Pretty Reckless, Fearless Records](https://fearlessrecords.com/artists/the-pretty-reckless/)
4. [Billboard, December 17, 2016 double issue, WorldRadioHistory archive](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2016/Billboard-2016-12-17-%28Double-Issue%29.pdf)
5. [The Pretty Reckless announce fifth album Dear God, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/the-pretty-reckless-announce-fifth-album-dear-god)
6. [Taylor Momsen interview, Metal Hammer via Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/features/taylor-momsen-the-big-metal-hammer-interview)
7. [The Pretty Reckless' Taylor Momsen cover story, Revolver](https://www.revolvermag.com/feature/the-pretty-reckless-taylor-momsen-2026-cover-story)
8. [An Interview with Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless, Harmonix Blog](https://www.harmonixmusic.com/blog/an-interview-with-taylor-momsen-of-the-pretty-reckless)
9. [Dear God, Fearless Records release page](https://fearlessrecords.com/releases/dear-god-2/)
10. [Album review: The Pretty Reckless – Dear God, Kerrang!](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-the-pretty-reckless-dear-god)
11. [The Pretty Reckless release video for About You with Dave Grohl and Pat Smear, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/music/tracks-singles/theres-nothing-better-than-jamming-with-friends-the-pretty-reckless-launch-video-for-new-version-of-about-you-with-foo-fighters-dave-grohl-and-pat-smear)
12. [How Taylor Momsen's The Pretty Reckless Became One of Rock's Most Exciting Young Bands, Vogue](https://www.vogue.com/article/taylor-momsen-the-pretty-reckless-new-album)
13. [The Pretty Reckless biography, Universal Music Japan](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/pretty-reckless/biography/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Rock, indie, and pop groups › Rock bands › Hard rock bands › 1990s and 2000s hard rock bands*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license