- Our next guest has been in our lives
since she was a little girl,
with movies like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
and shows like "Gossip Girl."
She's also a very talented musician,
her band is called The Pretty Reckless.
They are nominated for two iHeartRadio Awards.
They are the only female-fronted band nominated
in their categories,
and their latest album hit number one on the rock charts,
which is so cool for a chick, I'm just saying.
It's called "Death by Rock and Roll."
Let's say hello to Taylor Momsen, everybody!
(upbeat music)
Hi!
- Hey Kelly, how are you?
- I am so good!
I am so proud of you, I don't even know you,
but that was so cool on the rock charts!
That rarely happens for women, let's be real.
- Unfortunately, yeah, rare. - [Kelly] A rarity.
- And I believe "Death by Rock and Roll,"
we actually just set an,
well, "Death by Rock and Roll" the single,
went number one, which is crazy in Covid,
to put out a song and have it go number one
and not be able to play it live.
- Yeah.
- And then, our latest single "And So It Went"
which features the amazing Tom Morello
also just reached number one,
so I believe that makes it our sixth number one single
at the rock format, which-- - [Kelly] What?!
- So, yeah, I think we're breaking records, I think we,
not to like tout myself-- - I'm so sorry for you!
You're not even able to, like, play this,
like the energy when you get a number one song
and you're playing live.
I'm so sorry, that sucks, Covid! Yeah.
- Well, yeah. You know, but what're you gonna do?
We're all in the same boat. - [Kelly] Yeah!
- We're just hanging in, being patient,
and just so thankful and so grateful to all the fans
and everyone who's listened,
and radio stations and everyone who's played it,
like it's just absolutely incredible to see it.
And I've now, I'm trying to become like a tech-type person,
I'm still really bad at it, if I'm being honest.
But I've now discovered that there's these things
called reaction videos online--
- [Kelly] Yeah!
- Where you can, like, watch people videotape themselves
listening to a song, or your song for the first time.
And it's not even about what they say,
but watching their face as they listen to it
I found very enjoyable.
And so in lieu of a massive audience in front of you,
that's been something that's become a hobby of mine.
- It's the next best thing, yeah!
It feels like it's like, okay, people are listening to it,
it's like a show of some form in my head, in my brain movie.
But what was the process like for this album?
Was it different than recording the other albums?
- I mean it was different, yeah,
it was different in a lot of ways.
I mean, not to get too heavy,
but we went through a lot of loss in the past few years.
So to, sorry, to make a very long story short,
I fell very dark into a hole of depression
and everything that comes with loss and trauma and grief,
and I wasn't really sure how to get out of it,
and, really, as cliche as it may sound, it was music.
Music was the thing that really brought me back to life,
and brought the sparkle back into my eyes.
- [Kelly] It's therapeutic.
- Super therapeutic, and the writing of the record,
it just, like, the floodgates opened
and this record kind of wrote itself
whether I wanted it to or not.
I didn't really have a choice in the matter.
And I wasn't even thinking about recording it
or putting it out, I wasn't thinking that far ahead.
It just flowed,
and I think that makes for something that's really special.
And, even the title, "Death by Rock and Roll"
which I know can sound very morbid to a lot of people
just because of the title, just because of the word 'death,'
is not, like, "Death by Rock and Roll" was this motto,
and this ethic, and this lifestyle,
that was like, live your life by,
of live life your own way, go out your own way,
don't let anyone tell you differently,
don't let anyone tell you how to live, like, freedom.
So it was very much like a battle cry for life itself.
And so, that phrase just started to resonate in my head
in a way that I couldn't ignore, I guess,
and in a new way, I guess.
You know, I hope people can relate to that,
and maybe kind of find some solace in it
the same way I found solace
in the records that I grew up loving and listening to,
and finding that comfort, and knowing that you're not alone.
- Absolutely! Yeah, knowing that you're not alone.
- And things do get better.
- Yeah. Well thank you so much, Taylor!
It's great to meet you!
I cannot wait to hear this whole record.