Ever wonder what happens when an artist stops hiding? Not behind metaphors. Not behind carefully chosen lyrics. But the raw truth.
That’s exactly where Taylor Momsen went on The Pretty Reckless‘ new album Dear God. She told NME the record forced her to dig into the darkest parts of herself, and in the process, reignited the spark that first fuelled the band more than 15 years ago.
Released June 26, Dear God is the New York band’s fifth studio album and the follow-up to 2021’s Death By Rock And Roll. While grief, depression and healing continue to shape the songs, Momsen says this time the music comes from a place of acceptance rather than survival.
“There’s an extremely vulnerable and emotional side to this record, but also it’s incredibly heavy and aggressive at the same time,” she said. “It has done all the things that I wanted it to do, simply by tapping into the innermost, darkest corners of my mind.”
One song in particular hit differently.
Momsen said “Love Me” became one of the album’s defining moments because of how brutally honest it turned out to be.
“It was so blunt and direct,” she explained. “There was nothing drenched in metaphor. It’s one that is so deeply personal.”
Songwriting has long been her outlet. Momsen says she started writing when she was just five years old, discovering early that putting thoughts on paper became a way to process both life and the world around her.
“It can be like therapy sometimes,” she said. “Without it I don’t know who I’d be or where I’d be. It’s how I cope. It’s how I deal with everything.”
That honesty comes after years of personal loss, including the deaths of Chris Cornell and longtime producer Kato Khandwala. While Death By Rock And Roll captured the immediate aftermath of that grief, Momsen sees Dear God as the next chapter.
“The only way to move forward is to wear it all like a badge of honour and treat it like your superpower.”
She also believes the album reconnects the band with the same hunger they had on their 2010 debut Light Me Up.
“It feels like a new band,” Momsen said. “There’s a fire in all of us… it has been relit.”
That fire extends beyond the studio. With a major tour about to kick off, Momsen promises audiences something increasingly rare in modern rock.
“There will be no click track. It’s just the four of us on stage cranking amps and playing songs in a very organic and loud, real way.”
For Momsen, authenticity isn’t just a theme on Dear God. It’s the mission.
