'I Make Music Because I Have To' — Taylor Momsen Opens Up About the Pretty Reckless' New Album

On Thursday (April 2), Loudwire Nights featured an exclusive conversation between Loudwire's Lauryn Schaffner and Taylor Momsen of the Pretty Reckless.

Diving into their next studio album, Dear God, Momsen also celebrated the Pretty Reckless' latest single, "When I Wake Up," dove into her love of rock and roll and much more.

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

"We ended up recording the album, long story short, in-between AC/DC tours, which was a new kind of experience for us, going back toward something that is familiar with old material and performing with AC/DC and then going back and diving into the next phase of our life," Momsen shared with Lauryn on Loudwire Nights.

"It's been interesting and it feels really, really great to have all of this be, now, current ... It feels great to have the new album have a release date and it's coming out into the world and new songs are starting to emerge and we can start working that into the set."

In addition to being excited to release a new album, Momsen admitted there is a lot that she's proud of on Dear God.

"I keep using the phrase, [but] it feels so muck like me," she shared.

"This album has, it has an honesty and a brutality to it that is something that I'm really proud of. It almost has this feel of it [being] directly ripped out of my diary. You're really getting the inside of how my mind works on this one."

As Lauryn talked about the imagery and teaser clips for the album — like talking about confession — Momsen opened up about how important this music is to her.

"Songwriting is everything," she said.

"Songwriting feels like confession and therapy and terror and your worst nightmare and the greatest dream — it's all of the things. It's the thing that I would consider myself first and foremost. I'm a singer, yes. I'm a performer, I play guitar, I'm all those things, but I'm a songwriter first. Because without a song and without that outlet, I wouldn't know who I am at all as a human being. It's the most important thing. It's the only thing."

READ MORE: The Warning Celebrate Their Latest Song + Dive Into the Journey That Has Led Them Here — Interview

Dear God comes out on June 26 and Momsen shared that she has a hard time talking about the album because she wants her fans to listen to it in its entirety. Rather than give away details or surprises, she is waiting for it to be out in the world so the listener can make the songs their own.

"There is a raw quality to this album," she added.

"There is a little less, I don't know what the right word is, I don't want to say less metaphor, but a little less ambiguity to it in one way that I think creates something really powerful."

What Else Did the Pretty Reckless' Taylor Momsen Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• How she ended up performing with Foo Fighters to honor Mariah Carey at the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year gala: "It was a random call. Pat [Smear] called me and left a message and he goes, 'Hey, I have a favor to ask you, it involves Mariah Carey, call me back.' What does that mean? So I call him back and he proceeds to tell me, he goes, 'She's getting honored this year at MusiCares and she has this secret grunge record,' which I had actually, strangely, had heard about and was familiar with. And he goes, 'We want you to sing, we want you to front the Foo Fighters and do these songs with us.' And he sent me the songs and I took a listen and it was kind of an easy 'yes', this is going to be a totally good time. I love the Foos so much. We've been friends for years ... It provided some much needed levity and it was just fun. It was a very fun experience."
• What it's like being the 'go to' singer for grunge bands like Foo Fighters and Soundgarden: "I haven't really thought of it like that, but now that you point it out...I've been doing this awhile. And you know, I've become friends with these guys. I got a call and it's my friend Pat calling me and friends like to play music with other friends. That's what it's all about at the end of the day. It's fun ... At the end of the day, playing music with friends is fun, so when they call you up, you go, 'Hell yeah.'"
• Why she enjoys living in the chaos as a touring and recording artist: "I think I kind of thrive in it. I'm learning that about myself. But at the same time, I need isolation in order to reflect and write. It's about finding that balance of being fully in it and in that whirlwind, but then knowing when to step away from it as well to regroup and find yourself again...to reflect on everything you've just done in order to move forward."

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Taylor Momsen joined Loudwire Nights on Thursday, April 2; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.