The Pretty Reckless Talk ‘Going to Hell,’ Connecting With Fans + More
The Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen, drummer Jamie Perkins and guitarist Ben Phillips recently met up with Full Metal Jackie during the Loudwire Nights host's trip to Rock on the Range. The three spoke about their newest album, 'Going to Hell,' the first time they realized their music connected with people and more.
I know you guys have played festivals all around the world. What do you think is special about Rock on the Range?
Taylor Momsen: Rock on the Range last year was the first time we've ever played it and it was really a massive turning point for this band our the career in America. It's great to be back this year; earlier set, which for a rock band who's been on tour sucks, but at the same time, great f---in' crowd. It's an awesome time and I'm psyched to be back here again.
Jamie Perkins: It really was like a launching pad. It's awesome.
TM: You always hear about that, that there's the one show that defines a band. I'm not saying it defined us, but in some aspects that show last year was really a launching pad. I'll steal your phrase, because it was.
Tell me what needs to happen for the proposed acoustic album to be made.
TM: Well, we need to get off tour. [Laughs] Really, we just haven't had the time to do it and the idea seemed really awesome at the time and now we've been on tour for so long with these same songs that… I'm not saying it won't happen, but it might be a different arrangement of songs, a little bit more broad. We're starting to write for the next record so we're already moving forward. It still might happen, it just might not be exactly what I said it would be originally.
JP: It's my fault because I can't pick the right djembe.
Tell me what made you guys realize that The Pretty Reckless was really starting to connect with people.
Ben Phillips: Seven years ago, somewhere in Eastern Europe, some kids liked us.
TM: That's kind of a true story. [Laughs] The first record did really well overseas so we toured the world for what, six years? It did really well there. It never really broke in America and never really was put out here. Then we made Going to Hell and didn't actually know if that was going to come out here or anywhere, and it did. [Laughs] It's apparently done really well, and it's exciting and at the same time it kind of feels like we're doing what we love, so there is no change even though there's a change. Just the crowds get kind of bigger. You're still on tour, you're still doing the same thing. Our life hasn't really changed at all.
BP: So there's no change, but change.
TM: How about this: The change is we no longer have to fly across the world to play to big crowds. We can now play to big crowds in America in a tour bus and not have to get on a plane which we're all down with.
Talking about the success with Going to Hell, how has it changed what the next album should be like?
TM: It hasn't. We write music because we like writing music. We are in a band because we like playing in a band. We make the music we want to make and we hope that if it actually comes out into the world, people will like it as well, but it's really not the priority. The priority is that we like it.
BP: There's a famous interview conglomerate that happens in A Hard Days Night by the Beatles where someone asks, "Has success changed your life?" And he just says, "Yes." Kind of the true answer.
TM: Yeah, but really it's no.
Many thanks to The Pretty Reckless for the interview. Loudwire Nights With Full Metal Jackie & Tony LaBrie can be heard on radio stations around the country — for a full list of stations, go here.
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The Pretty Reckless Play "Going to Hell" (Acoustic)