The Pretty Reckless

The Pretty Reckless is an American rock band from New York City formed in 2009 around actress-turned-musician Taylor Momsen. After building her sound with producer Kato Khandwala and guitarist Ben Phillips, Momsen assembled the band and began performing small shows around the city before signing to Interscope Records. The lineup rounded out with bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins, giving the group a hard-edged, riff-driven identity rooted in classic and grunge-influenced rock.

Their 2010 debut album, Light Me Up, introduced the band with singles including «Make Me Wanna Die» and «Just Tonight», earning Momsen praise for a fierce, distinctive vocal presence in the alt-rock space. The follow-up, Going to Hell, released in 2014, marked a commercial breakthrough, debuting in the Billboard 200 top ten and cementing the band’s sound as heavier and more confident, drawing comparisons to 1990s grunge and hard rock while carving its own identity.

The band continued to build a catalog defined by dark, dramatic songwriting and Momsen’s commanding vocals, with later work including Death by Rock and Roll reflecting on loss and resilience. The Pretty Reckless established themselves as one of the more prominent hard rock acts to emerge from the 2010s, known for their raw live energy and consistent presence on rock radio charts.