TAYLOR MOMSEN Explains Why THE PRETTY RECKLESS Doesn't Use Backing Tapes Or Rely On Click Tracks During Live Performances

In a new interview with Thomas Moser of Germany's Rock Antenne, THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen spoke about her band's refusal to use backing tracks or rely on click tracks in their live performances and concerts. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Like anyone, I love what I love, and I love classic rock and I love all the '90s stuff, and I love authentic playing. We don't use the computer or anything like that to enhance anything. The computer is simply a tape machine; it is simply recording. There's no tuning. There's no fixing of anything. It's about capturing a performance, because that, to me, is what is authentic. As soon as you manipulate something, you're taking the human out of it, and I just don't see the point. I understand that there's a lot of music that does do that, but that's not what I aim to make ever. I'm trying to capture being as vulnerable and bare and raw and honest as I humanly can be. 'Cause I think that's the thing that is gonna connect to people at the end of the day, and that's how I want to emote myself. And also when we get on stage, we turn up."

She added: "It's fun playing music with your friends. And there is no production, there is no tracks, there's no click track — there's none of that. It's just the four of us on stage. We turn up, and every night's different, and it's exciting."

After Moser noted that this approach "is so rare nowadays" because so many musicians "aim for perfection", Taylor said: "I think the perfection is in the imperfection. That's the human quality that can't be emulated, and that's the magic. That's what you're striving for."

Thomas went on to say that THE PRETTY RECKLESS "must have a thousand young girls or boys or listeners" that come to her and the rest of the band and comment on the fact their approach is more stripped down and bare than what they are accustomed to seeing. "Yeah, I guess I never even thought of it that way," Taylor admitted. "Our fans, I think, know what they're getting with us at this point. We just did a very small club show in London at the Underworld, and we pulled from all aspects of our career, and it was very fun, and I feel very fortunate to have... that we have a fanbase that likes — it seems to, at least — that likes everything we do. And they actually listen to the full record. I'm old school in that way. I make an album, and the album says everything. It's hard for me to cherry-pick songs out of that. They all stand on their own, of course, but you're not getting the complete story, you're not getting the complete picture, I don't think, in the modern paradigm. So it's very rewarding to have a fanbase that understands that, I think, and cares about everything equally."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS's fifth studio album, "Dear God", will arrive on June 26 via Fearless Records.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS will bring its stage performance to fans across the world with the band's all-new headlining "Dear God" tour. The trek will kick off in North America this summer, making stops in New Orleans, Dallas, and Los Angeles before wrapping in Europe. This tour follows THE PRETTY RECKLESS's incredible two-year long trek across the globe alongside AC/DC on the "Power Up" tour.

This upcoming marquee year follows a remarkable 12 months for THE PRETTY RECKLESS, which included an acclaimed performance at the prestigious 2026 MusiCares Person Of The Year Gala, where Taylor honored the legendary Mariah Carey alongside the FOO FIGHTERS, as well as a performance at the 2025 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame where Taylor performed with SOUNDGARDEN for their induction. Additionally, the band released their holiday EP "Taylor Momsen's Pretty Reckless Christmas", which features the revamped "Where Are You Christmas?" — the lead single hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, reigniting over two decades of global fandom and nostalgia.