The Pretty Reckless - Taylor Momsen [vocals, guitar], Ben Phillips [guitar, keys, piano], Mark Damon [bass], and Jamie Perkins [drums] - will release Other Worlds, a new collection of material, on November 4 via Fearless Records. Pre-order it here.
Today, the band share the visualizer for the acoustic version of "Harley Darling". Watch below. The Pretty Reckless dressed down this favorite from Death By Rock And Roll to its bare essence with a stirring and striking acoustic performance.
"'Harley Darling' is a love letter to Kato Khandwala," says Momsen. "It's as simple as that. So many of us have stories of losing loved ones, especially now, and I hope this song can be used in other's healing as it was in my own."
Since 2008, The Pretty Reckless have given rock 'n' roll the jumpstart it needed for a new generation. 2021's Death By Rock And Roll elevated them to rarified air. With its impact, the four-piece carved out a place in history as the first female-fronted band to have back-to-back No. 1 singles at the active rock format and the first female-fronted act to have seven No. 1 singles on the Billboard Rock Radio Chart. Beyond acclaim from various outlets, it bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart. It also notably boasted collaborations with legends such as Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil on "Only Love Can Save Me Now" and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello on "And So It Went."
Through and through, The Pretty Reckless didn't simply throw the rulebook out the window; they set the fucker on fire on the way down. Introducing a bold vision unlike anything else this era had seen, Momsen's bluesy seductive howl collided with revved-up and raucous rhythms, sweetly stoned melodies, and enough unpredictability in the studio and onstage to bring the danger back to rock 'n' roll. By sticking to their guns, the musicians reaped the rewards of such uncompromising fearlessness.
This boundlessness drives Other Worlds, where they deliver their first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers, and other reimaginings, covering new territory once more.
"For a long time, we've been trying to figure out an alternative way of releasing music, including songs we love that didn’t make our records, covers, and alternate versions," explains Momsen. "We found a way to do this coherently and consistently with Other Worlds. We're a rock band, so there are lots of electric guitars on our records. However, we've gotten incredible feedback from fans about our acoustic performances, and we'd never put those out in any real format. So, this is a different take on the traditional format of a record and a stripped back version of us that our fans haven't really heard before, but it's still us."
"You get to hear a different side of Taylor's vocals," adds Phillips. "It was a chance for us to see what she would sound like singing songs by people who have inspired us. It also gave us some perspective of where we need to go and what we need to be if we want to be that good."
The record collates striking acoustic renditions of personal favorites accompanied by some very special guests. The recording of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" served as Momsen's first cover originally performed for the Fearless at Home livestream in the midst of COVID. As another pandemic-era cover, Matt Cameron played guitar and sang as Taylor powered an airy and lithe reimagining of Soundgarden's "Halfway There" from King Animal, generating hundreds of thousands of views on its initial post. Iconic multi-instrumentalist, producer, and artist Alain Johannes handled guitar on The Pretty Reckless' pensive and poetic interpretation of "The Keeper," originally by Chris Cornell, while David Bowie pianist Mike Garson performed a stirring piano movement for The Thin White Duke's "Quicksand."
Tracklisting:
"Got So High" (Remix)
"Loud Love"
"The Keeper" (Feat. Alain Johannes)
"Quicksand" (Feat. Mike Garson)
"25" (Acoustic)
"Only Love Can Save Me Now" (Acoustic)
"Death By Rock and Roll" (Acoustic)
"Halfway There" (Feat. Matt Cameron)
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding"
"Harley Darling" (Acoustic)
"Got So High" (Album Version)
"Got So High" (Remix) visualizer:
"Got So High" (Album Version) video:
