THE PRETTY RECKLESS's TAYLOR MOMSEN Explains 'Death By Rock And Roll' Cover Artwork

THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen spoke to the 104.9 The X radio station about the band's fourth album, "Death By Rock And Roll". Asked what the "goal" was with the LP's cover artwork, Momsen said (see video below): "It's a lot of goals. The first thing was, 'We need to make something that's as bold as the [album's title track].' So that was the first thought. We shot it in New York, actually, right before quarantine started, so luckily we got this photo shoot in, and I got out of New York kind of right in time; it was kind of fortuitous timing. And we filmed it with Danny Hastings, who's a good friend of mine, a great photographer. He's the guy who actually shot the 'Going To Hell' cover as well, so it was great to work with him again. He's so fun to work with, just because he's such an artist's artist, so he takes my vision and just does everything he can to see it through."

She continued: "There's a lot of weight behind this image in the sense that it's paying a lot of homage to lost friends and such, and there's a lot of little hidden Easter eggs inside it that people might not notice yet but will make a lot more sense when the full record's out. But it was kind of a departure for us to do something so, I guess, bold, for the lack of a better word, where it's kind of almost an '80s throwback, which isn't really my thing, but it was kind of in memory of [THE PRETTY RECKLESS's longtime producer] Kato [Khandwala], who loved all that stuff. There's a whole bunch of personal meanings to it. But we just made something bold and rock and roll and something that's thrown in your face. [Laughs]"

Momsen also explained that "Death By Rock And Roll" was never meant to be a morbid song.

"'Death By Rock And Roll' is kind of our battle cry for rock and roll," she said. "It's our rock and roll anthem. To me, rock and roll represents freedom, and it always has. Rock and roll, it's a lifestyle, it's an ethic, it's a mentality, it's a religion — it's everything. So it's live your life your own way, live it how you want, and go out your own way, and don't let anyone tell you different. It's kind of a statement of 'Death By Rock And Roll' — is freedom."

"Death By Rock And Roll" will be released in early 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world. The title track was made available in May.

Momsen recently confirmed in an interview that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello guests on "Death By Rock And Roll". Morello appears on a track called "And So It Went".

Morello joins previously announced guests Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron from SOUNDGARDEN. The song with Cameron and Thayil, called "Only Love Can Save Me Now", was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down.