The Pretty Reckless 's lead singer , Taylor Momsen , shared her thoughts on the gender divide in the music industry, and specifically in rock music.
In an interview with The Forty-Five , the artist was asked about the track "And So It Went," a collaboration with Tom Morello , and the yet-to-be-released "Witches Burn," both part of the band's new album, Death By Rock And Roll , and which deal with a common theme: being heard in an industry dominated by men. With that in mind, is there anything about her experience in this field that she would change?
“I’ve certainly had a fair share of messed up encounters, but I wouldn’t generalize that ‘that’s just how things are’,” she states. “People have been telling me for years that there’s misogyny and sexism in music. I think the older I get, the more I can look back on certain situations… Maybe someone said something to me that I took as a compliment at the time, and I look back and realize it was a misogynistic comment…”
“I’m a nutcase – I don’t know what I’m doing half the time!” she continues. “My idols were men, and it’s not because they were men; it’s just because they wrote the best songs. I grew up adoring John Lennon and the Beatles , and Chris Cornell and Soundgarden – it’s not because of what was going on in their pants, it’s because I connected with what they were saying and what they were expressing.”
“You should judge music simply by which is the best song/who is the best vocalist. It shouldn’t have anything to do with your sex or gender… Good people are good people, and good musicians are good musicians – it’s that simple,” she concludes.
The Pretty Reckless: Death By Rock and Roll
01. Death By Rock and Roll
02. Only Love Can Save Me Now (feat. Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron)
03. And So It Went (feat. Tom Morello)
04. 25
05. My Bones
06. Got So High
07. Broomsticks
08. Witches Burn
09. Standing at the Wall
10. Turning Gold
11. Rock and Roll Heaven
12. Harley Darling
READ ALSO: Taylor Momsen, from The Pretty Reckless, reveals details of her last conversation with Chris Cornell
