Taylor Momsen , lead singer of The Pretty Reckless , participated in Lily Cornell 's Mind Wide Open Chris Cornell 's daughter . The show features special guests discussing mental health.
Momsen opened up about the loss of the Soundgarden , who committed suicide in 2017 after a long struggle with depression. The conversation was very intimate and emotional, with the two sharing experiences, feelings, and thoughts about the singer's death.
The singer also spoke about another recent loss she suffered, her best friend and producer Kato Khandwala, who passed away the year after Cornell. Momsen talks to Lily about how music helped her overcome the grief of losing her two friends.
“It’s a little bizarre talking to you, because it all started with your dad, when we lost him,” Taylor says in the interview. “We [The Pretty Reckless] opened for Soundgarden, which for me was a high point. Respect isn’t the right word; I love your dad, I love their music, I love Soundgarden so much and I still don’t know how to put it into words. Touring with them was the greatest honor of my life. But obviously, it ended tragically.”
She explains that Khandwala's death in 2018 delayed the recovery process: “I was getting back into writing songs and had two that I was really proud of writing. So I called our producer Kato, who is much more than just our producer; he was my best friend, almost a fifth member of the band… The Pretty Reckless wouldn't exist if we hadn't met Kato.”
"As soon as we started making plans, I received a call that Kato had died in a motorcycle accident. That devastated me; from then on, it was all downhill. I became depressed, and this black hole had no light, and I couldn't see a way out."
She then recounts how she became so sad she couldn't even listen to music, but then listening to music she listened to as a child helped, like The Beatles . The experience of grief, loss, and depression were themes of her recent album, Death By Rock And Roll.
Taylor concludes by emphasizing the importance of talking about mental health and how it impacts the healing process. "Talking to people about mental health is the first step toward healing."
Since her father's death, Lily Cornell has become increasingly involved in the conversation about mental health, working to raise awareness and educate people about mental illness. A new episode of Mind Wide Open is released every Tuesday on IGTV , YouTube , Apple Music , and Spotify . The episode featuring Taylor Momsen marks the 26th episode of the show, which features artists and healthcare professionals. Watch the full episode with The Pretty Reckless vocalist below and click here to listen to the episode with Eddie Vedder.
