teenvogue.com:
From the second that Taylor Momsen takes the stage at the Annex, a small New York City rock club that typically hosts lesser-known acts with names like What Would Jesus Drive and Blood Feathers, it’s clear that the sixteen-year-old actress turned singer is extremely comfortable in her new role. Clad in a tiny off-white slip dress, she stalks confidently forward and starts growling, quite capably, into the mic; her powerhouse manner calls to mind both Karen O. and a young Courtney Love, and the inky-haired 20-something musicians who make up her band, the Pretty Reckless, look as though they can only just keep up.
Two days later, when Taylor sits down to discuss her “very different life” with Teen Vogue, the exhilaration hasn’t even begun to wear off: “I’ve always wanted to make music,” she explains. “I was literally humming melodies before I could talk.”
TEEN VOGUE: You seemed totally at home in front of that crowd the other night—is it true that, until recently, you’d never played a live show?
TAYLOR MOMSEN: The only other time I’ve been on a stage was when I starred as the Little Red Hen in the second grade. But my family used to play music and dance around in the basement every Saturday night. My sister and I even formed a band called Pink Boa—we’d put on tutus and masks, and I’d sing and play guitar and she’d play the drums. We knew two songs, “Seven Nation Army” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
TV: And you’ve been acting professionally for over a decade—that probably helps.
TM: Yeah, I kind of grew up in front of the camera: I started modeling when I was two. I was never pushed into it, but I never really chose it either. That’s why music is so different for me—I’ve known since I was little that this is what I want to do.
TV: Does that mean you’re finished with acting after Gossip Girl?
TM: It would be crazy to cut it out completely. And I love being on the show—I hope it goes on for a couple more years. But as for the future, I don’t know. I’m at a point now where I’m not doing anything just for money or fame.
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