Taylor Momsen recently shared her reasons for releasing a rock version of “Where Are You Christmas?” in an interview with Kerrang!.
Momsen explained that the idea came during a difficult time for her band, The Pretty Reckless, and the world at large. She also noted the overwhelming fan demand for a rock rendition of the song.
“Everything was very bleak. We had gone through a lot of loss. The world was shut down. Everyone was having a very hard time, both personally in our camp and in the world in general,” Momsen said. “It got to Christmas time, and I started to see all these comments again. For some reason—maybe because everyone was stuck at home—there were more of them than ever. Everywhere I looked online, there was this abundance of, ‘Do a rock version of Where Are You Christmas?'”
Momsen described how the band approached the idea with an open mind. “What’s the worst thing that could happen? We play it once and say, ‘Never mind.’ By the end of the song, four very, very miserable people had giant grins on our faces—stupid grins—and we were laughing and having a great time. We all turned to each other and went, ‘I think that might have been magic.'”
Reflecting on her connection to the song, Momsen recalled her first experience recording it as a child. “When I did that, I was five or six years old. When I sang that song, it was my first time in a recording studio. I didn’t realize at the time how much that whole experience would end up shaping my life. You don’t think about those things when you’re a kid. But being in the studio for the first time, working with James Horner, and getting my first taste of studio training—hearing my voice come through a microphone and headphones with compression—that whole experience was really impactful on me. It kind of set the course for the rest of my future, unbeknownst to me, in this very odd way.”
Momsen’s decision to revisit the song in a new style has resonated with fans, offering a fresh take on a beloved classic.
You can listen to The Pretty Reckless’ rock version of “Where Are You Christmas?” via YouTube below.
