Actress Momsen wants to focus on music

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Taylor Momsen says she is giving up acting so she can focus on her music career.

Momsen, 18, until recently co-starred on the TV series "Gossip Girl." She also sings with the band Pretty Reckless.

"I quit 'Gossip Girl' and now tour and am in a band," she told Elle magazine. "That's pretty much all I want to do. Hopefully, I'll be able to only do that for the rest of my life."

UsMagazine.com said the announcement isn't much of a surprise since she hinted at the career move as early as this past spring.

Music "is all I ever wanted to do with my life," she told UsMagazine.com in April. "I wanted to make records and tour, so it's very exciting that our first record is coming out and people can actually hear it."