Paramore is an Americanrock band formed inFranklin, Tennessee, in 2004. Since 2017, the band's lineup includes lead vocalistHayley Williams, lead guitaristTaylor York, and drummerZac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, while York, a high school friend of the original lineup, joined in 2007. The band has had multiple lineup changes, with Williams being the only constant member.
The band was signed toFueled by Ramen, a subsidiary ofAtlantic Records (which is owned byWarner Music Group.) Williams was signed to Atlantic separately, as she wasscouted when she was a teenager. They were the only label to let her stay in the band instead of going solo, but Atlantic said the rest of the band had to sign to Fueled by Ramen.[1] The group's debut album,All We Know Is Falling (2005), reached number 30 onBillboard'sHeatseekers Chart in 2006 and number four on theUK Rock Chart in 2009.
Following the departure of Zac andJosh Farro in 2010, the band released theirself-titled fourth album in 2013.Paramore gave the band their first number one album on the USBillboard 200 and was also the number one album in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.[5] It included the singles "Still Into You" and "Ain't It Fun", with the latter winning theGrammy Award for Best Rock Song for Williams and York as songwriters, making it Paramore's firstGrammy win.[6][7] The band's lineup changed once again after this album, with bassistJeremy Davis leaving the band near the end of 2015 and former drummer Zac Farro rejoining the band in 2017. Their fifth and sixth studio albums,After Laughter andThis Is Why, were released in May 2017[8] and February 2023, respectively, to critical acclaim.
History
2002–2004: Formation and early years
In 2002, at age 13, vocalistHayley Williams moved from her hometownMeridian, Mississippi, toFranklin, Tennessee,[9][10] where she met brothers Josh Farro and Zac Farro at a weekly supplemental program for home-schooled students.[9][10][11] Shortly after arriving, she began taking vocal lessons with Brett Manning.[9][12] Prior to forming Paramore, Williams and bassist Jeremy Davis, along with friend Kimee Read, took part in afunk cover band called the Factory, while Josh and Zac Farro had practiced together after school.[9][13][14] The other members of what was soon to be Paramore had been "edgy about the whole female thing" of having Williams as vocalist, but, because they were good friends, she started writing for them.[15] Williams said of the members when she first met them, "They were the first people I met who were as passionate about music as I was."[16]
Williams was originally signed to Atlantic Records as a solo artist in 2003.[9] She had been introduced to Atlantic A&R Tom Storms by Kent Marcus and Jim Zumwalt, lawyers of managers Dave Steunebrink and Richard Williams, and then eventually signed to Atlantic byJason Flom.[17] Steunebrink and Richard Williams had originally discovered and signed her to a production deal that was later bought out by Atlantic.[17] The original plan of the label was to turn her into a pop singer, but Williams resisted, saying that she wanted to play alternative rock music with a band.[17] In an interview withHitQuarters the band's A&R at Atlantic, Steve Robertson, said, "She wanted to make sure that we didn't look at her as some straight to Top 40 pop princess. She wanted to make sure that she and her band got the chance to show what they can do as a rock band writing their own songs."[18] Label president Julie Greenwald and the label staff decided to go with her wishes. The original management team for the band was Dave Steunebrink,Creed managerJeff Hanson, and Hanson's assistant Mark Mercado.[17]
The band was officially formed byJosh Farro (lead guitar/backing vocals),Zac Farro (drums), Davis (bass guitar) and Williams (lead vocals) in 2004,[9][10] with the later addition of Williams' neighbor Jason Bynum (rhythm guitar).[13] When Davis showed up, he was stunned to find out the drummer was only fourteen years old. He admitted "I had very, very, very, little faith in everyone in the band because of their age. I remember thinking, 'This is not going to work because this kid is way too young,' but that first day of practice was amazing. I knew we were on to something."[16] According to Williams, the name "Paramore" came from themaiden name of the mother of one of their first bass players.[12] Once the group learned the meaning of the homophoneparamour ('secret lover'), they decided to adopt the name, using theParamore spelling.[15]
Paramore was originally supposed to release their music on Atlantic Records, but the label's marketing department decided it would be better for the image of the band to not have them attached to a major label. Instead, they released their music through the niche labelFueled by Ramen.[17]Lyor Cohen, the head ofWarner Music Group, had already identified Fueled by Ramen as a label they should partner with. It was decided the rock label would make an ideal match for Paramore.[18] According to Robertson, when the band was presented to Fueled by Ramen's CEO John Janick, "he got the vision of the band immediately."[18] Janick went to aTaste of Chaos performance inOrlando, Florida, to see the band perform live. In April 2005, after a smaller private performance at a warehouse, the band was signed to Atlantic Records and Fueled By Ramen.[18][19]
The band's first song written together was "Conspiracy", which was later used on their debut album. At this time, they were touring the Southeast, usually being driven by Williams' parents. She commented that "Back then, I guess we were all thinking, after school, we'll go to the house and practice. It was what we loved to do for fun, and still do! I don't think any of us really knew this would turn out to be what it's become."[16]
Paramore traveled back to Orlando, Florida,[20] but shortly after arriving, Jeremy Davis left the band, citing personal reasons. The remaining four members of Paramore continued with the album, writing "All We Know" about his departure, and later deciding to baseAll We Know Is Falling around the concept. The album artwork also reflected Paramore's grief, as Hayley Williams explains, "The couch on the cover ofAll We Know is Falling with no one there and the shadow walking away; it's all about Jeremy leaving us and us feeling like there's an empty space."[19]
Before touring, the band added John Hembree (bass) to their lineup to replace Davis.[21] During that summer, Paramore was featured on theShiragirl stage of the 2005Warped Tour.[19] After being asked by the band, Jeremy Davis returned to Paramore after five months apart, replacing Hembree.[22]All We Know Is Falling was released on July 26, 2005,[23] and reached No. 30 onBillboard's Heatseekers Chart.[24] Paramore released "Pressure" as its first single, with a video directed byShane Drake, but the song failed to chart. The video featured the band performing in a warehouse, eventually getting sprayed with water sprinklers as the storyline of a conflicted couple occurs. In July, "Emergency" was released as the second single, the video again reuniting the band with director Shane Drake and featuring Hunter Lamb (rhythm guitar), who replaced Jason Bynum in December 2005.[10] The video for "Emergency" showcased Paramore in another performance, this time fixing the members' bloody costumes. The third single, "All We Know", was released with limited airtime, with the video consisting of a collection of live performances and backstage footage. After the band's later success,All We Know Is Falling and "Pressure" were certifiedGold by theRIAA.[25]
During the summer of 2006, Paramore played a portion of Warped Tour, primarily on theVolcom andHurley Stages.[30] During the band's time at Warped Tour, they releasedThe Summer Tic EP, which was sold exclusively during the tour.[31][32] Paramore's first US headlining tour began on August 2, 2006, to a sold-out audience[33] with support fromThis Providence,Cute Is What We Aim For, andHit the Lights.[34] That year they were voted "Best New Band", and Hayley Williams was voted as No. 2 "Sexiest Female", by readers of the British magazineKerrang!.[35]
In 2007, Lamb left the group to get married, and Paramore continued onward as a quartet.[10] Paramore was then named by British magazineNME as one of ten bands to watch out for in their "New Noise 2007" feature.[35] Paramore was featured inKerrang! magazine once more; however, Hayley Williams believed the article was an untrue portrayal of the band, particularly because it focused on her as the main component. Afterwards, Williams addressed the issue in the band'sLiveJournal, with a post saying, "we could've done without a cover piece. sorry, if it offends anyone at Kerrang! but I don't think there was one bit of truth in that article."[36] In April, Hayley Williams' vocals were featured in "Then Came To Kill" bythe Chariot.[37] They headlined a tour in April through May 2007 withThis Providence,the Almost, and Love Arcade. The Almost and Love Arcade were replaced byQuietdrive for the second half of the tour.[38][39]
Paramore performing at the 2007Vans Warped Tour in Camden, New Jersey
Before work began on the band's next album, Davis was expelled from the band due to "his lack of work ethic and participation in things that Zac, Hayley and I didn't agree with", according to Josh Farro. After an agreement involving the remaining three members, Davis was reinstated as bassist, andTaylor York became the band's new guitarist.[20] York had been in a band with the Farro brothers before the two met Williams.[33]
After being courted by producers Neal Avron andHoward Benson,[40] Paramore opted to record the album with producer David Bendeth inNew Jersey, who had previously worked withYour Vegas andBreaking Benjamin.[41] The album, titledRiot!, was released on June 12, 2007,[33][42][43] entering theBillboard 200 at number 20 and the UK charts at number 24.[44] The album sold 44,000 units its first week in the United States.[33] The nameRiot! had been chosen because it meant "a sudden outburst of uncontrolled emotion", and it was a word that "summed it all up".[40] "Misery Business" was released as the first single from the album.[45] According to when discussing what Misery Business was about, Williams stated, "When I was 13 or 14 and I had a crush on Josh, he didn't like me back," Williams said. "He would go hang out with his girlfriend, who I wrote 'Misery Business' about because I was a dick."[45] In the summer of 2007, Paramore participated in their third Warped Tour, and they posted journals of their experiences on yourhereblog for MTV.[46]
On October 11, 2007, the music video for "Crushcrushcrush" debuted on the United States television as the next single fromRiot!. The video for "Crushcrushcrush" featured the band playing a performance in a barren desert, being spied upon, and later destroying their equipment. The single was released in the United States on November 19 and made available in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2007.[47] Hayley Williams recorded guest vocals for the tracks "The Church Channel" and "Plea" for theSay Anything concept albumIn Defense of the Genre,[48] released on October 23, 2007. The group performed live in an acoustic style inBoston on November 29, 2007, for FNX Radio.[49] On December 31, 2007, Paramore performed on theMTVNew Year's Eve program which ran from 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.[50][51]
Paramore was featured on the cover of February 2008 issue ofAlternative Press magazine and voted "Best Band Of 2007" by the readers.[52] The band was nominated for "Best New Artist" at the50th Annual Grammy Awards, presented on February 10, 2008.[2] Early 2008 saw Paramore touring the United Kingdom, supporting their albumRiot!, along withNew Found Glory.[53] In early February 2008, the band began a tour in Europe;[54] however, on February 21, 2008, the band announced that they had canceled six shows due to personal issues. Williams wrote on the band's web site that "the break will give that band 'a chance to get away and work out our personal issues'". MTV.com reported that fans of Paramore were speculating about the future of the band and reported rumors of trouble had begun earlier in the month, when Josh Farro expressed his anger against the media's focus on Hayley Williams.[55] The band, however, returned to their hometown to record the music video for the fourth single "That's What You Get", which was then released on March 24, 2008.[56]
The band toured withJimmy Eat World in the United States in April and May 2008.[57][58] The band headlined theGive it a Name festival in the United Kingdom on May 10 and 11, 2008.[59] Paramore played their first Ireland show at theRDS inDublin on June 2, 2008,[60] followed by the 2008Vans Warped Tour from July 1–6.[61] Starting on July 28, Paramore embarked on a tour named "The Final Riot!".[60] They were joined byJack's Mannequin,Phantom Planet, andPaper Route on the tour.[60] The band released a live album namedThe Final Riot! on November 25, 2008.[62] The album includes a bonus DVD with a full concert recorded inChicago, as well as a behind the scenes documentary.[63] As of April 9, 2009,The Final Riot! is certified gold in the United States.[64]
2009–2011:Brand New Eyes, departure of the Farros, andSingles Club
In September 2008, Williams announced that the band were planning on releasing their third studio album in summer 2009.[65] On November 18, 2008, the band announced they were in the process of writing their next album.[66]
Paramore spent six weeks in pre-production at Emac Studios in their hometown ofFranklin, the first time they had undergone pre-production without the guidance of aproducer.[67] The band was visited by record producerRob Cavallo who reassured the band that they were on the right track.[68] The band subsequently felt that the album and that their new material had the potential to surpass the success of their previous work.[69] The band originally planned to record inNashville,[70] but ended up recording inCalabasas, California, with Cavallo in March 2009.[71] The first single from the album was "Ignorance" and was released July 7, 2009.[72] Paramore was the special guest withBedouin Soundclash,The Sounds andJanelle Monáe at theNo Doubt Summer Tour 2009, starting in May 2009 in outdoor amphitheaters and arenas across the US and Canada.[73][74] The official music video for "Ignorance" aired on all MTV platforms, networks, and websites on August 13, 2009.[75][76] Paramore, along withPaper Route andThe Swellers, toured in support ofBrand New Eyes in the fall of 2009.[77] Some tour dates were postponed due to Hayley Williams becoming infected withlaryngitis.[78][79] "Brick By Boring Brick", "The Only Exception", "Careful" and "Playing God" were the album's following singles.[80][81][82][83] To promote the album, the band recorded a performance forMTV Unplugged.[84]
Paramore then played a sold out 15-date European tour withYou Me At Six,Paper Route and Now Now Every Children.[85] Their stadium tour culminated at London'sWembley Arena, to an audience of 12,500.[86] The band performed in 2010 in theAustralianSoundwave Festival along with bands such asFaith No More,AFI,You Me at Six,All Time Low,A Day to Remember, andTaking Back Sunday.[87] Shortly before the tour, lead guitarist Josh Farro announced that he was engaged and stayed behind to plan his wedding.[88] Justin York, brother of Taylor York, filled in for him on the tour.[88] The band, with Farro returned, embarked on a spring tour of the U.S. in late April.[88] The band headlined the 2010Honda Civic Tour, which began on July 23 in Raleigh, NC and closed on September 19 in Anaheim, CA.[89][90] After a short United Kingdom tour in November 2010,[91] the band announced, on December 2, 2010, the official dates for a South American tour to take place during February and March 2011.[92] The band were set to take a break after their South American Tour in 2011 to write for their fourth studio album.[93]
On December 18, 2010, a message was released through Paramore.net stating that Josh and Zac Farro were leaving the band.[94][95] The band also confirmed the scheduled South American tour would still happen.[94] Josh Farro wrote a statement on the departure on hisBlogger, claiming that the band was "a manufactured product of amajor-label". He accused Hayley Williams of being manipulated by her management, treating the rest of the group as hersolo project, and claimed she was the only member of the band who was signed toAtlantic Records, while her bandmates were simply "riding on the coattails of her dream".[96][97][98] On December 30, 2010,MTV News interviewed Williams, York and Davis inFranklin, Tennessee, regarding their reactions to Farro's response.[99] The band members confirmed many of Farro's statements, notably that Williams was indeed the only member of the band actually signed to Atlantic. They added that they felt the statement was irrelevant, and claimed they had addressed many of the Farro's critiques already throughout the course of their career.[100]
On January 10, 2011, in an interview with MTV, Hayley Williams said that despite the band losing two of its founding members, they would release new music in 2011, although they had not confirmed if it would be a full album for release or just a small number of songs.[101] The singer also admitted that Paramore's style was likely to change with the new lineup, but clarified that the band would still retain their core signature sound.[101] Paramore later confirmed they were entering a studio in Los Angeles with producerRob Cavallo to record what would be theSingles Club.[102]
On June 3, 2011, Paramore released the single "Monster", featured on theTransformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack.[103][104][105] This is the first song that the band released without the Farro brothers.[103][104][105] On June 9, 2011, Hayley Williams announced that the band had started to write their fourth album, which they hoped to start recording at the end of the year, with an early 2012 release.[106] On October 11, 2011, Paramore announced that they would release a new song for each of the remaining months of 2011.[107][108] The band set up theSingles Club on their website which gave fans the chance to purchase the singles when they were released, as they were released exclusively through the Singles Club and were therefore not sold elsewhere.[107][108] A song called "Renegade", premiered the day of the announcement,[107][108] with "Hello Cold World" following on November 7,[109] and "In the Mourning" on December 5.[110] In 2011, former member, Josh Farro, formed Novel American, with Zac Farro later joining the band.[111][112]
On April 18, 2012, Williams announced that the producer for their fourth album wasJustin Meldal-Johnsen.[113][114] FormerLostprophets and currentAngels & Airwaves andNine Inch Nails drummerIlan Rubin was confirmed to be the session drummer for the recording of the album.[115][116]Paramore was officially released on April 5, 2013,[117] and a #1 at US albums chartBillboard 200.[118] The first single from the album, titled "Now", was released online on January 22, 2013,[119][120] and the album's second single, "Still Into You", was released on March 14, 2013, achieving commercial success.[121][122] The third single, "Daydreaming", was released on December 2, 2013.[123] The album's fourth single, "Ain't It Fun", was released on February 4, 2014,[124] eventually becoming the band's highest-charting song in the United States[125] and a winner forBest Rock Song at the57th Annual Grammy Awards.[6][7] On November 24, 2014,Paramore: Self-Titled Deluxe was released, which includes a remake of "Hate to See Your Heart Break", a song originally onParamore, featuringJoy Williams; this is the band's first collaboration on a song.[126][127] The band embarked on an intimate tour withCopeland,[128] they said in a blog post that "It feels right to bring the Self-Titled era to a close. We've had a very personal and hugely triumphant journey with this one. What wouldn't feel right is saying goodbye to this time in the band's career and not celebrating it with our fans in some special way."[129]
On December 14, 2015, bassist Jeremy Davis left the band.[130][131] In March 2016, Davis was involved in a legal battle with Paramore, claiming to be eligible to enjoy the benefits of a business partnership with Hayley Williams as a co-owner of the band. This was quickly dismissed and he was again involved in a legal battle with Hayley Williams and Taylor York over a breach of contract entitling him to ownership and authorship of songs on their self-titled record, including "Ain't It Fun", and again, claiming to be eligible to enjoy the benefits of the earnings the two received from these songs and album.[132] Davis reached a settlement with the band in May 2017.[133][134]
During this period, lead singer Williams later revealed that she suffered from depression and mental health issues following the departure of Davis as well as a divorce with her ex-husbandChad Gilbert.[135] In an interview withZane Lowe onBeats 1 Radio, shes described it as "torment" and mentioned that she "didn't laugh for a long time".[136] As a result, Williams privately left the band for a short period in 2015, briefly leaving York as the only remaining member of the group.[137][138]
On January 19, 2016, Williams announced that the band was in the process of writing their fifth album.[139] On June 8, 2016, the band posted a short video of themselves in the studio to their social media.[140][141] This was preceded by a number of images which all included both former drummer Zac Farro and producerJustin Meldal-Johnsen, leading fans and various media outlets to speculate the return of Farro.[140][141] On June 17, Farro was featured yet again in a picture uploaded to social media, this time behind a drum set, confirming that he would be recording drums for the album,[142] though he later clarified that he was only recording drums for the album and that he had not rejoined the band as a full member.[143] Despite this, on February 2, 2017, the band announced that Farro would return as the official drummer of the band.[144][145]
On April 19, 2017, Paramore released "Hard Times" as the lead single from their albumAfter Laughter, which they announced would be released on May 12, 2017.[146][147] On May 3, a second single was released, titled "Told You So".[148][149] A music video for the song "Fake Happy" was released on November 17, 2017.[150][151] On February 5, 2018, a music video for "Rose-Colored Boy" was released,[152][153][154] which is also the album's fourth single.[155] The music video for "Caught in the Middle", the album's fifth single, was released on June 26, 2018.[156][157] On September 7, 2018, Hayley Williams announced during a concert that the band will play the song "Misery Business" "for the last time for a really long time", mainly due to a line from the second verse that was perceived to be sexist,[158][159] though this decision was reversed in 2022.[160][161][162]
On May 11, 2020, Williams teased a potential return to a more guitar-driven sound on the band's sixth album, commenting, "We've found ourselves listening to a lot of older music that we grew up being inspired by."[163][164][165] In January 2022, it was confirmed that the band had entered the studio to work on their upcoming sixth studio album. The band described the album as more "guitar heavy".[166][167] On January 18, the band was announced to headline the newly foundedLas Vegas–basedWhen We Were Young festival alongsideMy Chemical Romance on October 22, 2022, which was one of the first live performances the band had played since September 2018.[168][169] On May 10, it was announced that the band would headline theAustin City Limits Festival inAustin, Texas, during October on the 9th and 16th of the same year, alongsideRed Hot Chili Peppers,P!nk andLil Nas X.[170][171]
On July 15, 2022, it was announced that Paramore would be embarking on a tour in October and November 2022.[172][173] On September 28, 2022, the band released the song "This Is Why" as the lead single fromThis Is Why, released on February 10, 2023.[174][175] In November 2022, the band changed the album cover for their 2013 self-titled album to a picture of Hayley Williams from behind.[176] On December 8, 2022, the band released the second single, "The News".[177][178][179] On January 12, 2023, the band released the third single, "C'est Comme Ça".[180][181] Paramore was nominated for Favorite Music Group at the2023 Kids' Choice Awards.[182][183] On February 6, 2023, the band debuted the song "Running Out of Time" at their album release show in Nashville.[184][185] On February 16, 2023, the band released a music video for the album's fourth single, "Running Out of Time".[186] The band's song, "This is Why", was nominated for "Best Alternative" at the2023 MTV Video Music Awards.[187]
The band began teasing an upcoming remix album,Re: This Is Why in late September 2023,[188] posting audio snippets from the album on their officialDiscord server.[189] The album was officially announced on October 2.[189][190] The album is set for release on October 6.[189][190] Described as "almost a remix album",Re: This Is Why features reworked, remixed, and rewritten versions of songs from the band's 2023 albumThis Is Why, as well as an unreleased B-side demo.[189][190] For the66th Annual Grammy Awards,This Is Why was nominated forBest Rock Album[191][192][193] and the album's title track was nominated forBest Alternative Music Performance.[193]
On December 27, 2023, Paramore wiped their social media accounts and the band's website became inaccessible.[194][195] A week later, they canceled a co-headlining appearance in Anaheim atiHeartRadio's Alter Ego festival scheduled for January 13, 2024, "due to unforeseen circumstances". In their place,Fall Out Boy was announced.Stereogum said that Paramore's label contract had expired.[196][197] On January 10, 2024,A24 announced a tribute album for theTalking Heads concert filmStop Making Sense, which will feature a cover of "Burning Down The House" by Paramore as the leading track.[198][199] In January 2024, the band were nominated for Best International Group at the 2024BRIT Awards.[200][201] On January 31, their cover of "Burning Down The House" was released as a single.[202][203] On February 4, 2024, the band won two Grammy awards at the66th Annual Grammy Awards with their album,This Is Why winningBest Rock Album and the title track winningBest Alternative Music Performance.[204][205] On February 10, 2024, Paramore were announced as the ambassador forRecord Store Day 2024 and confirmed that they would continue as an independent band after the end of their contract with Atlantic Records.[206][207] On March 1, 2024, a music video for "Thick Skull" was released.[208] In September 2024, during an interview withDork, Williams revealed that Paramore has already started making new music, with demos made before they went on tour withTaylor Swift.[209][210]
Paramore's music style has generally been regarded aspop-punk,emo,pop rock,alternative rock,power pop,emo pop,new wave,punk rock,pop,grunge,electropop, andsynth-pop.[note 1]Joshua Martin had written after an interview with Hayley Williams, "The band isn't just a short pop-punk girl with red hair and a spunky attitude. Their music is like them, it's aged differently. It's sped up, and slowed down. It's emo without being whiny, or bratty. Almost a very literal anti-Avril Lavigne."[14]Alternative Press magazine had commented that the band was "young-sounding", while consistently being "honest".[233] Paramore's first albumAll We Know is Falling had an arguably more "formulaic pop-punk" sound that was "delivered particularly well"[234] and the combination of the two had created a "refined rock infused pop/punk album".[235] The band's second release,Riot! was said to explore a 'diverse range of styles," however, not straying far from "their signature sound".[234] The band's later albums, such asParamore andAfter Laughter, included more of anew wave andsynth-pop sound.[236][237] The band's sixth studio album,This Is Why went for more of apost-punk[238] anddance-punk sound.[239]
Williams and Taylor York performing with Paramore, 2013
Alternative Press and various other reviewers have noted that the band's stage performances have helped boost them to larger fame.Alternative Press states that Williams "has more charisma than singers twice her age, and her band aren't far behind in their chops, either."[240] Singer-songwriterJohn Mayer had praised Williams' voice in a blog in October 2007, calling her "The great orange hope"; "orange" in reference to her hair color.[241] Due to the female-fronted aspect of the band, Paramore has gained comparisons toKelly Clarkson and the aforementioned Avril Lavigne, to which one reviewer said was "sorely unfounded".[242][243] Reviewer Jonathan Bradley noted that "Paramore attacks its music with infectious enthusiasm." However, he also explained that "there isn't a whole lot of difference betweenRiot! and the songs from Kelly Clarkson or Avril Lavigne."[244] A reviewer atNME had likened Paramore's sound to that of "No Doubt (stripped of all theska bollocks)" and "Kelly Clarkson's wildest dreams".[245] Hayley Williams has gone on to comment about the female aspect of the band saying that Paramore is not "this girl-fronted band" and it makes "music for people to enjoy music, not so people can talk about my sexuality."[40]
The band members identified themselves asChristians in the past and in an interview with the BBC, Josh Farro stated "Our faith is very important to us. It's obviously going to come out in our music because if someone believes something, then their worldview is going to come out in anything they do. But we're not out here to preach to kids, we're out here because we love music."[263] Farro later cited differing views on Christianity between him, his brother and Williams as one of the reasons for their departure in 2010.[264] In a 2022 interview, Williams described herself, York, and Zac Farro as being "at different stages of unravelling their relationship to faith".[265]
Live appearances
Paramore performing at a concert during theMonumentour
In 2007, the band played an acoustic set for the grand opening of a Warped Tour exhibit at theRock and Roll Hall of Fame,[266] and the dress Hayley Williams wore in the video for "Emergency" was also put on display in the exhibit.[267]
In June 2007, they were declared byRolling Stone as "Ones to Watch".[268]
In August 2007, Paramore was featured in television spots onMTV, performing acoustic versions of their songs or acting in short accompaniments to MTV program commercials. As "MTV Artists of the Week", the band filmed the faux camping-themed spots inQueens, New York, all written and directed by Evan Silver and Gina Fortunato.[269] MTV.com also has a collection ofshort videos with the band to promoteRiot! as well. For weeks in August 2007, the "Misery Business" video was the number one streamed video atMTV.com.[270] On October 8, Paramore played "Misery Business" live onLate Night with Conan O'Brien.[271] In August, Paramore participated inNew Found Glory's music video for their cover ofSixpence None the Richer's song "Kiss Me".[272]
From September 29 to November 1, 2009, the band held a tour in North America to supportBrand New Eyes.[273] The tour for their self-titled fourth album, known asThe Self-Titled Tour, took place in North America from October 15 to November 27, 2013.[274] From June 19 through August 17, 2014, the band also supported the album with theMonumentour.[275]
Appearances in films and video games
In 2005, Paramore made its first video game appearance with the song "Pressure" being featured in the console versions of the video gameThe Sims 2.[276]
Paramore's song "Decode" was the lead single for the novel-basedTwilight film.[289] Another song called "I Caught Myself" is also featured on the film's soundtrack.[289] "Decode" was released on October 1, 2008, on the Paramore Fan Club site as well asStephenie Meyer's website.[290][291] The music video premiered on November 3.[292][293]Hot Topic hosted listening parties for the soundtrack on October 24, 2008, and the album was released on November 4, 2008.[294] "Misery Business" is also featured inSaints Row 2, and the soundtrack forEA SportsNHL 08.[295][296]
The music video for "Decode", along with theTwilight film trailer, was shown in the North AmericanHome Theater ofPlayStation Home from December 11, 2008, to December 18, 2008.[297] The video premiered in full through MTV and its subsidiaries on November 3, 2008, one day ahead of the release of the soundtrack on which the song is featured.[298]
^abJosh Farro; Hayley Williams; Jeremy Davis (July 14, 2007)."Interview With Paramore".Europunk (Interview). Interviewed by cathyreay. Archived fromthe original on April 13, 2009. RetrievedJune 9, 2011.
^Hayley Williams (July 14, 2005)."Paramore Interview" (Interview). Interviewed by Jason Schleweis of Crush Music Mag. Archived fromthe original on July 19, 2011. RetrievedOctober 12, 2007.
^abcHayley Williams; Josh Farro (May 25, 2007)."Paramore" (Interview). Interviewed by Julia Conny. Archived fromthe original on July 17, 2012. RetrievedOctober 13, 2007.
^Josh Farro; Jeremy Davis."Interview: Paramore" (Interview). Interviewed by Charlotte Otter. Archived fromthe original on January 30, 2009. RetrievedOctober 13, 2007.
