Band Info

The combination of musical energy between brothers and Hayley's bold charisma earned them instant attention, particularly from Florida indie Fueled by Ramen, who signed the band and put them to work recording their debut. Says Hayley, "Some of our favorite bands are on Fueled by Ramen. We knew that they would know exactly how to carry out the vision for our band and music." Paramore went into the studio with producers James Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever, Underoath) and Mike Green (Yellowcard, The Black Maria) and blew them away with their sincerity and enthusiasm.

History

As Paramore embark on the most successful year of their career, there seems to be no limit as to what they can accomplish. The band's last 2007 album RIOT! has sold over two million copies worldwide, the group was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008 for "Best New Artist" and even their live CD/DVD The Final Riot! has gone gold. However while these statistics are impressive, record sales have never been the driving force behind Paramore and that fact has never been as evident as it is on the group's highly anticipated third full-length brand new eyes. In fact, as excited as this group of young adults from Franklin, Tennessee are to have had the opportunity to tour with their heroes like Jimmy Eat World and No Doubt over the past few years, they seem even more ecstatic to share brand new eyes with the world. "I hope that every record is a progression for us, but this one is definitely a huge leap from RIOT!," the band's front woman Hayley Williams explains. "I just can't wait to get back on the road and start playing these new songs live."

Anyone who has seen the band on the road already knows Paramore have an incendiary live show; however with brand new eyes, the group has proved they're also able to juxtapose all of their indie-minded influences into a seamless collection of songs that embrace the future without abandoning the band's past. Additionally, the process of making brand new eyes seems to have taught the group--Hayley, guitarists Josh Farro and Taylor York, drummer Zac Farro and bassist Jeremy Davis--countless lessons about who they are both inside and outside of Paramore. "We've been through a ton of stressful, pressure-filled situations since RIOT! came out and I feel like I'm a completely new person," Hayley explains, adding that brand new eyes ended up being the perfect cathartic outlet for the band's creativity and, yes, frustration. "I think making the record was part of the healing process," Hayley elaborates. "It was good for me both as a person and as an artist."

Considering the fact that RIOT! went gold in Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. and the band cracked the top five on the radio charts in the U.K. Australia, Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany and Southeast Asia, this global success story had a lot to live up to with brand new eyes. Co-produced by the band and Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), who Paramore also worked with on the track "Decode" from the double-platinum soundtrack for the movie Twilight, the album is also the first disc to officially feature new guitarist Taylor York -although York has been a writing partner and frequent touring member since the band's inception back in 2004. "It's really nice having Taylor there because he's the only other guitarist that I trust with our songs," Josh explains. "It's so exciting to be a five-piece again," Hayley concurs, "that's what we were originally intended to be, so I think the writing process was a lot more rewarding having him there." While Josh and Hayley once again made up the main songwriting team on brand new eyes, Hayley is also quick to stress that this album is the most collaborative creation of the band's career, a fact that is evident in the disc's sonic diversity.

In fact brand new eyes is a case study in the band's versatility and contains as many driving, first-pumping anthems like "Ignorance" as it does upbeat pop masterpieces like "Where The Lines Overlap" and lilting, acoustic ballads such as "Misguided Ghosts." "We really tried to venture out and experiment with our sound to see how far we could push ourselves this time around," Josh explains. "?Misguided Ghosts' is just finger-picking and that's not really Paramore's sound but for some reason it works," he continues. "I don't think it would have fit on RIOT! at all, but it's definitely the perfect song for this album." While Rob Cavallo was instrumental in helping the band fully realize their sound, the end result wouldn't have come to fruition in the studio so quickly if the band didn't have a clear-cut idea of what they wanted to accomplish from the onset. "I think we did a good job of guiding ourselves on this record," Hayley explains, "but if there was ever was a time [Cavallo] had to step in he did and it was always perfect."

The rollercoaster ride that Paramore have experienced over the past few years was also a huge influence on the lyrics for brand new eyes, however it was important for Williams not to write a cliched collection of songs about the perils of success. "I watch all these bands go from being really hungry on their first album to talking about paparazzi following them around on their next one," Hayley explains with a laugh. "I was so afraid of sounding like that." Instead Hayley decided to dig into her own psyche and explore some of her deepest emotions. "I would sit in my room all day and not go anywhere, because I felt like I had to keep myself secluded in order to write lyrics," Hayley recounts. "I'm really proud because looking back on all the songs this is really exactly what I was going through?and I think a lot of people are going through this, too."

Hayley's honesty is evident in tracks like the acoustic ballad "The Only Exception" and album closer "All I Wanted," both of which give an unapologetic glimpse into the inner workings of what was happening in her head over the past two years, a reality that was initially scary for the 20-year-old to advertise to the rest of the world. "Now that it's all said and on paper I'm not as insecure about [these lyrics] because I think these songs form a full story that people are going to be able to connect with," Hayley explains, adding that once the songs started to flow in the studio the band were instantly rejuvenated and remembered why they started Paramore in the first place. "There's something Hayley is able to draw out of me that I can't seem to do with anyone else," Josh responds when asked how the band are able to craft music that defies gender and genre stereotypes. "Hayley hates the word ?mature,' but I think it's really suitable for this record because there's much growth that's evident on this album."

Never content to rest on their laurels, Paramore continue to look toward the future and can't wait to see what the next few years have in store for them. "I don't really care how many records we sell," Josh explains, citing that this album is a full representation of the band's disparate influences which include Mew, Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie. "I want to come out on the other end happier than ever just knowing that we've done this together and it was fun," Hayley summarizes. "I just want to feel like this is my band, this is awesome, I'm living the dream," she adds, her voice taking on a palpably excited tone. "If we can accomplish that together, there's nothing more that we can ask for."

Josh and Zac Farro's departure
    Wikinews has related news: Two founding members of Paramore leave band
Josh Farro in Vancouver in the Summer Tour 2009
On December 18, 2010 a message from Hayley, Jeremy, and Taylor was released through Paramore.net stating that Josh and Zac were leaving the band. In the message they stated, "A couple of months ago, Josh and Zac let us know they would be leaving the band after our show in Orlando last Sunday. None of us were really shocked. For the last year it hasn't seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore. We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy and if that isn't here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere. But we never for a second thought about leaving any of this behind." The post also stated that the remaining members had no intention of disbanding. They also added "As we look back, and now as we look with excitement to the future, in all of this what truly matters are the good times. The pictures of us with our arms around each other, the long van rides, your faces while you sing along as we play. Thank you for getting us right here to this very moment. We look forward to our best times. And we hope you will go there with us." The band also confirmed the scheduled South American tour is still going to happen.
Josh Farro wrote a personal response on the departure on his Blogger account, entirely different from the band's response, claiming that the band was "a manufactured product of a major-label." He further accused Hayley Williams of being manipulated by her management, treating the rest of the group as her solo project, and claimed she was the only member of the band who was signed to Atlantic Records, while her bandmates were simply "riding on the coattails of her dream".
On December 30, 2010, MTV News interviewed Williams, York and Davis in Franklin, Tennessee regarding their reactions to Farro's response. The interview aired on MTV.com on January 7, 2011 as Paramore: The Last Word. While the band confirmed many of Farro's statements, notably that Williams was indeed the only member of the band actually signed to Atlantic, they said they felt the statement was irrelevant, adding that they had addressed many of the claims made already throughout the course of their career.
2011–present: Paramore without the Farro brothers
On January 10, 2011, in an interview with MTV, Hayley Williams has said that despite the band losing two of its founding members, they will be releasing new music in 2011, though it is not known yet if they'll manage to record a full album for release this year, or just release some songs. 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 signature sound.
On February 2, 2011, Josh Farro confirmed the name of his new band, Novel American. Zac has also confirmed his new band, Half Noise.
On February 17, 2011, Hayley Williams has confirmed that the band will be hitting the studio upon returning from their South American tour, to record a batch of songs to be released over the summer, prior to a new full-length album that might follow late this year or in 2012. One of the new songs to be released include "In the Mourning", which Williams recently debuted on her Tumblr page.
On March 21, 2011, Paramore stated on their various social networking accounts that they were entering a studio in Los Angeles with producer Rob Cavallo to record their next album.
Musical style and influences
Paramore's music has generally been regarded as "emo" and "pop punk". 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." Alternative Press magazine had commented that the band was "young sounding", while consistently being "honest." Paramore's first album All We Know is Falling had an arguably more "formulaic pop-punk" sound that was "delivered particularly well" and the combination of the two had created a "refined rock infused pop/punk album." The band's second release, Riot! was said to explore a 'diverse range of styles," however, not straying far from "their signature sound."
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." Singer-songwriter John Mayer had praised Williams' voice in a blog in October 2007, calling her "The great orange hope"; "orange" in reference to her hair color. Due to the female fronted aspect of the band, Paramore has gained comparisons to Kelly Clarkson and the aforementioned Avril Lavigne, to which one reviewer said was "sorely unfounded." 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 between Riot! and the songs from Kelly Clarkson or Avril Lavigne." A reviewer at NME had likened Paramore's sound to that of "No Doubt (stripped of all the ska bollocks)" and "Kelly Clarkson's wildest dreams." 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."
Paramore has expressed appreciation for Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Blink-182, Death Cab for Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, MewithoutYou, and Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as Thrice and New Found Glory; Hayley Williams citing her personal influences as Robert Smith of The Cure and Etta James.Williams also explained that bands such as U2, "who are massive, and do whatever they want, write whatever they want and they stand for something," Jimmy Eat World, "who I don’t think ever disappoint their fans," and No Doubt, who "have done amazing things," act as a pattern for the path in which Paramore would like to take their career.
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 world view 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."

Band members
Current members
    * Hayley Williams – lead vocals, keyboards[88] (2004–present)
    * Jeremy Davis – bass guitar[89] (2004, 2005–present)
    * Taylor York – lead and rhythm guitar, glockenspiel, percussion [89] (2007–present)
Current touring members
    * Justin York – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (2010–present)[90]
    * Josh Freese – drums (2010–present)[91]
    * Jon Howard – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2010–present)
Former members
    * John Hembree – bass guitar (2005)
    * Jason Bynum – rhythm guitar/backing vocals (2004–2005)
    * Hunter Lamb – rhythm guitar (2005–2007)
    * Josh Farro – lead guitar, backing vocals[89] (2004–2010)
    * Zac Farro – drums, percussion[89] (2004–2010)
Discography
Main articles: Paramore discography and List of Paramore songs
    * All We Know Is Falling (2005)
    * Riot! (2007)
    * Brand New Eyes (2009)

Influences

Jimmy Eat World, Sunny Day Real Estate, New Found Glory, Death Cab for Cutie, Thrice

Love146
Invisible Children
Save the Franklin Theatre