paramore 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.
Over the Past 3 Years Now
Vocals: Hayley
Bass: Jeremy
Guitar: Josh
Drums: Zac
Paramore, the rapidly emerging pop-punk quintet from Tennessee, has been building a near-deafening “next big thing” buzz. Driven by riveting live shows and the undeniable charisma of their frontwoman, 18-year-old Hayley Williams, they have captivated an increasingly rabid following. Confronted by the double-edged sword of overwhelming early praise, Paramore has risen to the challenge and recorded an album that happily delivers on all the claims made on their behalf. With their new Fueled By Ramen collection, “RIOT!,” they announce that they have the talent, the passion, and the songs to take themselves to the next level.
The band’s rise has been the result of consistent hard work since Hayley first met Josh Farro (guitar, age 20) and his younger brother Zac (drums, age 17) while they were together in school four years ago. After adding Jeremy Davis (bass, age 22), Paramore was formed in 2004. They played their first show in Nashville, and were soon building a local fanbase. After just a few months of gigging, the band had their first big break in early 2005, when Fueled By Ramen founder John Janick saw them at a gig in Florida. He was instantly struck by their presence and their dedication, and he immediately signed the band to the label. As Hayley says, “Fueled By Ramen has been amazing to us. So many kids started checking us out because our name is on their roster. It’s like a big family; we all share such a massive unit of fans.”
Upon the release of their debut album, “ALL WE KNOW IS FALLING,” in the summer of 2005, the music community began taking immediate notice of the band. The New York Times and Spin hailed the album, singling out Hayley as a star in the making. Nonstop touring throughout 2006 with bands such as Straylight Run and Simple Plan, combined with show-stealing festival performances at Warped and Bamboozle, continued to build the momentum. The year culminated with a sold-out headlining tour of North America in the fall of 2006, as well as successful tours of both Europe and Japan.
The accolades continued as 2006 came to a close. After an overwhelming response to a U.K. tour at the end of the year, Kerrang! readers voted Paramore as the “Best New Band” and Hayley as the #2 “Sexiest Female.” NME named Paramore one of the ten acts to watch in their “New Noise 2007” feature, proclaiming Williams as “young, articulate and with plenty to say.” Some bands would begin to get nervous with those kinds of accolades. Not Paramore. “I love getting all the ‘Next Big Thing’ notices,” says Hayley with a grin. Josh continues, “The first few years everything was new to us and we made a name for ourselves as a band in a lot of places. But with ‘RIOT!,’ we’re really ready to blow people’s minds.”
It only takes one listen to “RIOT!” to see the depth of the band’s growth in the past two years. Produced by David Bendeth (Hawthorne Heights, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Killswitch Engage), the music has taken on a richer, deeper, more intense tone, without sacrificing any of the melodicism that has been their trademark. As Hayley explains, “For us, the title ‘RIOT!’ literally means an unbridled outburst of emotions. When we were writing, it seemed like our thoughts and emotions were coming out so fast that we couldn’t control them. It felt like there was a riot within us. So the album takes our passion to a new level; it’s just all raw energy.”
That raw energy and passion is evident in “Misery Business,” a song that has its origins in a message Hayley put on the band’s Live Journal page, asking her fans to post what they’re ashamed of. “I found that people really were reaching out to someone to spill their guts to,” she recalls, “So I did the same thing lyrically in the song and let everything out. It’s more honest than anything I’ve ever written, and the guys matched that emotion musically.”
The wryly titled “For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic” stems from what Josh reflects as “putting your faith in someone and they blow it.” But in the writing of the song, he saw that his faith in his bandmates was not misplaced: “I wrote the music specifically to be awesome live and to be extremely energetic. It all came out at once. I showed it to Hayley and she just nailed it lyrically. She completely got the feeling I wanted the song to have.” And “Hallelujah” serves as one of the album’s true anthems. As Hayley recounts, “It’s one of the oldest songs we’ve got, but we wanted to save it for this record, and it’s the perfect home for it. It’s a claim of victory for both ourselves and our fans.”
That connection with their audience is most evident in “Born For This,” a song that was specifically written for their fans. “We wrote it as a message to them,” Hayley explains. “They’re going to take us to the next level. Everything they’ve done has helped us so much… it’s really kept us going.” And to drive that point home, the band held an online contest for fans, with the winners getting to sing gang vocals on the song.
“Next big things” come and go, but it is obvious that Paramore has something special – both talent and staying power. “RIOT” is the band’s declaration of ambition, musical growth, and dedication. “We all have such a love and passion for this music,” says Josh. “We’re lucky to have made such a connection with our fans that we’re making a difference in their lives.” Hayley concludes, “We want everyone to hear this album. We want to take it as far as we can. ‘RIOT!’ is everything we ever wanted to say on one album. If it all ended today, this is what we’d want to be remembered for.”
Jeremy Davis.
bass
about jeremy
I love music, food, and meeting new people. Luckily I have a job that not only is fun, but i get all those things everyday. Whenever I'm home I like to work on cars, whether its mine or my friend's. I love my friends, cause they all help me stay grounded and not let all of this get to my head, which is very important to me. I graduated high school in '04 so I love when I get to see my friends that I graduated with. I have the best family in the world. If it weren't for the love and support that they give me then I wouldn't have made it this far.
I've been playing bass for over 11 years and somehow I still love it and try to get better all the time. I couldn't have been more blessed then to have the job that I have and to have the friends and family that I have... and i love chicken fingers and fries with lots of ketchup more than anyone will ever know!!!!!! :)
Josh Farro.
guitar
about joshua
I'm a pretty straight forward guy. I take life really seriously. I love my family and friends more than anything (which most everyone does but I love mine more). I love the feeling I get when I walk into a Starbucks. I can be a really akward sometimes. I love to laugh. I hate flying..haha. Sometimes I come across like I am mean but I don't mean to at all, I just have a serious personality. That pretty much sums me up I guess.Hayley Williams.
vocals
about hayley
I am pretty simple. Music, make up, and fashion are what I'm really into. Sort of a typical girls list of hobbies...but I ain't no girls girl. I'm into making memories with photographs and I tend to be pretty nostalgic. Anything to do with the south, I'm down for it: good times and BBQ!!!
My goal is to make music that people, 30 or 40 years from now, wish they were around for.
Zac Farro.
drums
about zachary
Hi, I'm Zac, I play drums. I started when I was around 9. I love joking around and laughing. I'm pretty much always on my phone or computer talking to friends or family. I love touring, it's all I do. I love making, playing, and listening to music, it never gets old. I'm 17 and I like food a lot. I eat it everyday. I, along with every other dude in the band, am obsessed with anything leaf camo. I have the coolest family and friends. Oh yeah and my job is pretty sweet playing drums everyday. I love it.
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