With Paramore’s excellent self-titled album turning 10 years
old, Hayley Williams has posted an insightful and heartfelt note about the
record.
The singer has detailed some of the turbulent context it was
created in, as well as how there was “a lot of guts and self-determination” in
them coming out swinging as a “reformed, more liberated version of Paramore”.
“10 years ago we put out a record that took a lot of guts and
self-determination to make,” Hayley begins. “Mainly because after losing 2 members
of the band [Josh and Zac Farro, though Zac rejoined in
2016] there was
so much discourse around whether or not the band could make anything worthwhile
– let alone stay together.”
She continues: “The story of Paramore has been rife with reality
show-style drama. Well, until the last 6 or 7 years. It’s really great to be
able to look back from where we are now, knowing the story didn’t end when some
said it would.
“If all that led to our Self-Titled album hadn’t happened, we’d
be the most boring band of all time. If we hadn’t been forced out of our
trauma-bonded comfort zones, we would’ve never known what we might be capable
of.”
Detailing her gratitude to the people who helped make the album
what it is, Hayley writes: “Thank you Justin Meldal-Johnsen for expanding our
musical vocabulary and believing we could be more than a band from one specific
scene. And thank you Carlos de la Garza for engineering the shit out of the
album. Thank you Ken Andrews of Failure for mixing it, singing backups on it,
and being a musical hero to us.
“Taylor and I wrote these songs having no idea if people would
accept a reformed, more liberated version of Paramore. Our fans not only accepted
but championed our rebirth.
“Thank you for allowing us the room for creative risk and for
keeping this story going.
“We love you.
“Paramore forever.”
See the full post below: