You may know Paramore as the female-fronted band that had a meteoric rise after the release of their sophomore album Riot! in 2007. The album’s catchy hooks and infectious energy has caught many people’s attention over the past two years. But it was this attention that almost tore the group apart in early 2008. "We went through a lot of heavy stuff as a band ... and it was nothing like, 'Oh, it's this situation on this day,' or whatever. It was just, personally, we were all growing up, and sometimes, when you're growing up, you're not always growing together," explains Hayley Williams, the band’s frontwoman known for her flaming locks, to MTV News. On top of the mounting tension between the band members, the group was feeling the increasing pressure of approaching deadlines for their third album as well as a summer tour headlining for No Doubt. The fivesome never had a chance to sit down and hash out their differences, bringing communication to an all time low when it came time to start writing songs for their new album, brand new eyes.
“We were in a room together like, 'Hey, let's write a record that's bigger than Riot! All these people are expecting it.' And it didn't feel healthy, it didn't feel like us, you know? It didn't feel like what we started for," Williams continues. Hayley also struggled while writing the lyrics for these new songs for fear of being too honest, especially under the current circumstances. "I had doubts, not just for us as a whole, because ... I wouldn't want to play with anyone else, you know what I'm saying? I didn't have any doubts in them as much as I did in myself," she explains. "I was writing these lyrics, and they didn't feel good — some of it hurt, some if was like, 'Am I being too honest even with myself?' I had doubts that it was the right record."
But Williams and the rest of her band mates were reassured when producer Rob Cavallo paid them a visit in their hometown of Franklin, Tennessee and assured them that they had what it takes to make a killer third album. The band took this frustration and channeled it into the first single off of brand new eyes, “Ignorance,” an in your face embodiment of Paramore’s struggle over the past year. Williams is incredibly honest in the lyrics she penned for “Ignorance”, which turned out to be the thing that finally forced the ba
nd to bridge the gap that had formed between them. “I remember talking with everyone, which was the first real conversation I felt we had in a real long time," Williams reminisced. "We were all really honest with each other about where we had been with our lives over the past two years. Like, 'Hey, I lost touch with you. ... Let's backtrack a little bit.' And once that was done, it was back to the old us and back to the old reasons why we started a band and why we wanted to play music together." And Paramore fans couldn’t be happier.
Williams was not exaggerating when she said Paramore has done a lot of growing up since Riot! brand new eyes sheds a new light on the band and proves that Paramore is no one trick pony. The group experiments with a few slow jams throughout this album, showcasing their collective diverse talent as musicians. Williams bares her soul in her lyrics all the way through the record, particularly on “The Only Exception” and “Misguided Ghosts”. But they also stay true to their pop-punk roots with songs like “Brick by Boring Brick”, “Feeling Sorry”, and, of course, “Ignorance”. Expect to see a softer side of Paramore in brand new eyes, as they address fame, love, and coming back stronger than ever. But don’t worry Paramore fans. The band hasn’t lost any of the contagious energy we Paramore fans know and love.
Such maturity from such a young band has been unheard of up until now. Being so young allows them to relate to our generation as well as grow along with us. As we mature, so does the band and their music as a reflection of this. Hayley’s voice has continued to progress on each album and her heart wrenching, powerful vocals on brand new eyes are no exception. The passion behind each lyric and riff exudes the band’s experience over the past year and their dedication to their trade. Paramore skillfully blends their newfound wisdom with their young vigor in brand new eyes.
“I’ve never been happier,” Hayley remarks. And neither have we.
Download: “Brick by Boring Brick”, “Playing God”, “Where the Lines Overlap”
No comments:
Post a Comment