Paramore on being label-free and what’s next: “Whatever we put out next will hopefully surprise people”
Paramore have opened up on what is next for the band saying: “Whatever we put out next will hopefully surprise people”.
Back in December 2023, the band admitted there was a “level of uncertainty” about their future. Their final album on their contract, ‘This Is Why‘, was released that year, meaning they had fulfilled all obligations to their previous label, Atlantic. Paramore wiped all their social media accounts shortly afterwards, prompting speculation that the band’s future may be done for good.
In February, Paramore – frontwoman Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro – confirmed that they are “freshly independent” and will continue to make music together and revealed they will be this year’s Record Store Day Ambassadors, which will take place on April 20.
Now, in a new interview with Brooklyn Vegan, Williams has opened up about the band’s mindset with creating new music. “Just like always, whatever we put out next will hopefully surprise people and make them go, ‘Oh! I didn’t think it was gonna go this way.’ That’s what we always hope for in a way,” she told the outlet.
Williams also spoke about the band being completely independent and said: “We’ve always thought there’s not really any limitation. We can keep doing this as long as we want or we can put it to bed and go away.
“We’ve always tried to have that mindset about it – that this is a passion, we try to not treat it like a job – but I think the cool thing about now is that it really is, there are no deadlines on the table, there’s no anything really in front of us other than like, open sky, and it feels exciting. It’s overwhelming and also inspiring at the same time.”
The band’s frontwoman previously shared a lengthy statement about the future of Paramore on their official Instagram account following the release of the music video for their track ‘Thick Skull’.
“As I’ve grown up, I’ve felt myself, little by little, let go of the tireless need for people to see me as ‘good’. Indeed, everyday I learn there is no such box to fit neatly into. It’s taken a lot of hard looks in the mirror, over many seasons of adulthood… but no longer do I question my ability to lead Paramore with integrity (and a healthy dose of dark and self-deprecating humour),” she wrote.
She continued: “And just like a house can be a metaphor, so can a band. Paramore has been the vehicle by which me and my friends have learned our toughest lessons. It has kept us close and it has nearly killed us. You also have these metaphors in your life: What holds you back — what gives you courage— what force compels you to grow even when it’s uncomfortable or embarrassing.
“(As for Paramore, the band, not the metaphor: We have crashed the van. We’re finding new ways. We have new maps. We are starting from point zero. And this time, we’re reading the fine print.)”
In other Paramore news, the band have recently announced a limited-edition 12″ vinyl for Record Store Day which features David Byrne covering their track ‘Hard Times’.
The exclusive release will feature the pop-punk icons’ cover of Talking Head’s ‘Burning Down The House’ as a B-side. Per Alternative Press, the 12″ vinyl will be an “extremely limited run exclusive for Record Store Day in 2024.”
Elsewhere, Paramore will hit the road next month joining Taylor Swift on the the European leg of her ‘Eras’ tour, kicking off with a show at LA Défense Arena in Paris.
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Anagricel Duran
NME
