Paramore regroups after 2010 rift
In a way, Paramore’s self-titled fourth album, a boisterous collection of 17 big, pop-rock, subtlety-free songs, is a comeback album.
In late 2010, brothers Josh and Zac Farro left Paramore — a band that formed in 2004 in a Nashville suburb when its members were teenagers — on sour terms. While bad blood in bands isn’t new, the Farros left a group that’s been internationally famous since Paramore’s 2007 album, “Riot!”
Picking up the pieces, singer Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and bassist Jeremy Davis regrouped. Their evolution included Taylor stepping up to write songs with Williams.
“We didn’t have any other choice,” Williams said recently. “We lost two members. That was a really weird feeling after having made three albums that we felt really good about.”
Williams and Taylor’s new songwriting partnership progressed tentatively.
“I’d go over to his house to write but we’d just talk,” she said. “A, because we were too nervous to try and write and, B, because there was so much to figure out, as far as what did we want to make and what was the mission behind the album.”
Confidence returned with the completion of a few demos.
“Taylor is such an incredible writer,” Williams said. “He’s got a future that outreaches Paramore. He can write for anybody and he’s got a really great ear. He inspires me. It brought a lot out of me that I didn’t know I could do.”
In April, “Paramore,” the band’s first album since 2009’s “Brand New Eyes,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. That chart-topping U.S. position echoed in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and elsewhere.
“I’m glad that happened with this album,” Williams said. “We’re so proud of it. We think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. I’m already a little shaky about topping it.”
The new Paramore album bucks the music business model that favors songs, aka singles, over collections of songs, aka albums.
“Some people say listeners are too ADD for a long album,” Williams said. “I like long albums. We’re not an indie band and we’re not a super-artsy band, but we are big music fans. We emphasized the experience of an album this time around.”
Paramore’s fall tour includes the band’s debut at one of the world’s great arenas, Madison Square Garden in New York City. Williams feels a mix of pride and disbelief about that Nov. 13 show in New York City.
“Half of me is like, ‘Absolutely, we’re gonna play there. We totally deserve it and our fans deserve it,’ ” Williams said. “And another half of me is like, ‘We’re so not worthy of playing this place.’ I am sort of doubting myself, but I’m really, really excited for it.”
Voodoo Experience in New Orleans is another date that Williams — a native of Meridian, Miss., who has relatives in Baton Rouge — is eagerly anticipating.
“Yeah, definitely,” she said. “I really love New Orleans. We’ve only played a handful of shows there, so to do something like this, which I know is a big deal, is really exciting. It’ll be cool to see our fans down there and share the stage with a lot of other great bands.”
