Paramore

**Paramore** is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee known for their blend of emo-pop and slick, and anthemic rock and roll. Currently the band consists of Hayley Williams, and Taylor York and formerly, Josh and Zac Farro, Jason Bynum, John Hembree, Hunter Lamb, and Jeremy Davis.

## **Background**

    In 2002, at age 13, vocalist Hayley Williams moved from her hometown Meridian, Mississippi to Franklin, Tennessee where she met brothers Josh and Zac Farro while she was attending a private school. Prior to forming Paramore, Williams and bassist Jeremy Davis, along with Kimee Read, took part in a funk cover band called The Factory, while the Farro brothers had practiced together after school. The band was officially formed by Josh Farro (lead guitar/backing vocals), Zac Farro (drums), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar) and Hayley Williams (lead vocals) in 2004, with later addition of Williams' neighbor, Jason Bynum (rhythm guitar).

According to Williams, the band name "Paramore" came from the maiden name of the mother of one of their first bass players. Once the group learned the meaning of paramour ("secret lover"), they decided to adopt the name using the Paramore spelling. The band's first song written together, Conspiracy, was later used on their debut album All We Know Is Falling. Over the following years, Paramore performed at venues outside the greater Nashville area. John Hanick, CEO and co-founder of the music label Fueled by Ramen, got a hold of Paramore's demos and went to Orlando, Florida to see the band perform live. After a smaller private performance at a warehouse, the band  was signed to the label in April 2005, and Paramore's full-length debut album, All We Know Is Falling, was released later that summer.

    In addition to a performance at New Jersey's Bamboozle Festival and multiple dates on the Warped Tour circuit, Paramore played shows with such bands as Simple Plan and Straylight Run. Hunter Lamb replaced Bynum on rhythm guitar in December 2005, and the band spent the following summer on the Warped Tour once again, cementing its relationship with the fans who rocked during their previous summer's shows. Lamb parted ways with the group in early 2007 to get married, and Paramore continued onward as a quartet.

The following summer of 2007, the band releaased its sophomore album, Riot!, which was recorded alongside producer David Bendeth. Buoyed by the popular singles "Misery Business", "crushcrushcrush", and "That's What You Get", Riot! turned Paramore into industty heavyweights, going platinum within its first 13 months of release and earning the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. With original guitarist Taylor York now back on board, Paramore toured exhaustively in support of the record, even landing a two-month jaunt across the United States with their idols, Jimmy Eat World. Meanwhile, the band found time to contribute two songs to the best-selling Twilight soundtract, including the Top 40 single "Decode".

Paramore publicly struggled with fame throughout 2008. Of particular note was the attention lavished upon Williams, whom many media outlets deemed to be the leader of the group. Rumors of a breakup began to circulate, yet Paramore's lineup remained intact, and the band retreated to a California studio in 2009 to work on a third album entitled Brand New Eyes.

Long-simmering tensions between Williams and the Farro brothers had reached a boiling point by late 2010, though, resulting in a messy split betwwen Josh and Zac Farro - considered by many to be the band's co-founders - and the three remaining members. Days after the brothers' exit, Josh Farro wrote a blog post detailing the band's history, including previously unknown details regarding Atlantic's early involvement and Williams' solo contract. In 2013, Paramore returned with their fourth album, the eponymously titled Paramore.

## **Discography**

All We Know Is FallingThe Summer Tic EPRiot!Live in the UK 2008The Final Riot!Brand New Eyes2010 Summer Tour EPThe Only Exception EPSingles Club EPParamoreThe Holiday Sessions EP