Hayley Williams is glad that Paramore is an independent band now.
In a new interview with BrooklynVegan, the singer talked about being a ‘free band’ and how it feels. She said:
“It feels like a deep sigh of relief that we accomplished something that I don’t even know when we were kids if we really thought would ever come to pass. It feels like an achievement that not a lot of bands, especially our age… they don’t get to that point very often, so we feel really lucky.”
The band no longer feels overwhelmed now that their 20-year deal with their record company is over. She continued saying that there are no limitations anymore:
“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.”
Paramore Once Caused Concern
Earlier this year, Paramore caused some concern among fans when they canceled a bunch of live shows, wiped their website and social media clean, and dropped hints about what’s next for them. The band’s 20-year deal with Atlantic Records wrapped up in December 2023 with ‘This Is Why,’ and left them as a free band.
Paramore made it clear they are all about independence in the music world now. They revealed their intentions as ambassadors for Record Store Day 2024 in an Instagram post this February.
Paramore shared their commitment to staying independent with the following:
“After a long career in the music industry, we have decided to announce that… We are going to continue to have a long career in the music industry (sorry for any inconvenience). Our first order of business as a freshly independent Paramore is to shine a light on independent record stores — a vital part of our journey from music-obsessed school friends to professional music makers. With that being said, we are humbled to be your Ambassadors for Record Store Day 2024. The timing feels kismet.”
The upcoming Record Store Day will take place in a few days on April 20.