Paramore Biography

Although their spunky blend of emo-pop and anthemic rock eventually made them stars on both sides of the Atlantic, Paramore began humbly enough in Franklin, TN, where lead singer Hayley Williams met brothers Josh and Zac Farro after moving to town from Mississippi. The two Farros had a band that the 13 year-old singer was asked to join, and guitarist Jason Bynum and bassist Jeremy Davis soon climbed aboard to complete Paramore's lineup. Local hangouts and a school talent show helped the young bandmembers hone their chops before graduating to higher-level gigs at area rock clubs.

The quintet's pop-influenced melodies and earnest charisma -- not to mention Williams' powerhouse vocals -- eventually caught the attention of Florida's Fueled by Ramen label, which signed the band in April 2005. Working with producers James Wisner and Mike Green, Paramore recorded their full-length debut, All We Know Is Falling, and released it in late July 2005. 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 guitar in December 2005, and the band spent the following summer on Warped Tour once again, cementing their relationship with fans who had caught the 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 saw the release of the band's sophomore album, Riot!, which was recorded alongside producer David Bendeth and issued by the band's new label, Atlantic Records. Buoyed by the popular singles "Misery Business," "crushcrushcrush," and "That's What You Get," Riot! turned Paramore into industry darlings, going platinum within its first 13 months and earning the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. With replacement guitarist Taylor York onboard, the group toured exhaustively in support of the record, even landing a two-month jaunt across the continental U.S. with Jimmy Eat World. Meanwhile, Paramore found time to contribute two songs to the Twilight soundtrack, including the Top 40 single "Decode." A live album entitled The Final Riot! was released several weeks after the Twilight soundtrack, capturing the band's energy as a live act and concluding the touring cycle in support of Riot!.

Paramore publically struggled with fame throughout 2008. Of particular note was the attention lavished upon Hayley 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. Following a popular summer tour with No Doubt, the group issued Brand New Eyes, a pensive record that featured some of Paramore's strongest songwriting to date. The album debuted at number two with sales of 175,000 copies, besting Mariah Carey's Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel in the process. Corey Apar & Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide

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