As Paramore forges ahead after the departure last month of founding members Josh and Zac Farro — and Josh’s subsequent response detailing his side of the story — singer Hayley Williams revealed that the bulk of their last album, 2009’s brand new eyes, addressed her failed relationship with Josh.
“I would say that a large majority of those songs, yes, have to do with the relationship we had and then that we had to mend,” Williams told MTV, who, on Friday (Jan. 7), will air the band’s first interview since the split. “And it was really hard, because we were all friends, and then going through a breakup and going through any kind of tension as a band really affected all the lyrics. There are a lot of specifics that I pulled from my experience with just feeling like my face was underneath a boot all the time.”
But Williams hoped that her fans found inspiration in her lyrics about feeling victimized and betrayed. “I think the point of the album was never to point out those things, but hopefully to encourage people who feel that way,” she said. “Because I felt so alone in that fight, that I would never want, especially another young woman, to feel that way, because I know there are a lot of girls I’ve talked to, fans, go through the same thing in relationships and families, and it just sucks to feel kind of victimized.”
The relationships between the members of Paramore have been rocky for the last couple of years. In 2009, Williams opened up to SPIN about how bitter in-fighting caused the band to cancel their 2008 tour and nearly break up. “It got to the point where we were like, ‘What’s even the point of this anymore?'” Williams said.
But with the Farro brothers leaving the fold, Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and bassist Jeremy Davis appear to be on an upswing. They’ve roped in temporary replacement members to help out on their South American tour in February and March. And the band is enthusiastic about their new material. Last month, Williams tweeted, “Tonight @itstayloryall [guitarist Taylor York] sent me the 1st official demo for me to write lyrics to and I am so hopeful and motivated for the future!!”
