Behind the Band Name: Paramore

Paramore has existed in many iterations. The group has managed to weather many line-up changes, sonic evolutions, and cultural shifts. The group has been on quite a journey since forming in the early ’00s.

Six studio albums later, the band is still garnering new fans. This year alone, they’ve shared a Top 10 album, opened for Taylor Swift, and secured billings at almost every major music festival this summer. While the band treks through its landmark year, we’re looking back at its origins.

Find out how Paramore came to be, below.

Paramore

The formation of Paramore was set in motion when frontwoman Hayley Williams moved from her hometown of Meridian, Mississippi to Franklin, Tennessee in 2002. After moving, she met brothers Josh and Zac Farro at the private middle school they all attended.

[RELATED: 5 Memorable Live Moments from Paramore’s Hayley Williams]

Shortly after becoming a Tennessean, she began taking vocal lessons with highly sought-after voice teacher Brett Manning—which explains the breadths of her vocal range.

Prior to forming Paramore, Williams, was in a funk cover band, The Factory, with friends Jeremy Davis and Kimee Read. Williams and Davis met the Farros and forged a friendship that would later turn into a musical partnership.

The band was officially formed in 2004 with a line-up of Williams (lead vocals), Josh Farro (lead guitar), Zac Farro (drums), Davis (bass) and Jason Bynum (guitar).

The group got its moniker from one of the member’s mother’s maiden name: Paramour. The last name means “secret lover.” The group switched up the spelling a little, landing on the name Paramore.

All We Know is Falling

The group played a number of venues in and around Nashville in early 2005, including the emo holy ground that was the Warped Tour. Indie Label Fueled by Ramen was introduced to Paramore’s demos at a live show and subsequently signed them in April of 2005.

Soon after, Davis left the band for “personal reasons,” forcing the band to continue on as a four-piece. The band penned the song “All We Know” as a response to his departure. That idea then became the jumping-off point for their debut album, All We Know is Falling.

The couch on the cover of All We Know is Falling and the shadow projected onto it are representative of Davis’ departure.

The album featured a number of Paramore’s name-making hits including “Pressure,” “Emergency” and “Conspiracy.”

Riot!

Paramore followed up All We Know is Falling with the even-more anthemic album, Riot! Because Davis and his replacement bassists had left the group by this time, the group tapped Taylor York to fill out the rhythm section.

The band previewed the album with the now-controversial single “Misery Business.” The song received a measure of backlash years later amid the #MeToo movement. Williams was accused of misogyny for some of the lyrical content. In 2023, the song is now back in the good graces of their fans.

Elsewhere on the pivotal record are “crushcrushcrush,” “That’s What You Get” and “Fences.”

Brand New Eyes

After the release of their third studio album, Brand New Eyes, Josh and Zac Farro announced that they were leaving the band.

“A couple of months ago, Josh and Zac let us know they would be leaving the band after our show in Orlando last Sunday. None of us were really shocked. For the last year, it hasn’t seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore,” the band said in a message posted to Paramore.net (per Dying Scene). “We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy and if that isn’t here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere. But we never for a second thought about leaving any of this behind.”

The rest of the band once again continued on in face of line-up changes.

This Is Why

After Brand New Eyes, the group shared a self-titled record – sans Farros.

Zac Farro then announced his return right before the group began working on the new wave-steeped follow-up to Paramore, After Laughter.

That record would be the last from the group for several years. The members then began focusing on solo projects.

The band made their long-awaited return in 2023 with This Is Why, which expertly mixes the dance-floor anthems found on After Laughter and their earlier punky offerings.

Paramore is slated to go on tour this summer, with appearances at a number of major music festivals including, Bonarroo, Boston Calling, and Hangout.

Photo by Elke / The Oriel