"Somehow, in our thirties, we’ve still maintained the ability to tap into the 11, 12, and 13-year-olds that we each were when we met": Paramore's Hayley Williams on her band's 'inner teenager'

Paramore in 2022 — (Image credit: Press)

Paramore's Hayley Williams has spoken about her band's ability to access their 'inner teenagers' and keep finding wonder in what they do.

Williams was speaking to RollingStone.com, in response to a query as to whether guitarist Taylor York, drummer Zac Farro and herself still manage to surprise one another having made five albums in the past 20 years.

"Oh my god, yes," Williams replies. "Somehow, in our thirties, we’ve still maintained the ability to tap into the 11, 12, and 13-year-olds that we each were when we met. We might still bicker in the studio, we might still be intimidated to show someone an idea, but also we make each other better."

"Not only do they challenge me, and they teach me, and we all learn from each other; but my experience is very much a balance between feeling that challenge and intimidation that I felt as a kid when I first met them and also feeling so empowered by them because they believe in me and we trust each other."

"Zac was the first friend I ever made in music," Williams adds. "All we had was our favorite bands on a burned CD. We learned how to be a band together, we learned how to be friends with each other. We met Taylor that same year and that was in 2002. For everything we’ve been through, it almost feels like as soon as Zac rejoined the band after six years of being away from us, not only did we get our guy back, we got ourselves back. We got a part of our childhood back. This thing that made us who we were, we got it back. And it’s such a superpower when we’re together."

Paramore have just released Re: This Is Why, a 'reimagining' the tracks from their sixth studio album, This Is Why, which emerged in February. Among the artists who've worked on the album are Wet Leg, The Linda Lindas, Foals, Julien Baker and Zane Lowe.

"We’ve long wanted to recognize the connection we have with some of the artists who’ve influenced us as a band and/or who have cited our band as an influence," the group explained on X. "Re: This Is Why is almost a remix album. Some of the songs have been remixed sort of classically, while others were reworked or rewritten. It’s incredible to hear all our worlds colliding."

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.