The Agenda Setter: This is why...: Paramore's peers on why they're such a special band | Dork
The Agenda Setter: This is why...: Paramore's peers on why they're such a special band
As Paramore hit the cover of Dork, we talk to their peers and those they've influenced on exactly why they're such a uniquely positive force, and just what is the essential Paramore song.
WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK
As Paramore hit the cover of Dork, we talk to their peers and those they've influenced about exactly why they're such a uniquely positive force and just what is the essential Paramore song.
Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Zachary Gray, Frances Beach.
Paramore are one of the biggest bands to come out of that fiery 00s rock scene, while tracks like ‘Decode’ helped define emo and introduced an entire generation to alternative music. As far as legacy goes, it’s an impressive one. But while many of their peers have become boxed in by nostalgia, Paramore have constantly reinvented themselves. It’s not always been easy or comfortable, but they’ve consistently done things their own way. That artistic growth has helped the band remain one of the biggest guitar groups around today, while a celebrated stint on Taylor Swift’s Eras tour hasn’t exactly hurt their reputation either. Seventeen years after their first breakout moment, Paramore are more vital than ever. We asked some of their famous fans why.
Kat Moss grew up knowing the big Paramore hits but really fell for the band with ‘After Laughter’. “It just hooked me in,” she tells Dork. “It’s a perfect pop record, but there are still all these different influences that come together.” From there, she went back and rediscovered ‘All We Know Are Falling’, ‘Riot!’, ‘Brand New Eyes’ and ‘Self-Titled’. “I had a moment with each one of those records and it all felt deeply personal. How is this girl talking about my life,” she explains, with Hayley’s lyrics reflecting the angst, the joy and the chaotic peace that comes with growing up. We’ve all been there. “There’s something really powerful about being a musician that can write songs thousands of people are relating to on such a deep level.”
But as Kat started getting more involved with the punk and hardcore scenes, going to metal shows and starting their band Scowl, she found herself relating even more with Paramore’s journey. “There really weren’t a lot of women who were owning this space to look up to,” explains Kat, but finding Paramore opened things up for her. “I’m eternally grateful for that. Paramore has impacted so many people’s lives. Not just girls either, but anyone who ever felt underrepresented in those scenes has felt heard because of them. That’s really important because a lot of us connected with this style of music because we come from challenging backgrounds. It feels like the end goal with any band is always to create a space that feels safe and inspiring in some form,” and Paramore have constantly done that, they explain.
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Despite Paramore coming from the scrappy world of punk rock, they’ve never been defined by that scene either. “There are a lot of bands from that Warped Tour scene that were as big as them, but haven’t stayed as relevant because they haven’t stuck by their shit in the same way,” explains Kat. “Maybe they were too afraid or maybe the thought just never crossed their mind because they weren’t questioned in the same way, but Paramore have never been afraid to stick up for themselves or their community.” Scowl know a thing or two about taking a stand after getting involved with boycotts of SXSW and Download Festival earlier this year, over their partnerships with the US Army and Barclays Bank respectively. And for those that say boycotts don’t work, both festivals have since dropped those partnerships.
“Paramore are a contemporary band that is truly changing the music scene while still inspiring the next wave of bands coming through. They’ve always shown up for the little guy, but they’ve also never once come off as scared to step into the world,” Kat adds, which leads us to The Eras tour.
“I’m not punk rock Jesus, and there are so many ways for punk music to sonically communicate nowadays, but the reality is, if the music is questioning something and if you’re breaking rules, then it’s punk as fuck,” offers Kat, who’s had to straddle the worlds of DIY hardcore and something bigger as Scowl have reached more and more people. “Seeing a punk as fuck band like Paramore opening for Taylor Swift is just incredibly inspiring and sets such an influence,” says Kat. They’d be more than happy for Scowl to stay at the level it is right now but also has a “massive bag of ambition” that ranges from artistic pride to her parents watching her play in an arena.
“Paramore have set this really cool example of how to be ambitious, sincere, artistic and empathetic without losing who they are,” says Kat. “It’s just really empowering how they’ve constantly asked ‘How can we create art that is breaking our own boundaries and breaking the boundaries’ with each and every record. They’ve never been cowards about using fashion or visuals, either. They’re a really unpredictable band, and I can’t wait to hear what weird shit they come up with next,” they add. “I just fucking love that band.”
For Lauren Mayberry, she was first introduced to Paramore via the heavy rotation of ‘Misery Business’ on music channels, but it was the lyrics of ‘Playing God’ that really sealed the deal, with ‘Brand New Eyes’ an immediate purchase.
“It's inspiring to me to see how Hayley's voice has developed over the years - as a writer and as a singer. Post-‘Riot!’, it feels like every record they've done has been distinct from its predecessor and has evolved the musical and emotional story in a way I don't think a lot of bands can do,” she tells Dork.
The songs every Paramore fan needs to hear - picked by those who know the band best
Paramore has steadily been getting bigger over the past couple of years. The release of the incredible ‘This Is Why’ proved the band still had something vital to offer the world after an unofficial hiatus, while their stint on the Eras tour has introduced countless Swifties to their heartwarming rock & roll. It seems like whatever comes next will be even bigger, but that’s a story for another time. With a 20-year back catalogue to wade through though, it can be intimidating for new fans to know exactly where to start. Enter Dork. We’ve asked some of the band’s biggest fans to pick an essential Paramore track - check them out below.
Hayley Williams
Despite telling Wembley Stadium her favourite Paramore song, at least for now, is ‘Forgiveness’, her pick for newcomers is 'This Is Why'’s 'Thick Skull'. “It’s tough, but to me that song encompasses a few different influences. It's got heavy bits to it, it's got a little bit of that All I Wanted thing but it sonically falls in a different world, and I'm really proud of the songwriting on it, so I would say that. And it's just drippy with just sad, big emotions and I feel like people always like it when we give that. I love that song, and I'm so glad we made a video for it.”
Zac Farro
I don’t think there’s such a thing as THE essential Paramore song. But I will say, we really enjoyed playing our song 'Forgiveness' this summer. I think it showcases a different side of the band a lot of people might not know exists.
The Linda Lindas
'Running Out of Time' is such a fun song because it’s great to dance to, has relatable lyrics and of course the amazing vocals of Ms. Williams. Paramore was one of the first live concerts we ever attended, so it was pretty surreal to see it live every night when we were on tour with them last summer. Their super playful music video is so cool and inspiring too.
Remi Wolf
My Paramore song selection is 'All I Wanted'. I choose this song because there are so many Paramore songs that are absolutely incredible, but this one, live, was a life-altering experience for me. It really showcases how incredibly talented Hayley is as a singer and it's so just so impressive and so full of emotion and depth. The way they execute it live just really hits the soul. It's also such a brutal sentiment; all I wanted was you, and then you went and fucked it up. Great song.
Lauren Mayberry, Chvrches
'26' always makes me cry, so I'll choose that one.
Kat Moss, Scowl
There are two songs, not one, sorry. 'Brand New Eyes' is my favourite record because lyrically, I listen to that record and I'm like, how are they talking about my life right now? It's so personal, so ‘Ignorance' is my first pick, because it’s such an incredible, heavy, punky track that means so much to me. But for the people who are less into the punk stuff, I would say ‘Fake Happy’ from 'After Laughter' is a must-listen. ‘Fake Happy’ is the perfect song. It's happy tears, but it's also sad tears while you're dancing alone in your room. You're putting it on, singing every word. I've had so many moments like that, or scream-singing in the car after getting off of work and I just need to get it out.
Bartees Strange
From ‘Riot’, I’m picking ‘That’s What You Get’. First off, I was a kid that thought I loved heady music. When I was in high school I was like, I like polyrhythm and math-rock bands, I don't just listen to poppy rock bands. I was listening to Dance Gavin Dance and all that shit, but then I heard ‘That's What You Get’ and I just instantly fell in love. The way the song starts is chaos chords and this big, polyrhythm Purdie shuffle. Then the vocal starts, and it's just sick. They were listening to the same stuff I was, they were fans of the stuff I was into, because the references were so direct. It’s a song I’ll always remember because it made me feel heard and seen, which is a nice moment to have with a band you think is amazing.
Stephen Ackroyd, Editor, Dork
Paramore’s catalogue spans everything from brash, fist-pumping anthems to tender, introspective moments, but 'Last Hope' stands apart as something singular and special. It's a song that carries the weight of experience — of lost friendships, shattered relationships, and dreams reduced to ash — but it doesn’t linger in despair. Instead, it captures that fragile, electric moment when belief flickers back to life. There's an ache in Hayley Williams’ delivery, an admission that the pain remains — “the salt in my wounds isn’t burning any more than it used to” — but also a quiet defiance, a resilience in the face of it. What makes 'Last Hope' so impactful is its quiet defiance. It’s not just about enduring pain but about refusing to let it define the future - a beacon of resilience and a guiding hand in the face of adversity, to let go and trust that the darkness will pass. It’s a song that stirs; the moment when hope reignites and that faith in the future, however faint, shines through. It’s the kind of track that reaches out when you need it most, a companion in the darkness that lights the way back. If you've ever been through stuff and picked yourself up to come back swinging, you'll really feel this one.
Jenessa Williams, journalist
The well of Paramore lore is pretty deep, but if you’re new to their world, you’ll likely get a kick out of the easter-egg goodness that is ‘Part II’. A thematic continuation of the 'Riot' highlight ‘Let The Flames Begin’, it has all the lyrical hallmarks of a great angsty P’more track — faith and forgiveness, guts and glory, butterflies with punctured wings — set to an epic emo breakdown which they smashed the merry heck out of at Reading & Leeds 2014, forever solidifying their headliner status.
Eleanor, artist and merch designer
I think it’s fair to say that I’ll talk to anyone who listens about ‘Told You So’. Paramore released it seven years ago, but it sounds just as fresh to me even now. There’s a fire and ferocity that feels SO trademark Paramore, but with it being our second taste of the ‘After Laughter’ sound at the time, it was also new, exciting territory.
All three members feel at their best: Taylor’s guitar parts are jagged and fizzing, Hayley’s vocals punch through the soundscape, and Zac’s drums roll underneath it all like thunder — they just work in perfect harmony. Listening to it transports me right back to their tiny theatre tour in 2017 (Tour One, the band nicknamed it), with this song being the show's opener, bursting into flames right from the get-go — everyone feverish and excited watching them explode out of such small rooms. It translates their live performances so perfectly for me. They’ve captured a real, wild, live-show energy on this track that reminds me why they’re my favourite band of all time.
Ali Shutler, journalist
Asking people to pick an essential Paramore track seemed like such a good idea until I actually had to do it myself. Over five albums, the band have confidently straddled the worlds of pop and rock but never been afraid to get a little weird either, be it via the ukulele-led interludes on ‘Self-Titled’, the twisting, easter-egg laden ‘No Friend’ or the ambitious emo of ‘Conspiracy’. The thing that ties all those different sonic flexes together, though, is Paramore’s ability to embrace the now. Each album reflects a chapter in their lives, from angsty, confused teenagers wanting to take on the world to uncertain 30-somethings desperately clinging on to hope, with fans able to see themselves in those struggles. Which brings us to ‘Crave’. A gorgeous, aching song about embracing the past but hoping for a brighter future, it’s a tender song of community, faith and trust in the world that they’ve built.
Paramore have constantly straddled the worlds of pop and rock, while also exploring further afield. “That's what puts Paramore in a different class than their peers from back in the day, I think,” Lauren continues. “The way they create now feels very fearless to me. Whether it feels like that inside the band, I don't know. But from an outside perspective, I am really in awe of (and frankly quite jealous of) bands that can create so honestly and creatively ambitiously, especially after having been together for so long. There's a lot of alternate realities where long-term relationships become comfortable, or too controlling, too possessive, to allow space for a band to evolve and create something new -- or you simply lose the chemistry and run out of ideas. It's a lot easier to retread what worked once before, than to truly move forward and make things that a previous iteration of you would not have.”
At this point in time, Paramore has such a storied, turbulent history, but as we enter the twilight months of 2024, the band have never been bigger, and their future has never seemed brighter. “At this point in life, who doesn't have some baggage,” laughs Lauren. “I think Paramore have experienced so much that they are wise beyond their years - creatively and otherwise - and it just feels like they have the exact right level of zero fucks to spend on things that aren't important. I think that authenticity (and how great they are as writers and performers) cuts through all the bullshit,” she says of their continued growth.
He experienced that first-hand when he saw the band play Warped Tour shortly after they released their debut album. “They were one of the sickest bands I’d ever seen,” he beams. “There wasn’t a whole lot of representation in the scene back then either, so to see someone who wasn’t a traditionally handsome white guy singing the shit out of a rock song was really refreshing. It was something a lot of people from my world really connected with, and to see that continue across generations is incredible.”
When he got involved with their ‘This Is Why’ remix album, reworking ‘Figure 8’, he asked the band about what guidelines he’d have to follow. “Do whatever you want. Go nuts,” was the response. That trust was “so cool,” says Bartees. “I’ve done a lot of cool stuff over the past couple of years, but that was a real honour,” he offers.
Bartees believes their growth is really down to their artistry though. “They could have easily made songs like ‘Misery Business’ for the next forty years, but they keep trying new things. And everything they try is really fucking good,” he offers. “It feels like they’re still really invested in redefining Paramore’s sound and vision with every record, and that’s really inspiring,” he continues. “There’s that experimentation, but they’re never trying to be anything other than themselves either. I just love bands who just aren’t afraid to make music.” ■
Paramore are on the cover of the October issue of Dork. You can order a copy below.
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