Transcript

00:00 Hi I'm Haley from Paramore and you're watching behind the brand. Hey everyone I'm Brian Elliot welcome to another edition of behind the brand. Today I'm here with the amazing Haley Williams Haley thanks for coming by thanks for having me. I usually ask people how did you get this job oh man. This started a a long time ago I was 12 or 13. When I joined my band and um we were just kids in school. You know and I I come from a really small town in Mississippi and I was sort of the only person in my school that really was interested in music. So by the time you know I was old enough to know anything. I knew that I wanted to sing and write songs and play with my friends and a band. You know. I wanted to be a part of something so it wasn't until I moved to Nashville I I met my friend friends that that also wrote and that was like this Revelation for me to meet other people. My age who wanted to do the same thing as me. I felt less alone you know so um yeah. We we didn't really waste any time we started after school. On every Thursday we went to school cuz. It was like this homeschool kid thing how old were you. At this time I was like 13 yeah. We were I was in seventh grade. It was serious to us.It was already a career for us you know and um I think our first gig was the school talent show so let's go back to the time where you were 12. 13 just getting started. Did did you know that you wanted to be a pro yeah. I think I did I mean I I didn't know how possible it was I just thought I'm going to have fun doing it. You know I felt like um. I had seen you know I would see movies like uh The Temptations or even like even Spice World and I just thought they're all having fun with their friends making music and it's like it's their thing. It's their job and I wanted that you know I I wanted to feel like you know. I wanted that us against the world kind of thing which is just sort of inherently part of St a band. You just kind of have this. It's like this very innocent gang mentality and we you know we started that way and then the next thing we knew we were in a van on the road so were you writing music or were you like aspiring singer like you were.I don't know in your church or you're like singing on the street corner like always in the shower. What's how did it get started. Well. I did sing in church but I was really shy as a kid um. My parents separated pretty early on and I was an only child um for a while until my dad um in his second marriage had my sisters and um I just I just loved music. I really I I had this belief that I could do it. But I needed to get past like I I I didn't really feel like proving it to anyone. I just kind of knew that it it could happen. So I sang in church. A few times I had a friend that I would sing with um for R you know whatever random talent shows there. There were if I got up the courage to do it. But it really wasn't until I started writing songs and I think writing gave me. I just realized I had a voice and I had my own mind because it it's one thing to mimic your favorite singers and sing along in the car. But it's another thing to have your own voice yeah.

03:11 What do you think it is about music that either heals us or it resonates with us. I mean it sounds like you went through a really hard time with your parents' divorce um and did music help you through some of that yeah. I mean being a kid and you know having your parents split up. Isn't all that unique. But it's it's still heavy you know and um I think for me. I always loved sad songs and I didn't know why. But I think I really picked up on a lot of the the heartache that was going on in my family and I didn't know how to say it myself. I mean I was like six you know but all these other songs did and so those were the ones that I really those were the ones that resonated with me um from an early age and um you know. When I did start writing lyrics.It was a lot of really sad stuff and it was a lot of um Injustice you know and there was some angst a lot of angst and early Paramore. But um you know that you know I think it's healing because it's this space that you have I mean I think if you're a writer then you know it's that moment that you have to yourself to to really think through how you feel about something. And it's it's uninterrupted you know. It's. It's your own moment with those feelings to make peace with them yeah. And it's it's somewhat cathartic right like so you're getting your feelings out into lyrics or into a melody or a Harmony yeah.I think the coolest thing for me about writing a song is fitting my feelings into a melody or into a rhythm because I'm I'm a very rhythmic um singer. I I think most of the stuff that inspires me as a writer is syncopated rhythms and and some of the songs we wrote early on. Um. I ended up almost like rapping in the you know Misery Business was one of our first big singles and there's so many words but it felt so good to say them along with this. This Rhythm that gave every word more power and I think I don't know that that feels really good so what comes first with you is it. The is it the lyrics or is it the Rhythm or is it the melody or well uh with Paramore. We tend to write music first and then I kind of go and I listen to that I might learn learn it on guitar learn it on piano and I I kind of with it um alone. Cuz I do I do tend to write words in secret cuz like I said it's that's my space to really feel something out but um you keep it like in a DI journal or yeah. I it. It feels better to physically write out the words you in like Eminem right you've got like your notebook and you're working on people do compare me to Eminem quite. Often they don't but um I I like writing it because I think it's that tangible release you know I mean I do I do type everything out too um but but sometimes like you're just you're traveling or you're in you're getting coffee or whatever and it's like you think of something it's good yes.So you need to jot it down. I'm I'm old school like that too. I like to keep I have like my to-do list on a physical list. I like to cross it off. Don't don't you think that when you when you write your to-do list you do it like better if you than if you were to type it out. I'm that way yeah. I'm I'm kinetic learner so like when I do I learn so the active writing helps me remember somehow s in deeper yep me too. I'm the same way I I definitely. I like also like if I am writing out lyrics and I don't like something I like scratching it out like seeing it scribbled over more than just deleting it because it. I really I really shut it down. You know if I'm scribbling over it but anyway yeah writing writing physically just feels better so we're talking off camera a little bit about Karen Carpenter who are some of your other kind of Inspirations.

06:59 Oh man I I feel like I was lucky to you know my parents were really young when they had me. So I feel like I I got to listen to a lot of cool music as a kid um and and I I'm able to reference things that um most times people that are a little bit older than me will reference and I feel lucky for that. So I mean I listen to a lot of Shaka Kan and um I mean and the classic rock with my dad of course. But um you know. I I feel also really lucky that my grand BR out was into soul and funk music. So that's where like the Shaka Kan and the and like Temptations or you know a lot of Motown stuff Elvis.Even you know cool and you know you're petite but you you know youve got this amazing projection. You got this killer voice. I mean it reminds me of some of these power voices of you know whether it's a Shaka Kan or you know any of these you know amazingly. Dynamic powerful voices um is that like your Alter Ego like you said you're kind of a little bit like an introvert does the extrovert come out on stage. How does that work yeah. I do I mean I'm we've spent two years off at this point just writing and I feel like I've gotten to know my introverted self. A lot more in the past two years than I had you know I hadn't really been given the chance on the road because we're surrounded by so many people and I do think I'm good at that. I I it's not that I think I'm um better off in a room by myself. I I think I love to listen to people's stories and I like engaging and connecting and that's a beautiful thing about being in a band that travels and meeting you know meeting fans that become sort of like your family.But um yeah. I think on stage it. It does give me a chance to let her out. You know like let that side to me that um I really think I need that expression I need to complete those like the things that I'm writing and my journal and the things that I'm writing to music. It's. It's. It's one way to express that feeling but to fully realize it. I think is to perform it and really exercise those demons you know a lot of people who watch this. They are they're creative. They're artists or future artists um. They're they've got some sort of side hustle or some dream that they've got. Maybe. Let's get a little bit personal and talk about some of the things that you got wrong in order to get it right and maybe talk to this audience about you know like hang in. There. It takes time whatever your advice is what would you say to those young people just getting started me and I mean we started really young and I think one thing I I wouldn't do anything different because I feel like I'm here sitting on this stool because I did things the way that I did and the band did things the way that we did. But I do wish in a way. I had been a little bit more. Fearless about my position early on cuz.

09:52 You know there weren't a lot of girls in the scene um. When we were kids. I mean there were plenty of girls to look up to. There. Were there was Gwen Stefani. There was Brody from ERS and Shirley Manson and all these wonderful females I mean even Debbie Harry Cindy loer. But I I didn't have anyone my age around me. That was a female.I was just on a tour with like guys twice my age and I really um I I think I I didn't show it on stage. But I doubted my a lot. I really did and I felt um I felt that loneliness sort of translating into something that it it shouldn't have you doubted yourself like your skills like you could actually do it or like just doubted. Whether or not people would ever take me seriously like imposter syndrome like what am I yes we're just talking about this yes impostor. Sy I have it. I have impostor syndrome I I I I'm just going to accept it because and I because because I think that I'm ready to get over it. But I mean I'm 28 and I've been in a band for 13 years and I'm just now realizing that that's really what it is you know. It's feeling like maybe. I didn't do enough to deserve where I got or someone's going to catch me and realize that it's not. It's not real. I don't know yeah where does that come from though is that just like what we manufacture in our own minds or I wish I knew where impostor syndrome came from because I know a lot of people struggle with that. I mean me too. Sometimes I feel like I have to pinch myself like wow. This is amazing am I really here with you um and I think probably a lot of people watching can relate to that. But like is that self-made like self- sabotage or is that outside influence you know what's fun is I do think that even though even though it was lonely to be the only girl coming up in a scene that that was tough already you know you're in a van traveling around.You're not really sleeping well. You're you're playing shows to half filled or maybe not even half- filled rooms like I do think that my age actually helped me and as I've gotten older. I think we get older and we we really start to overthink things you know there's we. We know a little bit more our experiences kind of Stack up and and it's there's more to think about and maybe that means there's more to doubt about. So I um I don't know. I there's days that I think back and I'm like God I'm so glad. There's so many other females for me to lean on like my friend. Beth from Best Coast is I text her all the time just to kind of get her opinion on something or just to feel like I've got. I don't know just a female that understands. But I I wish I had that as a kid. But I also look back and I think man I was so young and I was I just did. I was green and so I just did what I felt yeah and I think I think you got to remember to just do what you feel and follow that even you know when you get older and there's a lot more to pay attention to what do you say to those who you know.

12:53 They're in the struggle and they don't know gosh how much longer should I keep gigging or like keep just grinding it out. Whether they've got you know they're singing on YouTube. You know um or they're playing the local coffee shop or club like how long do you give this great idea your passion until a because a lot of people say when are you going to get this real job. Especially the the doubters you know who may not maybe you're the diamond in the rough. You know like you really haven't completely come into your own yet but like how do you push through that it's interesting to think about what makes me want to keep going um and what might make me want to quit cuz. We've you know my band. We've been through so many crazy I mean we've been through a lot of hard times and um we've been through incredible. The we've had so many successes and these great achievements. But that also doesn't that shouldn't be the fuel either to keep going um. I think to be really honest. You know two years ago I was ready to quit. I was I just thought um you know I been through a lot personally and the band had been through a lot and um. I doubted if I could write a record that I loved as much as our self-titled record um and I just thought man like this is I've been stressing this for 13 years. I've been working my ass off for 13 years since before I had a car before I had you know anything that was mine you know. The only thing that was mine was this music. You.Know was this bond that I had with my friends. The you know the shows that we played um. I I really felt like maybe it was time to hang it up and find out what other things I could be good at whether that's like just being a like starting a family or you know doing hair dye or whatever it was. But I I think my you know my dad always said if you're not happy just just hang it up if it. But I have been unhappy and I didn't hang it up and I'm so. I'm so glad that I didn't you know and and I mean I guess I would tell my kid you should be happy. But I feel now. I look back at like even the last two years and I think about all the songs. We've written for the album. That's upcoming and I just think like I I push myself to a place where I could I could still hang it up. If I wanted to. It's a choice. You you have to know you have the choice.But I think it's good to see What You're Made Of and I really kind of f have been finding that out. More recently I think more so now than I had in the last our whole career so far you know that's really good advice. I I want to underscore that because it's subtle maybe if you're watching you may have missed it if I could put quotes around what you just said um. I would maybe put I can do hard things mhm and I think you're right. It's a really important lesson that you're talking about which is when the going gets tough. You know maybe 99% of us. We just feel like quitting giving up yeah um and it's really easy to give up especially when it's all your choice. But maybe there is something better if you go just a little bit beyond that you know stretching yourself yeah totally going for it and really I guess what you're saying too. Is. You have to evaluate what do you have to lose you know like what's the risk versus reward MH. What do they say they say um. Failure is not an option yeah but really failure has to be an option yeah. It does right because in order to have success you've got to have the failure to even know what success feels like right that's yeah. That's so true. The trick is not to fail too far that you can't come back and play another day yeah.You know I think knowing that I had the choice was probably the most empowering moment for me like when I realized that you know and even talking to Taylor my bandmate and him saying you know um. I think it also helps to have good friends and have that kind of support around you but just having him say you know this. Is you have a choice and I I'm not going to be mad at you either way. I'm still going to be your friend. We can write music for other things. We can never write music again but but when I realized that it was my choice to leave it behind and you know try something else or keep going and maybe. Maybe still hurt a little while and figuring out whether or not I wanted to do this.

17:20 That was that was my moment. You know that was a good moment for me and isn't that just like about everything like we're sort of scared with what's around around the bend because we can't see it. We've never done it. So it's like I I always ask people like when's the last time you really did something for the first time and and a lot of people say oh gosh you know not recently yeah and it's because it can be scary right. We imagine all these things that could go wrong or might happen. It's all like really false forecasting yeah yeah and the older you get. I think it's even like you know it's it's kind of like. When I was a kid. I wrode BMX and I loved it and I with all the boys and I wasn't afraid of falling and it was just fun and now when I get on a bike. Now I I won't even ride without both my hands on the handlebars you know and I I think there's just something to getting older that you have to. I don't know you just have to trust that you've got it within yourself and not doubt too much the doubting thing man. It's yeah.It's I I heard a friend of mine say that kind of thinking is like experiencing failure in Reverse yeah yeah. There's like really no point to it because it hasn't happened yet wow that's a cool way to say it you know. So. There are some things that you should worry about you know whether that's earthquake preparedness or whatever you know like you should be prepared for real but like so if something hasn't happened. Yet. We shouldn't manufacture it in our minds yeah until it happens and then we can be scared of it and then deal with it right yeah and that's but that's hard like um. I I've never really struggled with anxiety until this past two years that I was telling it. Just I just felt like what if I never make something that I love as much as the self-titled album you know what if our fourth album was our last album there was even a moment where I thought it should be our last album because I don't want to make a fifth album and it suck you know. I don't I don't want to like disappoint myself more than I don't want to disappoint.

19:12 You know however many people that might buy it. I I just I never made a fifth record before until me and my friends wrote it and recorded it and it is funny what we tell ourselves yeah. And I think that's the moment that we get stuck yeah yeah. It can be like analysis paralysis like should I shouldn't I or sometimes. It's just like the fight ORF flight thing takes and we're like I'm out right. I think I saw a really good. Ted Talk do you know Elizabeth Gilbert who wrote Eat Pray Love. Yes yeah did you see this Ted Talk where she talks about. You. Know is our best work behind us. I need to watch it. I haven't watched this.So she you know she wrote that amazing book it got it made to a movie and and then she's like okay and then now what damn yeah that's scary and there's all this pressure right yeah. I think the pressure that you put on yourself is worse than any cuz. Every time we put out another album we get asked in interviews. You know what was the pressure like from your label to follow up the success of blah blah blah album and and I've never understood that and I and I think you know maybe we're lucky to have a great relationship with our label in that sense. But the pressure came from us like me you know just not wanting to disappoint myself or Scare myself off but that's part of it yeah right like life we when we finally understand that there's good times and bad times that like there's either life or there's hiding yeah right right yes and so when we get comfortable with like all right bring it on like what's the worst that can happen. Then. I think we truly start living the life that we have the potential to live you know yeah man. This is good can. We do this once a week yeah. I need I need a second therapist all right.

20:57 May let's give some final words of advice to young entrepreneurs. You know people who are in the struggle um. They admire you. They love what you've done but you know they're also doing other things. So they're they're Engineers or they're writing code or they're they're artists or you know they are. They love math whatever it is so like what's your advice to people doing cool stuff that might not work.It might not work well. That's the that's the bottom line right. But what is not working right so maybe we can Define that too but it's all experimental when we start new new things. We don't know the outcome right yeah if it was predictable. Everyone would be doing it yeah. Right. I really think that I mean for me and I I mean this has nothing to do with the music business. This is just life. I think when I've felt something in my gut and I didn't follow that I mean I paid for it every time and so I re I mean I try to really pay attention because I think that we do know ourselves. We do know our passions and and the things that that might put us in danger. I mean these are like instinctive things. You know um we know what we're capable of and sometimes I think we even when we even when we know we might not be capable. We know when we can give it a shot and be all right you know and that's I think maybe the danger thing that I was talking about but for me following that gut feeling has has even when it didn't work out or look the way. I thought it it would um has always paid off and you know. I mean Paramore we're on our fifth album. We've been a band since I was 13 I'm 28 now and I'm still alive you know been through a lot of pain still alive started a new company. It's really scary still alive and it's and I think that it's because I'm I value that gut feeling you know so yeah. I would I guess I would just say you'll know if it's you'll know if it's worth going after or not you'll know that and and if you don't then you'll know when it's time to try something new. But it's not going to kill you.