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38 . dec/jan 2014 . BUST Fierce and feminist, Hayley Williams—the frontwoman of the pop-punk band Paramore— is a rock star for an enlightened generation. Here, she opens up about band drama, selling sex, and her secret dreams
By Molly Simms Photographed by Emily Shur StylED by JAK Makeup by Gregory Arlt Hair by Brian O’Connor
39 y some measures, Hayley Williams, the lead singer of the pop-punk band Paramore, seems like a fairly regular 25-year-old. She crafts her ass off, shops at thrift stores, and loves to experiment with hair dye. In fact, despite her hordes of Twitter followers (around 3.5 million at last count), the numerous Web sites devoted to her opinions and outfits, and the way-too-obsessive media analy- sis of her comings-and-goings, Williams is shockingly normal. So normal that, while talking to her, you almost forget that while your average Tuesday-night plans revolve around watching House Hunters, hers might consist of playing a sold-out show at Lon- don’s Wembley Arena. (At press time, Paramore’s new single, “Still Into You,” was num- ber one on the U.K. rock charts.) Fact is, she’s kind of a big deal. All of her band’s four al- bums (All We Know Is Falling, Riot!, Brand New Eyes, and Paramore) have gone gold or platinum, and she was even the first playable female character in the massively popular Guitar Hero video game series. When performing, Williams is like a Around the same time, she befriended critical acclaim, getting glowing reviews bottle rocket, bouncing across the stage some boys from her church who were in everything from Entertainment Weekly in Converse sneakers while she thrashes putting together a fledgling rock group to The New York Times. her red-orange hair. It’s a persona as bold (though not playing specifically Chris- That band spat wasn’t the only indig- as her throaty voice, which she employs on tian rock). The label agreed to take on the nity Williams has suffered in the public her band’s up-tempo hard-rock anthems whole band, and in 2005, Paramore’s first eye. Later that same year, a topless photo and the occasional ballad. In a similar vein album was released; Williams was a mere of her leaked online and had every rock as No Doubt and Avril Lavigne, Paramore 16 years old at the time. That album, All ‘n’ roll fanboy panting and/or discussing plays what you might call “happy punk,” We Know Is Falling, was well-reviewed her boob size. But Williams weathered and as a result, the band (and Williams but only a minor success, sales-wise. But the storm with aplomb, joking about the herself) has been criticized by the rock everything changed in 2007 with their incident in the press and emerging with press for being nothing more than pop next release, Riot!—it went platinum and her rep intact. fluff. And since critics are typically harsh cemented Paramore as a pop-punk Bill- She may be the frontwoman of one on any band that’s got teenage girls as fans, board-chart staple. of the most successful rock acts around, there’s been plenty of indie snobbery di- Then in 2010, things took a dramatic but Williams still communicates openly rected at Paramore. But even if you aren’t turn in Paramore world; two of its found- with her fans on the Web; she’s more than a fan of her music, Williams deserves your ing members (one of whom was Williams’ willing to let them see behind the curtain attention because, unlike any female pop ex-boyfriend) left the group. An open let- of her stardom. Posting a pic to her Ins- idol in recent memory, she is leading her ter they posted to the Web soon afterward tagram account in which a magazine had young followers right into the mouth of was ultraspecific about the reasons for mocked one of her outfits, she joked, “Get- feminism. She’s spoken out about sexism the split: the departing members stated ting a fashion ‘don’t’ credit is like winning and misogyny in the music industry; sup- they’d left in part because the direction grand supreme to me. Thank you for ac- ports Love146, a charity that fights sex Paramore was headed in conflicted with knowledging my indifference to all your trafficking; and instructed her blog’s fol- their Christian beliefs and partly because expectations of me.” The ’gram got more lowers to read Girls to the Front, Sara Mar- they were sick of “riding on the coattails of than 55,000 “likes” from her followers. cus’ riot grrrl history book. And one more ‘Hayley’s dream.’” But while those former That, too, is an important aspect of Wil- thing: she actually says she’s a feminist. band members might not agree, let’s be liams’ place in pop culture: her fans don’t Williams started chasing her musical frank—Paramore owes more than a little just follow her, they idolize her. In count- dreams in 2002, when she moved from her of its success to Williams’ abilities. To less glowing posts on tribute Web sites, hometown in Mississippi to Franklin, TN, wit: when I ask a friend if she knows of the they call her “fierce and dynamic,” their and started taking voice lessons in nearby band, she responds immediately, “Is that hero, a goddess, their “biggest inspiration,” Nashville. She was signed to Atlantic Re- the one with the really awesome lady lead and, of course, their role model. cords in 2003, at a jaw-dropping age 14. singer?” The departure of the two mem- With so much attention directed at But instead of becoming the pop diva her bers certainly didn’t destroy the group; in Williams, we were flattered and surprised managers had imagined, she insisted that fact, its first album since they left, 2013’s that she was paying attention to BUST, she wanted to front an alternative band. self-titled release, received near-universal Tweeting at us a bunch of times in recent
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42 . dec/jan 2014 . BUST months. And when she agreed to be on our how I feel on my strongest, best days, all Age.… It’s important for women to band cover, she was so psyched to chat about the time.” But yeah, I absolutely identify together, feel proud and strong, and work feminism and the mag that she specifi- with feminism, and I’m really proud that really hard to be heard. But I would say for cally requested to be interviewed by one of I’m coming up in a generation that is tak- me personally, when someone asks me, our staffers. Our extremely fun, pretense- ing the reins. I certainly wasn’t as smart or “Are you a feminist?” then I’m gonna say free conversation revealed that Williams as driven, nor was I as open and as educat- yes. You know why? ’Cause I’m a girl—why is just a laid-back tomboy who isn’t ca- ed as a lot of young girls that I see coming wouldn’t I be? pable of pretending to be anything she’s up right now; for instance, Rookie mag and not. Though she got, by her own account, the girls behind it, like Tavi [Gevinson]. I I Googled the hell out of you, and the “maybe 10 minutes of sleep” the night think about being her age, and how naïve I level to which people online are ob- before our interview, Williams was com- was to all of the things that she’s really on serving you, analyzing you, and talk- pletely charming throughout. This rock top of and wants to make a difference in. ing about your relationships is insane. star is refreshingly real. But damn, it’s so awesome to be a girl, and As far as teenage girls looking up to it’s so awesome to feel empowered. you, are there things that you want When we heard you liked BUST, we to impress upon them? Do you feel re- were all wondering, “How the hell sponsible for them? does she know about us?” I feel a certain sense of responsibility, First of all, I’m having the same thoughts, just because I know that I have this mi- oh my God. I don’t know how the hell you crophone, and I can say what I feel. I want know who I am, and I’m so excited—nerd- people to feel something that moves them ing out. My grandmother actually bought in our music. And I want, especially the me a subscription for Christmas last young girls who come to our shows, to feel year—we saw [the magazine] at Whole When that it could be them on stage. I can’t feel Foods, and there were all these crafts responsible for every single person—I have and DIY stuff, and that’s right up my al- someone asks more of a goal of just making a positive im- ley. I can’t tell you how excited and really me, “Are you pact as a whole, though I know that’s cli- honored I am that I get to be on the cover. ché. I think I just have to go out and be who It’s gonna blow my mind when I see it. I’m a feminist?” I am, and know that mistakes come with gonna piss my latex pants. that too, and be ready to apologize if that I’m gonna happens. Or be ready to not apologize and When you were a kid, what did you say, “You know what? This is my life. This imagine you’d be doing at this age? say yes. is the way I’m living it.” Man, I always wanted to be in a band. When I was in first or second grade, I would go ’Cause I’m You’ve experienced some major viola- around and recruit people into this “band” a girl—why tions of privacy, like that leaked top- that I apparently was in. I think the cama- less photo and what occurred during raderie of the whole thing really appealed wouldn’t the splintering of the band. Do you to me; I liked the idea that you’re this little ever fantasize about chucking it all gang of friends, and you travel the world I be? and doing something else? and play your songs. It wasn’t until I was Have you been reading my journal? When 9 or 10 that I started truly enjoying sing- all that stuff was going down, whether it ing, and when I got a little bit older, people was, as we like to call it, the tit pic, or the started telling me that I had a good voice. band splitting or losing friends, I imag- I also very much wanted to get out of my ined owning a tiny little café in my home- hometown in Mississippi, and music al- town, in Franklin, Tennessee, and work- ways seemed like the perfect way to just While there are a lot of young women ing there every day. I’d clean dishes and sort of…not really escape but just have a who very proudly identify as femi- feed people, and they’d know that I was in good time, you know? To live an amazing, nists, tons of other women in the me- Paramore and it was an awesome time in full life. dia spotlight shy away from labeling my life, but no one would really give a crap themselves. Do you think it’s impor- what I’m doing—they’d just wanna eat and Do you consider yourself a feminist? tant to call yourself a feminist? have coffee. Yeah, I do! I’m not a super-political per- I think it is important to identify yourself son, but for me, [feminism is] a very social that way. I think that if we’re still talking And you’re gonna have a dog, right? thing—I look at young girls and I’m like, “I about birth control being taken away and a Oh my God, yeah! I’m gonna have a gold- want to empower you. I want you to feel million issues that are just from the Stone endoodle. I don’t know what his name will
43 be—I haven’t thought quite that far yet. But I do identify as a Christian; however, I will people knew how many things I’ve turned I do fantasize about a very normal life. It’s say that my beliefs have changed quite a down in order for it to not turn into “The weird because I spent so much of my life bit since I was kid and was first learning Hayley Show.” I turned down so many fantasizing about the life that I’m living Bible stories and going to Sunday school. magazine covers, so many movie opportu- now. But yeah, I absolutely escape into that I realized how closed-minded my upbring- nities, licensing deals—things that, to me, part of my mind, when things are just re- ing was and how much more rooted in re- meant that I would be walking away from ally overwhelming or sad. It’s not the easi- ligion it was than in an actual relationship what is actually my priority and where my est life, but I’m definitely thankful for it. If with the God that I say I believe in. Like, heart is, and that’s Paramore. Plenty of la- it means that people do violate my privacy I’m not gonna come over and bash all your bels wanted me to be a solo singer—plenty and they’re a little too curious, then you gay friends, because I don’t think that [ho- of ’em. There were other roads I could’ve know what? Who cares? I get to do what I mosexuality is] wrong. I’m not that kind of taken, but why would I want to do that? really wanted to do my whole life. Christian. But I would never deny my faith. I love being in a band. I love my friends. I It’s something that’s mine. grew up with these guys. I was watching this year’s VMAs, and at one point, there were, like, I watched your episode of MTV Cribs, 100 nude women on stage, literally and I saw your collection of Lucille crawling on the ground. As a femi- Ball dolls. What’s her appeal for you? nist, how do you keep sane within the I wasn’t allowed to watch most TV as a kid, pop-music world? but I was allowed to watch Nick at Nite to I’ve been really struggling with the VMAs— my heart’s content. I would go to bed every with my opinions on it and whether or not I don’t night after watching I Love Lucy. I love a to even say what I think. I know it’s a per- funny woman. There are plenty of funny ception of a lot of people that a musician’s want dudes and goofy dads on sitcoms, but Lucy label directs them to do certain things. But did it in a way that was really cool. I just I would really like to believe that most art- to wear wanted to be her—I wanted to be that mis- ists in this day and age have the last word. chievous and curious and crazy. She really So if those artists are choosing to wear that nothing could have everything to do with why my stuff, then I guess more power to them. But on stage. hair is red. it sucks to me more that Justin Timber- lake and Robin Thicke both put out videos, That’s just What’s the first thing you do when you within weeks of each other, of literally just go home from a tour? naked women—and that’s being passed off not me. When I go home, I just wanna maybe watch as “artistic,” but it’s really just about You- TV, cook, and paint or decorate something Tube views. I was reading an interview with around the house. That’s one of the first Miley Cyrus talking about the “Wrecking things that really drew me to BUST—those Ball” video, and she said how she was really cool crafts. While we were living in L.A. excited for people to see it because it’s so making the [most recent] record, I would artistic. And I just wonder, Who is telling go to my friend Keira’s house every week you all you gotta do is take off your clothes, After the band splintered, I read the for Craft Thursdays. It was so good for us, and that’s suddenly art? The female body is letter the departing members put because you could really let go, and you the most beautiful thing in the world, and on the interwebs. In it, there was have conversations with people that you I can see how people say, “Well this is very the accusation that you took over wouldn’t normally have, since you’re fo- artistic and beautiful.” Yeah, in the right the band and forced everyone else cused on something else. I’ve never had a context. But speaking of “Blurred Lines,” into the role of your backup. But ton of girlfriends, but it was a really cool are the lines really so blurry that now we that sounded like some sexist gar- time in my life; I got to know a few girls in can make a video that really is just a couple bage disparaging a woman in power. L.A. and do crafts. I’m really obsessed with of women butt-ass naked, and now you’re It seems rare that people accuse a this blog called A Beautiful Mess. calling that art? I don’t want to wear noth- frontman of doing that. ing on stage. That’s just not me. And I don’t Yeah, exactly! And that’s something I Oh my God I love that blog. Her crafts think the guys will be doing that anytime struggled with for a really long time in this are so amazing. soon, although I think that would be great. band. When I was 16, I wouldn’t even put Dude, I know! I will never be at that Mar- on Chapstick for photographers because I tha Stewart level. I gotta step it up. That Do you still identify as a Christian, and literally just wanted to be one of the guys. goes back to my “normal” fantasy. In my if so, how does that work for you, being I just wanted to blend in so badly. That let- head, there’s a world where I’m sitting at a in the pop world? ter was really funny to me, because if only table, doing crafts all day.
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