Paramore have officially gone independent after finishing their 20-year contract with Atlantic Records.
The news came in a Saturday, Feb. 10 social media post announcing that the band will be the ambassadors for Record Store Day 2024. The annual event is scheduled for Saturday, April 20.
'Our first order of business as a freshly independent Paramore is to shine a light on independent record stores – a vital part of our journey,' the band said.
"After a long career in the music industry we have decided to announce that… we are going to continue to have a long career in the music industry (sorry for any inconvenience)," Paramore said in the Saturday, Feb. 10 note.
"Our first order of business as a freshly independent Paramore is to shine a light on independent record stores – a vital part of our journey from music obsessed school friends to professional music makers."
This Is Why, Paramore's final album with Atlantic Records, came out in February 2023. The band's work on the LP earned them two Grammys, one for Best Rock Album and another for Best Alternative Music Performance.
No members were on hand to pick up the trophies earlier this month, but the group addressed the historic win with a social media post the day after the ceremony.
"Our band won two Grammys last night, sitting together in Zac's living room, dressed in our regular clothes (yes, we saw the empty red carpet meme)," the note said.
"Turns out, our win for Best Rock Album was a historic feat as we are the first female-fronted band to ever take home a trophy for this category. Ridiculous yet true!" the note says. "It's an honor for Paramore to be a small but constant reminder for people to keep pushing these rock and alternative spaces to be more inclusive."
The band also spoke about the state of their career.
"Some of you will know that This Is Why was our last album for our deal with Atlantic Records," they said. "To finish anything well is something to be proud of. Thank you to anyone who supported the ethos of Paramore as much as the music."
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The band's 20 year contract with Atlantic Records expired last year.
Hayley Williams signed to the label in 2003. The company originally wanted to turn her into a traditional pop star, but the singer insisted on bringing her band along for the ride.
Despite the contract with Atlantic, Paramore's first three albums were released on Fueled by Ramen, a label whose roster also included pop punk acts like Panic! At The Disco, Twenty One Pilots and The Academy Is…
'This Is Why,' the band's final LP with the company, earned them two Grammys earlier this month.
In their Record Store day post, Paramore went on to speak about the significance of record shops and physical media in the modern digital landscape.
"The discovery of music was always meant to be romantic. Indie record shops are some of the only spaces we’ve got that offer a tangible, tactile experience of music discovery.
"In this world that feels more disconnected and hostile than ever, it feels important to remain in touch (literally) with what inspires us, empowers us, or simply brings us joy.
Thankfully, for all our sakes, there still survives among the chaos, the purity and radical simplicity of a great record store."
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