The Record Store Day baton has been handed over to Paramore, who was named ambassador of Record Store Day (RSD) 2024. The band’s Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro took to social media to reveal their new RSD “role” and to also share that they had no plans of stopping anytime soon, despite recent rumors that Paramore was breaking up or going on an indefinite hiatus.
“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),” wrote the band in a statement. “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.”
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The band added, “With that being said, we are humbled to be your Ambassadors for Record Store Day 2024. The timing feels kismet.”
The news is welcome to fans, who questioned the future of Paramore after the band pulled out of a series of shows “due to unforeseen circumstances” before teasing a “new era” and removing their website and social media accounts, which have since resurfaced.
In February 2023, the band released their sixth album This is Why, which went to No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and was the band’s first release since After Laughter in 2017. Following the release of This Is Why, Paramore’s contract with Atlantic Records expired in December of 2023, making the band free agents.
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In February 2024, Paramore won their first two Grammys for Best Rock Album for This is Why and Best Alternative Music Performance for the title track. Another milestone for the band in 2024 will be following in the footsteps of previous RSD ambassadors, including Taylor Swift—whom the band will join on the European leg of the Eras Tour in 2024—along with Metallica, Iggy Pop, Chuck D, Dave Grohl, Pearl Jam, Jack White, Brandi Carlile, and St. Vincent, among many others.
“The discovery of music was always meant to be romantic,” added the band in their post, referencing their RSD ambassadorship. “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.”
Paramore added, “Thankfully, for all our sakes, there still survives among the chaos, the purity and radical simplicity of a great record store.”
Photo: John Medina/Getty Images for ABA
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