Hayley Williams Talks Embracing 'Modern Style' on Her New Paramore Tour

Since late May, the rock group Paramore has embarked on their new North American tour. Vocalist Hayley Williams and bandmates Zach Farrow (drums) and Tyler York (guitar) have been performing new songs from their latest album This Is Why

, as well as their hits 2000 such as “Misery Business” and “The Only Exception”. For Williams, the constant interaction with their die-hard fans is certainly a highlight — no matter which city they stop in. “Twenty years on, it’s a miracle we’re still able to do this,” Williams said. “In this day and age, as a human being, there are so many things to stress about, so many reasons to struggle, so to be able to spend a few hours a night with people and see them smile and scream and dance – I feel very lucky. There’s a lot of joy.” “We made a new best friend the next night because David Byrne came to our show on his bike,” Williams said. “He came to watch us play and hung out after the game.” Most recently, at a Houston show earlier this month, Williams featured a cover of Beyoncé’s “I Miss You” — an apt tribute considering Beyoncé was born in the city. “For me, [Beyoncé’s] album 4 is one of the most underrated pop R&B albums,” says Williams. “If I got a little excited, listening to Beyoncé, I’d be complaining loudly that she’s underrated. As famous as she is, as long as she’s been in the business – her voice, her artistry, and all the voices she’s arranged on albums – she’s still to me underrated.”