With Paramore’s 2017 banger Hard Times inspired by Talking Heads, David Byrne says he “learned it and recorded my version of their great song with a horn section” for a Record Store Day release this year!
Fresh from covering Burning Down The House for A24’s Stop Making Sense tribute album, one of Paramore’s own songs is now getting the Talking Heads treatment.
David Byrne has revealed that he’s returned the favour and done a cover of the band’s 2017 single Hard Times, with both tracks set to be packaged up for an exclusive 12” Record Store Day release on April 20 (Paramore are also this year’s Ambassadors, having said that vinyl and independent stores have been a “vital part of our journey from music-obsessed school friends to professional music makers”).
The band told me that their song Hard Times was inspired by Talking Heads, so I learned it and recorded my version of their great song with a horn section. This was fun! The 12" is available on Record Store Day 2024 -More info and a store near you at https://t.co/sFcvL4wQuR https://t.co/CS7Wpme3F1 pic.twitter.com/3WdUfsVTT1
— David Byrne (@DBtodomundo) March 5, 2024
“Paramore recorded an amazing version of Burning Down The House for a Stop Making Sense covers album that A24 is doing in connection with the re-release of the film. That song is out now,” posted David on social media. “The band told me that their song Hard Times was inspired by Talking Heads, so I learned it and recorded my version of their great song with a horn section. This was fun! The 12" is available on Record Store Day 2024 – More info and a store near you at recordstoreday.com.”
Paramore Appointed as 2024 Record Store Day Ambassadors"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)"
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. With that being said, we are humbled to be your Ambassadors for Record Store Day 2024. The timing feels kismet.”
Paramore’s 20-year tenure at Atlantic Records concluded in 2023 with This Is Why, which just last week won a historic Grammy as the first-ever female-fronted act to take home Best Rock Album. (Paramore, however, skipped the ceremony.)
Paramore re-recording back catalogue independently after falling out with bosses
The US rockers’ frontwoman Hayley Williams is a long-time pal of Taylor and the band are preparing to support her Eras tour this spring.
After falling out with their management at Atlantic, Paramore will hit the studio to remaster their previous songs under Hayley’s own publishing firm.
Paramore’s contract with Atlantic has been a source of some public confusion over the years, since Hayley Williams was being recruited as a solo artist, and her signing with the label predates what some accounts of the band’s history cite as the formation of the band.
A source said: “All they want is ownership of their music.
“Taylor is really supportive to them behind the scenes and is always available to give them advice. She’s their biggest cheerleader.”
And my insider added: “There’s likely to be more bands and artists who re-record their music in years to come to regain rights.”
The Atlantic contract was actually a solo deal with Williams, who was signed in 2003 to a much-vaunted “360 deal” in which artists share not just revenue from their album sales but concert, merchandise and other earnings with their label in exchange for ostensibly greater comprehensive career support. However, the nature of the deal caused dissention within the band and was cited as a reason for brothers Zach and Josh Farro to leave in 2010
