Paramore singer Hayley Williams opened up about her battles with depression and even suicidal thoughts in a new interview on Apple Music. Williams said that her struggles helped inspire the music on her upcoming solo album, Petals For Armor, saying, "When I think about putting this out as a Paramore album, it doesn't do justice to the stories themselves and it doesn't do justice to the band."
The singer explained that she has been dealing with childhood issues and traumas, including a fear of losing people in her life — a fear that almost became reality when her grandmother suffered a fall that left her with a traumatic brain injury.
Asked what kept her moving forward despite her trauma, Williams said through tears, “My dog is the reason I’m alive, because he would’ve been waiting on me to get home, no matter what. You know how little sweet little puppies sit and they wait? I couldn’t think about it."
Williams revealed that she went through an especially dark patch while touring the last Paramore LP, 2017's After Laughter. She explained, "I had to go to intensive therapy. It was rough. It forced me to ask a lot of questions . . . I was making a lot of mistakes in my personal life. I was self-sabotaging left and right. And I joke about it in songs, Paramore songs, but it’s not funny to live it, right?”
Petals For Armor is due out on May 8th. Williams has already issued the singles "Simmer" and "Leave It Alone."