After announcing his and his brother Zac's departure from Paramore in December, former guitarist Josh Farro has unveiled details of a new project he's working on.
Going under the name of Novel American, the band features Farro on guitar and his former high school friends Van Beasley (vocals), Ryan Clark (bass) and Tyler Ward (drums) who are also formerly of Nashville rockers Cecil Adora. Sound wise, Farro says that they're a cross between Jimmy Eat World, Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Explosions In The Sky.
"Basically, I met these guys in high school -- they're a little older than me, and that's a big deal when you're in high school, they were always in the cool crowd -- but we connected after high school, and we got together after the whole Paramore thing, and I was like, 'I don't know if I want to be in another band'," Farro told MTV News. "But I called the guys, we got together, we wrote and we jammed, and it was great, so we decided, 'Let's do another band'. And, honestly, I had some ideas that just didn't fit with Paramore, and I said, 'Guys, we can try these', and they just loved them, and so that's really how it all started."
Farro added that his wife Jenna actually came up with the band's name.
"We were going through quite a long list -- it got to the point where it was consuming our minds, because it was exciting -- and she was like, 'What about Novel American?' because the definition means 'Of a new kind, or something that hasn't been seen or heard before.' And I think that kind of describes us," he explained. "We want to be a new breath of fresh air to the music scene!"
The band are currently working on their debut EP and intend to "play some shows around town" before shopping around for a new record deal. And if you wondered if he's going to talk any more trash about his former employers, faros says he's prepared to keep his views to himself for the sake of his fans.
"Paramore fans just don't want this to be some dragged-out drama-fest," he said. "They just want to move on. I watched [MTV News' Paramore: The Last Word interview], and, you know, I think we just disagree on a lot of things, and that's okay. I don't think it's wrong to disagree with someone, so, um, yeah, I just wish them the best in the future, and I really don't want to make it this huge drama thing, because then it becomes this huge war, and I don't want to dwell on that. I'm more excited about the future and this new band and that sort of thing."
"I think 'liberating' is a great description of how I've felt over the past month," he added. "Coming from Paramore, I didn't think that I would want to be in a band or want to have anything to do with it, and so, when I actually found that passion and love for music again, I was like, 'Wow, this is great'. We felt like we were in high school, we were all so giddy, and we still are, because everything is falling in place perfectly, and that first practice was great, and from then on, we've just been on cloud nine!"
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