A modern rock icon has brought fans together in Norwich this month to celebrate the release of her new album. 

Hayley Williams is an unstoppable force – rising to fame in the 2000s as the frontwoman of critically acclaimed pop-rock band Paramore, she has three GRAMMY awards under her belt along with a host of industry accolades and nominations from MTV, Billboard and more. 

Branching out into her solo career, however, Williams is ditching superstardom. Her third and most recent solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party steps away from the raging power chords and belted vocals of Paramore, adopting a maturer (but no less compelling) alt-pop sound with room for quiet introspection on mental health issues, escaping unhealthy relationships, and the promise of new beginnings. 

The time has now come for Ego, originally released as 17 singles on a password-locked website, to be released in physical formats. Williams has taken the opportunity to show support for independent outlets and bring fans together globally with ‘Ego Nite’, a release party hosted by indie record stores around the world – not least our very own Venus Vinyl, tucked away just above Norwich’s city centre. 

On entry attendees who pre-ordered the record were showered with free tote bags, wristbands and posters all based around the album’s theme of greyscale photography and bright yellow illustrations. The release party also offered guests a chance to purchase the vinyl before it became available worldwide: a striking highlighter yellow pressing containing a giant double-sided lyric poster and featuring the never-before-heard final track Showbiz. 

Approaching the shop, it was clear that demand was high, with fans spilling out into the street. In such a crowd it was near impossible to browse any other records Venus had to offer, but with a welcoming community of fans to speak to there was plenty to do while listening to the album playing in full. As the flock thinned out later in the night everybody gathered indoors to listen to the unreleased track. While some danced and others preferred to stand and absorb the new music, sharing the experience with a group of strangers felt strangely intimate. 

With Paramore on hiatus, Williams has successfully made the leap into a new era. The mellow instrumentals, quiet introspection and soft rock influence of Ego feel completely at home at a small venue like Venus. The album and its homemade, indie feel could almost be an extension of Norwich’s underground music scene, and even though Williams chose to attend a release party slightly closer to home in Los Angeles it was special to see independent music in our city being supported and promoted by an industry giant. 

Photo credit: Emily Pearce