Watch two long-time friends, Hayley Williams (Paramore) and Joy Williams (Civil Wars) team up for a wonderfully harmonious collaboration.
Although they share a last name, Hayley Williams and Joy Williams are not related. They have, however, been friends for years so it was only a matter of time until the two powerhouse vocalists teamed up to create inspiring work.
Paramore’s Hayley Williams and the Civil Wars’ Joy Williams recently combined talents for the beautifully melancholy song, “Hate To See Your Heartbreak.” The song, originally released on Paramore’s self-titled 2013 album, was re-recorded by the duo this year to appear on a recently unveiled deluxe version.
In an interview with NPR, Hayley said of the song, “I love that I got to sing this with someone who I have shared my pains and my stories with for quite some time. Someone whom I know well and who I’ve sat and listened to as they share their own pains. It was never meant as romantic song between lovers but always a song to a friend. Now it’s even more special. I think of it as an ode to sisterhood. Close friendship between women who share their stories with each other and who lift each other up and understand one another.”
The video for the song is filmed entirely in black and white, perfectly capturing the disconsolate nature of the melody. As the two women sweetly harmonize in pitch perfect sync over the sounds of a string section, scenes of the songstresses working diligently in the studio come into focus.
“I grew up harmonizing with women, it felt really natural singing with Hayley. I remember she and I talked that day in studio, about how we have some similar traits in our voices. All we had to do was give into that for our harmonies to really come together. The blend felt natural, very much like family,” Joy told NPR.
Watch the video below.