Paramore released their fifth album After Laughter in 2017, further evolving their sound away from the original emo template into something altogether more grown up and – dare I say it – pop-focused.

Co-produced by bassist/songwriter/keyboardist/musical director Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Nine Inch Nails, The Mars Volta, Tori Amos), the album features lots of intricate, rock-solid bass playing from the man himself. Paramore have been without an ‘official’ bassist since the departure of Jeremy Davis in 2015, although Joey Howard has taken care of live work since then.

‘Told You So’, the second single from After Laughter, is driven by a busy, syncopated bassline that features some ear-grabbing fills:

Although it sounds simple at first, ‘Told You So’ has some challenging elements in the bass part. The bright tempo of 124bpm means that the syncopated 16th notes race by, and some of the fills are difficult to execute cleanly even though they’re familiar minor pentatonic patterns.

‘Paramore – ‘Told You So’ bass transcription PDF

Keen for more Paramore? Take a look at these other transcriptions:

• Paramore – ‘Ain’t It Fun’
• Paramore – ‘Fences’
• Paramore ‘That’s What You Get’