Photo: Alysse Gafkjen
Parmalee revisited a chilling experience in the band’s autobiographical music video for their new single, “Gonna Love You.” The powerful visual recreates an incident that took place more than a decade ago that left the group’s drummer with a 5% chance of survival.
The “Carolina” group opened up about a robbery following a show in South Carolina on September 21, 2010. Brothers and bandmates Matt Thomas and Scott Thomas were in their RV who two robbers confronted them the vehicle and demanded cash. The robbery escalated to gunfire, and Scott, Parmalee’s drummer, was shot three times while fending off the robbers, according to a press release issued Monday (November 27). Scott spent 40 days in the hospital — including 10 days in a coma — recovering from the incident, and was given a small chance of living.
“Miraculously,” however, the release states that Parmalee returned to the stage four months after the incident.
“We felt like this was the right song and the right time to tell this story,” Scott said in a statement. “It was emotional and surreal for all of us to relive that experience, but we knew it was time.
“We couldn’t believe how many people came together to help us,” he continud. “We would’ve never made it through had it not been for our fans, families, friends, and all the bands and musicians who came together to help us out! We didn’t even ask, they just did it!”
Parmalee’s “Gonna Love You” music video ends with text displayed over the footage that reads: “That night, the doctors told Matt, Barry & Josh that Scott [bandmates Matt Thomas, bandmate and cousin Barry Knox and Josh McSwain] had a 5% chance of loving. Scott spent ten days in a coma, had 3 life saving surgeries and spent 40 days in the hospital with the band by his side. Four months later Parmalee made it back to Nashville and got a record deal.”