In addition to the regular highs and lows of making it in Country music, Parmalee had some added mountains to climb when the band faced tragedy in September 2010.
LISTEN NOW: Parmalee shares why ‘Gonna Love You’ was the right song to to address their traumatic past
Brothers Matt and Scott Thomas, alongside their bandmates Barry Knox and Joshua McSwain have brought their story to the surface with a new music video for current single, “Gonna Love You.”
“The incident was top of mind because we had a lot of people asking us about it,” frontman, Matt Thomas, told Audacy’s Rob + Holly during the Friday Night Takeover. “Like, ‘Do you guys want to do a documentary? Are you going to do a movie?’”
The “incident” he is referring to is a near-fatal robbery in 2010 when bandmate, Scott, was shot three times in the stomach as he protected his brother, Matt, by firing shots at two robbers who invaded their RV. The shooting happened just as the guys were beginning to gain momentum with their careers and had label meetings with hopes of landing a deal.
While the group knew it was important to share the highs and lows of their journey with fans— and spread hope and love with the song — Thomas says it was an emotional event to relive through the music video shoot.
“There was a couple moments during the day — especially in the hospital room — and I was like, ’alright’ after about 10 takes I was like, ‘y’all gotta get us the hell outta here. This is too real.’ It was like you’re right back in it…. We tried to do it as real as we could, to be honest with you.”
“We knew it was going to be stressful, but we were also willing to do it. It was a double-edged sword, I guess.”
It all turned out to be worth it for the guys as Thomas says the reenactment brought them even closer and also has gotten a positive response from fans. “Watching it come out and seeing how it turned out, we’re getting some great responses from it. I felt like it was the right move.”
Check out the full video above and to hear more about their story, how they wrote the song and what they have planned for 2024, check out their full conversation on the Friday Night Takeover with Rob + Holly.