Parmalee Share ‘Down Town (Hurricane Florence Relief Song)’ for Their Native State [LISTEN]
Parmalee have shared a moving new song in the wake of September's Hurricane Florence. The tune is a tribute to the storm victims in their home state of North Carolina, and all proceeds will go to benefit recovery efforts. Readers can press play above to watch a video for "Down Town," which plays out against video footage of storm recovery efforts, as volunteers and residents work side by side to clean up and provide care for those affected by the storm.
"We're proud to be from a place where people work hard and come together when they need each other," the band shares at the beginning of the video. "This ain't no 'going down' town."
Parmalee take their name from the town of Parmele, N.C. Their loyalty to their old stomping grounds is also clear in the title of their latest album, 27861, which is the zip code of their hometown, and their breakout single, "Carolina," set a tone of Tarheel pride early on. The foursome of North Carolina natives -- brothers Matt and Scott Thomas, cousin Barry Knox and lifelong friend Josh McSwain -- felt compelled to pitch in somehow in the recovery process after Hurricane Florence swept through.
“It was heartbreaking to see all of the pictures and videos people back home shared of the damage caused by the storm. This is where we’re from — these are our brothers and sisters. We played some of our first shows in these towns. These people have supported us for so long; we knew we wanted to help and support them in return,” Matt Thomas shares in a press release. “Hearing the stories of how everybody banded together and looked out for each other, as they always do, was really inspiring and reminded me why I’m proud of where I came from, which is what this song is all about.”
The lyrics of "Down Town" echo the resilience of Carolina's communities as they rally together to come back from the violent storm: “We’ve all weathered our fair share of storms / Ain’t nothing we ain’t seen before / We get hit get knocked down / Get back up for another round ‘round here / This ain’t no going-down town..."
"Down Town" is available for download now; proceeds will go to support recovery efforts through the Red Cross. In 2016, Parmalee turned their Second Annual Feels Like Carolina music festival into a benefit for the victims of Hurricane Matthew.