Twangville sends its best wishes to Chicago indie-rock band Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. The band was involved in a horrific accident a few days ago while driving to a show in Cincinnati in support of their just released third full-length album …and the Horse You Rode in On. All six band members were rushed to the hospital, and their van and equipment were totally destroyed.
So many musicians today lack adequate healthcare coverage and the financials means to deal with an tragedy of this magnitude, SYGC included. Bloodshot Records, the band’s label, issued the statement below with information on how to assist the band in their time of need.
One of the members of the Bloodshot family, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, was in a terrible van accident yesterday in Indiana, on their way to a show in Cincinnati in support of their new record.
Without getting into too much detail, the van blew a tire and then rolled several times, eventually coming to a rest upside down on the median. The band was transported to the Jasper County Hospital in Rensselaer, IN.
Alison Hinderliter, Jay Santana, and Ethan Adelsman were all released from the hospital last night with minor injuries. Elia Einhorn was held overnight with injuries to his head and neck, and is expected to be released tomorrow. Mary Ralph has a broken pelvis and collarbone, and will probably be moved to a hospital closer to home. Mark Yoshizumi was airlifted to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn last night with injuries to his head, back, and neck. He is in serious condition, but making progress. Our thoughts go out to all our friends in the band, and their families, friends, and significant others.
All of the band’s gear was destroyed, and the van was totaled. As anyone involved with music knows, a lot of musicians don’t have health insurance, copious amounts of income, or time to spare off work. This accident – apart from being medically and personally horrible – is also going to be expensive. We here are doing what we can to help them, but if anyone else would like to help out, there are three ways to donate and support The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir in this time of need.
1. Sign in to PayPal and send donation to: tsygc@bloodshotrecords.com
2. Send this email link to friends/contacts: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8469029
3. Click on the button in this news story: http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/news/sygc-van-accidentThat last link – the news story – will be constantly updated with more information on who’s in and out of the hospital, what’s going on, and what the band has to say. If you’re looking for information on the accident – for press or for personal reasons – check there before you ask us. We’ll just direct you there, most likely. We are not sure about the band’s October tour dates, and we’ll keep everyone updated.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to all. Here are two tracks from …and the Horse You Rode in On.
Audio Download: Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, “Stop” [audio:http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/5/28/2459127/Scotland%20Yard%20Gospel%20Choir%20-%20Stop.mp3]
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (LIVE) – “And the horse you rode in on” from Bloodshot Records on Vimeo.
Band photo by Casey Black, courtesy of Bloodshot Records.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.