Biography
Hailing from Toronto, Ian Thornley achieved his initial breakthrough during the late 1990s as frontman of the Canadian alt-rock outfit Big Wreck. Following the issue of two well-received albums on Atlantic, the ensemble dissolved in 2002, clearing space for the leader to launch his own project under the name Thornley. Their dense post-grunge approach made the group an ideal match for 604 Records, the Universal subsidiary headed by Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. The 2004 Thornley debut Come Again registered immediate Canadian impact, containing two #1 singles while netting the act two Juno nominations. After the second Thornley album appeared in 2009, Ian resumed work with former Big Wreck guitarist Brian Doherty, culminating in the full band reunion on Albatross, which bowed at #9 on the Canadian Albums chart. The partnership persisted into 2014 with Ghosts, after which Thornley turned to a dedicated acoustic singer/songwriter path. Teaming with veteran producer Mark Howard (Bob Dylan, Daniel Lanois) inside a secluded Ontario cottage, he shaped his introspective and soulful first solo outing Secrets, released in 2015 under his given name Ian Fletcher Thornley.