About Big Wreck
Big Wreck are a Canadian-American rock band formed by Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty in Boston, Massachusetts in 1992. The band was rounded out with David Henning and Forrest Williams. They disbanded in 2002 and Ian Thornley pursued a solo career with his own band Thornley. In 2010, Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty reunited for a cross-Canada tour, playing both Big Wreck and Thornley songs. In 2012, under the name Big Wreck, the band released their third studio album, Albatross. The band has since released the albums Ghosts in 2014, Grace Street in 2017, ...But For the Sun in 2019, and 7 in 2023.
Big Wreck was originally formed in Boston, Massachusetts by guitarist Ian Thornley, guitarist Brian Doherty, bassist Dave Henning and drummer Forest Williams while they were students at the Berklee College of Music. Henning and Doherty were previously part of the band Divine Right with lead singer Jim McDermott and drummer Dave Tuohy. The future Big Wreck lineup began jamming and playing gigs together under the name Still Waters in 1992. Unsatisfied with their name, they set out to choose a new official band name, and according to Thornley they settled upon the name Big Wreck in 1994 after something went wrong during a rehearsal session and Doherty exclaimed the session was a “big wreck”. Upon their formation, Thornley was not the original singer of the band, but he became the singer after the band couldn't find one. In early 1995, the band recorded and released their first known demo tape which featured six songs, one of which was the original recording of "Overemphasizing" which would be later remixed and remastered for their debut album. The other five songs have yet to see a commercial release. After a few years of gigging in the Boston area and Toronto, the band got signed to Atlantic Records and released their debut album In Loving Memory Of... in 1997. In the US, their single "The Oaf " reached the top ten on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart in early 1998. Four months later, their follow-up single "That Song" reached the top 40 on that same chart. The band found even bigger commercial success in Canada, scoring 4 top 40 hits on the Canadian Singles Chart. The band went on a 17-date tour to publicize their releases.
Big Wreck released their second album, The Pleasure and the Greed, in June 2001. Three singles were released, all of which failed to chart in the U.S.
In October of that year, the band played a special show at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Uzume Taiko Ensemble of drummers, guitarist Eric Johnson and The Tragically Hip's Paul Langlois and Robby Baker.
The band broke up in early 2003. Ian Thornley moved back to Toronto and formed the band Thornley. Brian Doherty moved to Camlachie, a small community near Sarnia, Ontario, where he taught guitar and prepared students for University or Conservatory entrance requirements. Doherty also went on to form the indie rock band Death of 8.
In 2010, Doherty filled in as guitarist at a Thornley show during the Tiny Pictures tour, and that led to Doherty joining the band as a touring member. Later that year, a new tour promoted as "An Evening with Thornley and Big Wreck" followed, and as a result of the tour's success, the band assumed the Big Wreck moniker, including the existing members of Thornley in the new Big Wreck. In secret, Big Wreck had worked on a reunion album which would later be announced as Albatross. After recording the album, signing to Anthem, and departing from 604 Records in July 2011, drummer Christopher Henry left the group and was replaced with touring drummer Brad Park. In November 2011, Big Wreck released the lead single and title track off their upcoming album, "Albatross" their first single release in over ten years. The song received praise and chart success in both the US and Canada, eventually earning the band's first #1 hit.
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