After several years of gigging in Boston and Cambridge, the band signed to a major label and released its debut album In Loving Memory of... in 1997. The single The Oaf was a major Top Ten hit for the band that year.
Due to Thornley's Canadian nationality, the band's biggest commercial success was actually in Canada rather than the United States. The album's subsequent singles, Blown Wide Open and That Song, were not as successful on the American charts as The Oaf had been, but in Canada they were both Top Ten hits.
In October of 2001, Big Wreck played a special show at Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Uzume Taiko Ensemble of drummers, with The Tragically Hip's Paul Langlois and Robby Baker also making appearances.
The band's second album The Pleasure and the Greed (released in 2001) was marred by poor marketing and was not as big a hit as their debut album, especially in the United States. The band subsequently broke up a year later in 2002.
Thornley moved back to Toronto, launching the band Thornley. Doherty has gone on to be in the indie band Death of 8, but the other band members never emerged with new projects.
Ian and Brian rekindled their friendship, which lead to a reunion in 2011.
This reunion, however, would not include founding members Dave Henning and Forrest Williams.
Albatross, the band's third album, would be released on March 6, 2012, and would be Big Wreck's best charting album of all time, debuting at #5 on the Canadian albums charts, and would see its title track hit #1 on the Canadian Rock charts, which it would hold for six weeks straight. It would also spawn the singles Wolves and A Million Days, and would receive the CASBY award for "Favourite New Album" in 2012.
2014 would see the release of their fourth album, Ghosts, on the 10th of June. The album would debut at #5 on the Canadian Rock charts, and would go on to debut at #4 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, making it their highest charting album on that chart to date. Ghosts would come to spawn three singles: the name-sharing Ghosts, Come What May, and Hey Mama.
Big Wreck's fifth studio album, Grace Street, would see its release on February 3, 2017. The album would end up peaking at #5 on the Canadian Albums chart, much like Albatross and Ghosts. However, the lead single One Good Piece of Me would end up outperforming Ghosts (the song), with the track charting high on two separate charts within the first week of airplay. The other two singles that spawned from Grace Street were Digging In and You Don't Even Know.
On June 5, 2019, founding guitarist Brian Doherty would pass away after a battle with cancer. He was 51.
Big Wreck would release their sixth studio album, ...but for the Sun, on August 30, 2019. The band would end up dedicating the album to the late guitarist in memory of him. The album would see Locomotive, Too Far Gone, One More Chance and Alibi be the four singles to spawn, and would also see an in memoriam tour dedicated to Doherty.
...but for the Sun would be the last full-length album recorded with longtime drummer Chuck Keeping, as he would end up leaving the band in 2021 to focus on family life.
In the following years, Big Wreck would hire new drummer Sekou Lumumba (the former drummer for Ian Thornley's side project, Thornley) to replace Chuck Keeping, and would go on to release 3 EPs: 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3.
Pages, Big Wreck's 7th album, was released on November 24, 2023.
Discography:
Studio Albums
In Loving Memory Of... (1997)
The Pleasure And The Greed (2001)
Albatross (2012)
Bag of Tricks (Live, 2013)
Ghosts (2014)
Grace Street (2017)
...but for the Sun (2019)
Pages (2023)
EPs
7.1 (2021)
7.2 (2022)
7.3 (2023)
Members:
Ian Thornley (Vocals, Guitar, 1992 - present)
Chris Caddell (Rhythm Guitar, 2019 - present)
Dave McMillan (Bass Guitar, 2010 - present)
Sekou Lumumba (Drums, 2021 - present)
Past Members:
Brian Doherty (Guitar, 1992 - 2019 (d. June 5, 2019))
Paulo Neta (Guitar, 2010 - 2017)
Dave Henning (Bass Guitar, 1993 - 2002)
Forrest Williams (Drums, 1994 - 2002)
Brad Park (Drums, 2010 - 2012)
Chuck Keeping (Drums, 2012 - 2021)
Break
Big Wreck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The truth will divide
What I can't decide
Is which half is mine
I'll put off this fight
For one more day
It's so hard to keep
Those images at bay
But I will bend
'Till I break
And I'll break down again
All the tricks I've tried
Between and mine
I've opened the vault
Of what I've left behind
So I've put those words
Into my mouth
I try as I might
To spit them out
And we'll bend
'Till we break
And we'll break down again
Of the past, I sighed
It justifies
You're crossing lines
We'll suspend our lives
Only half truths and alibis
I'll bend
'Till I break
And I'll break down again
Yeah first we'll bend
'Till we break
And we'll break down again
So let's bend
Let's bend
Let's break
Let's break down again
The lyrics to Big Wreck's song Break explore the struggle of deciding between two sides of an issue and the fear of the truth dividing relationships. The opening lines convey the weight of the decision, as the singer considers the aftermath of taking a side in the conflict. The fear of losing people and the uncertain future loom over the decision, and the singer admits that he cannot decide which half is his. However, the choice is not a simple one, and the fight will be put off for one more day.
As the song continues, the singer realizes that he cannot keep the images at bay and must confront the issue. However, he is scared of what will happen when he speaks his mind, so he tries to find different ways of addressing the situation. The lyrics "all the tricks I've tried between and mine, I've opened the vault of what I've left behind" portray the singer's search for different solutions. But in the end, he realizes that he cannot keep the words inside anymore, and it's time to confront the issue.
The chorus "I'll bend till I break, and I'll break down again" conveys the struggle the singer faces in making the difficult decision. The bridge of the song reflects on the past, and the singer realizes that what he's fighting for is justified, as the other person is crossing lines. But despite this realization, they will still have to suspend their lives with half-truths and alibis. The song ends with a call to action, as the singer decides to bend and break down in order to confront the issue finally.
Line by Line Meaning
If I take your side
Choosing between two sides will cause division
The truth will divide
The truth may not be as clear-cut as it seems
What I can't decide
Being indecisive can lead to internal conflict
Is which half is mine
The decision to take a side ultimately depends on personal values and beliefs
I'll put off this fight
Avoiding conflict can be a temporary solution
For one more day
Procrastination can delay resolution
It's so hard to keep
Suppressing thoughts and emotions can be difficult
Those images at bay
Trying to forget memories can be a challenge
But I will bend
Compromise may be necessary
'Till I break
Pushing oneself too far can lead to breakdown
And I'll break down again
Personal struggles can be cyclical
All the tricks I've tried
Previous attempts at resolution may not have worked
Between and mine
The conflict lies within oneself
I've opened the vault
Past memories and experiences can resurface
Of what I've left behind
Regret and nostalgia can weigh one down
So I've put those words
One may struggle to express themselves
Into my mouth
Feeling forced to say something
I try as I might
The effort to communicate may be challenging
To spit them out
Difficulty verbalizing thoughts and emotions
And we'll bend
Compromise is necessary in relationships
'Till we break
Pushing the limits can be detrimental to relationships
And we'll break down again
Relationship struggles can be cyclical
Of the past, I sighed
Regret and nostalgia can be overwhelming
It justifies
The past can be used to validate present actions
You're crossing lines
Boundaries may be crossed in relationships
We'll suspend our lives
Relationship struggles can put life on hold
Only half truths and alibis
Dishonesty can be present in relationships
So let's bend
Compromise is necessary to move forward
Let's bend
Compromise is a joint effort
Let's break
Breaking down can be a cathartic experience
Let's break down again
Breaking down can lead to emotional healing
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: IAN THORNLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind