The band was started by Ian Thornley in 2002when he returned to Toronto, Ca… Read Full Bio ↴The band was started by Ian Thornley in 2002when he returned to Toronto, Canada, after the breakup of his earlier band, Big Wreck. With the help of Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, Thornley signed on to Kroeger's 604 Records. The other band members of Thornley are Tavis Stanley on guitar, Ken Tizzard (formerly of The Watchmen) on bass, and Sekou Lumumba (formerly of Edwin & The Pressure, which was Edwin from I Mother Earth's band after leaving IME) on drums.

After 1½ years of touring Thornley made some changes. After Ken and Sekou both left Thornley, the band added from "Big Sugar," Eric Paul on drums and Cale Gontier on bass, from the "Three Days Grace" camp. Cale was discovered when Thornley toured extensively with Three Days Grace in the summer of 2004.

Ian also contributed to the "Song For Africa" project which started in August 2006.

Thornley released their new single called "Make Believe" on December 16th 2008 on iTunes. Their sophomore album called "Tiny Pictures" will be released on February 10th 2009.

Thornley have since gone on hiatus since the reunion of Big Wreck in 2011

Bright Side
Thornley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On my way back from nowhere now
Always tell by my breath somehow
There's no songs worth singing out there
The landscape of inspiration's so bare

No straight jacket on me

Eat my breakfast with employees

And they push this thing even further still
Which they knowingly try to kill

On the bright side
There's never been a right side
Of love to lay on
Remembered or forgotten

You keep it coming, you pour it on
This conclusion is not forgone
When I get lost inside a dream
You know it's time to scrub and to quarantine

On the bright side
There's never been a right side
Of life to live on
Remembered or forgotten

On the bright side
The morning kills the night time

Your life is your time
Yesterday's just a past time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Thornley’s song Bright Side can be interpreted as the singer’s struggle to find inspiration in his life and music. He is on his way back from nowhere, feeling lost and uninspired. His breath somehow gives away his sense of detachment, as there are no songs worth singing out there, and the landscape of inspiration is barren. However, the singer expresses a sense of freedom from being confined by societal norms or expectations, with the line “no straight jacket on me”. While he eats breakfast with employees, they all push themselves further, although there is an inherent knowledge that their efforts will be scorned.

The chorus of the song provides a contrast to the opening verse, with the singer suggesting that there’s never been a right or wrong side of either love or life. He emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment, as opposed to dwelling on the past or relying on the future. The morning kills the night time, symbolizing a fresh start and a new day, and yesterday is just a past time that should not be dwelled upon. The final verse suggests that when the singer gets lost in a dream, it is time to scrub and quarantine, perhaps symbolizing the need for a clean slate and fresh start.

Line by Line Meaning

On my way back from nowhere now
I feel lost and disconnected from the world

Always tell by my breath somehow
My breath gives away how I feel

There's no songs worth singing out there
I can't find inspiration in the current music scene

The landscape of inspiration's so bare
There's a lack of creative inspiration

No straight jacket on me
I refuse to be controlled by societal norms

Eat my breakfast with employees
I spend time with regular people and value their company

And they push this thing even further still
They keep striving to improve despite challenges

Which they knowingly try to kill
Some people actively try to thwart progress

On the bright side
Despite challenges, there's always something positive to focus on

There's never been a right side
There's no clear path to happiness

Of love to lay on
Love doesn't always provide a stable foundation