Conn Thornton – When Bethesda Lands They’ll Throw Us A Parade (2025)
Raised as a classical pianist, playing the works of Tchaikovsky and Horowitz, Conn Thornton has a natural flair for fusing classical structure with forceful emotion in his music; however, it was only once the world stopped that Thornton chose to take classical music and bind it with more contemporary, free-flowing musical styles. Confident and bold, but pierced by raw vulnerability and sincerity in a chilling soundscape, Belfast-based Thornton traverses the realms of folk, indie and rock, catching sonic glitter in his hands. Join us as we delve into his latest EP, When Bethesda Lands They’ll Throw Us A Parade.
One of the more unique elements of When Bethesda Lands They’ll Throw Us A Parade is not the obscurity of the melodies, but the inspiration and conceptual arc of the three tracks. Influenced by three of his favourite films – Opening Night, Lady Bird and Angels In America – Thornton anchors the melodies in their narratives, while simultaneously unpicking the vulnerability and sensitivity of the tales and protagonists.
Beginning with ‘Opening Night’, the track calls to John Cassavetes’ Opening Night – a film circling about an actress “…named Myrtle Gordon who, upon exiting a theatre after a performance, sees a fan of hers struck down and killed by a car. Witnessing this causes Myrtle to unravel…. causing her to question her own identity and existence.” With the track, Thornton seems to stitch two melodies together with haunting percussion, a bold guitar, and skin-tingling vocals leaning toward the darkness, while the inclusion of his delicate piano offers something lighter, brighter, and empowering despite the overall theme of disillusionment.
‘Opening Night’ offers a strong instrumental element, including the sound of pouring rain as an intro and exit. ‘The Ballad of McKinley Park’ retains Thornton’s expertise as an instrumentalist, but taps toward a more vocal piece laid across a smooth folk-inspired tune. Anchored in the film Lady Bird, the track “…leans into the sun-drenched California sound of the 70s…” while paralleling the cinematic narrative of disillusionment and search for identity. For me, it is a case of Thornton’s dulcet vocals soaring across a weave of drum loops, mandolin, and a lap steel (courtesy of Joel Harkin).
Finding a favourite track is always difficult, but I believe the track I would have on repeat is ‘Heaven, I’m In Heaven’. Penned on a quiet Sunday afternoon, ‘Heaven, I’m In Heaven’ takes melodic and lyrical inspiration from Tony Kushner’s Angels In America. The play follows “… an ailing AIDS patient, Prior Walter, making the journey to heaven to beg for more life.” While Kushner aimed to rebuild the LGBTQ+ community after the AIDs pandemic, Thornton has “…repurposed it as a call to stand up for trans people…”
As with ‘Opening Night’ and ‘The Ballad of McKinley Park’, ‘Heaven, I’m In Heaven’ ends the arc of disillusionment, self-reflection and vulnerability; however, it appears to be warmer, fuller, and wins your heart as Thornton showcases the stirring soothing of his vocal abilities. This is the reason I would have ‘Heaven, I’m In Heaven’ on repeat.
Find out more about Conn Thornton on his official website, X, Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Old Crow Promotions.
