Conn Thornton Releases New Single As a Call To Stand For Trans Rights (Irish Indie Folk)
Growing up as classical pianist, playing Russian Romanticism and French Impressionism, it wasn’t until the world ground to halt in 2020 that Conn Thornton took the melodic language they forged in the classical world and melded it to more contemporary influences such as Talk Talk and Sufjan Stevens. This melding gave Conn a voice and musical vocabulary they used for exploration and expression. Over the course of the next 4 years Conn released several singles and 3 albums, most recently 2024’s ‘Meteorite Season’. An album that moved from delicate soul baring acoustic to trip-hop inspired beats and synths. Never one to idle, Conn now returns with a new single ‘The Ballad of McKinley Park’.
“Wondrous, sometimes inexplicable moments”
Dig With It
‘‘Heaven, I’m In Heaven’ was born of a quiet Sunday afternoon trip to Belfast’s iconic Sunflower bar, a pint of Beamish and lyrical inspiration from Tony Kushner’s play ‘Angels In America’. Conn
“Conn’s has as much literacy as a romantic poet,
their music like 1970s piano ballads written by John Keats”
Yeo Magazine
The song was entirely recorded and mixed by Conn at their home. Working in isolation is an approach that Conn has become accustomed to, with the project coming to the fore during the pandemic, there was no access to rehearsal spaces or indeed other musicians. While initially daunting taking on responsibility for each element of the writing, production and release, Conn now sees this as a powerful position, as releases are a testament to work and perseverance each project requires.
The art for the single release was shot by Conn’s partner, using their SLR film camera. Experiments into figuring out the mechanics of the camera led to beautiful, hazy shots that mirrored the songs on the EP. Conn says, ‘All complimentary colour palettes, all vaguely decipherable imagery that fits into the project’s ethos’.