Great Lake Swimmers

Great Lake Swimmers
Student Activities Office

Links:
- Great Lake Swimmers

Great Lakes Swimmers, led by singer-songwriter Tony Dekker, is a band that has never done things the easy way. The band’s first two albums, 2003’s self-titled album and 2006’s Bodies and Minds, were recorded in a grain silo and an abandoned church, respectively. The resulting atmospheric, subdued folk music ensured the bands prominence in the music scene in their hometown Toronto, with the band gradually gaining a following in Eastern Canada with subsequent releases, and now having a following in the United States as well. Dekker’s writing has been noted as having a strong connection with the natural world and environmental issues, using themes found in nature as a jumping off point to broader, more personal themes.

The band continued the pattern of creatively challenging themselves during the recording process of 2015’s album A Forest of Arms. Recorded remotely in locations such as Tyendinaga caves in Ontario, the album continues the bands signature low-key folk music, while adding small bursts of more up-tempo numbers. An environmental awareness and appreciation of the natural world still informs Dekker’s lyrics, with the song “The Great Bear” being inspired by a trip to the northern rainforests of British Columbia. The song says,

Ancient veins on granite chins
And avian songs fill the air with notes diving in
The hard edges green with newly grown coats
Where do we draw the line?
And put this on the line?

Dekker uses these themes to reveal broader truths about relationships among people and the care and cultivation those require as well. In the song “Don’t leave Me Hanging,” Dekker says,

The forest you planted, the sparks where they landed
It's winter now; it's cold so finish soon
Your wings drying out, saying when hell freezes over
They're straightened out, just wait it out

A Forest of Arms adds a musical depth to Great Lakes Swimmer’s discography, while still maintaining the sentiment and sounds of their previous works. Using unique recording strategies that put the band close to the world that inspires their music, Great Lake Swimmers create lush, full atmospheres for Dekker’s image-filled lyrics. Audiences can expect a nuanced and serene display from a well-seasoned band at their creative best.

Presentations at Calvin University

Great Lake Swimmers + Liance
Friday, November 20, 2015 08:00:00 PM
Ladies Literary Club Auditorium

Great Lake Swimmers
Friday, October 30, 2009 08:00:00 PM