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    Concert Preview: Great Lake Swimmers

    A Forest of Arms, the sixth studio album by Canadian indie-folk outfit and Juno Award nominees Great Lake Swimmers, is a resounding affirmation for those who wonder if pop music with a conscience is still being made.  Saying the record is carefully constructed is an understatement given the measures the Swimmers have taken to shape its sound – even going as far as to record three of the tracks quite literally under ground.  The payoff is lush, melodic, and fulfilling; each of the set’s ten songs are a miniature epic that hit the ear differently with each listen.

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    From the stark simplicity of “The Great Bear”, to the ethereal “Don’t Leave Me Hanging”, to the gentle Celtic chug of album opener “Something Like a Storm”, A Forest of Arms leaves no doubt that the Great Lakes Swimmers have accumulated a wealth of expertise and musicianship in their twelve years as an ensemble.  Fronted by principal songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, Tony Dekker, the band’s current lineup also includes long time guitarist and banjo player Erik Arnesen, Miranda Mulholland on violin and backing vocals, Bret Higgins on upright bass, and newcomer Joshua Van Tassel on drums.

    On tour since the album’s release in April, the Swimmers will stop by the Rumba Café in SoHud on November 16th – the first of a half-dozen shows they’ll play in the US Midwest before returning to Eastern Canada for a series of December dates. If the album’s reception and their perpetually full performing schedule are any indication, the possibilities for the hard-working band are wide open for the coming year. Dekker took some time in between his on-stage obligations to talk more about the Swimmers, their success, and their craft.

    Parts of the album were recorded in some unusual locations, like inside a cavern at the Tyendinaga Caves (just outside of Belleville, Ontario).  How do you discover those places – and how difficult is it to actually hold a recording session in such a remote venue?

    I discovered the Tyendinaga Caves because I was passing through the area and happened to stop in. It’s geologically a very unique place in Ontario, in fact one of its oldest natural caverns, and it really captured my imagination. Recording inside it was actually very difficult, because it was quite wet and cold, and we had to load in all of our equipment over quite some distance. In the end it felt really worthwhile, both from a performance point of view and in the recordings.

    Given that you and the band take a lot of pleasure in experimenting, are there certain things you’re hoping to try the next time you record an album?

    I think there is still a lot of room to explore the possibilities and potentials of location recording, not only in terms of acoustics, but also in the writing, performance and song structure. I’d like to try to push these things further with each new album.

    You are the writer of every track on A Forest Of Arms.  Once you actually compose those songs, what roles do the other band members play in shaping them to arrive at the finish product we hear on the album?

    We run through the songs a bunch of times and see what feels right in terms of tempo, transposition, auxiliary instruments, etc. On the new album, I worked really closely with the rhythm section to arrive at some of these early choices, and create a kind of skeleton for the tracks. I think it’s important to really listen for what the song itself is asking for.

    You have recorded some solo material in the past, and other members of GLS have indulged in side projects.  What is special about the band that keeps you interested in recording and touring together?

    I think it’s the combination of people and the strength of the songs, and that as a group, on a good day, we’re able to go beyond the sum of our parts and make music that feels transcendental. That’s the best part of it, I think, being able to become lost in the music.

    One of your press releases points out that themes about environmentalism, nature, and the spiritual connections among people have been omnipresent in GLS’ material over the years.  Are there specific messages or ideas you want your audience to glean from listening to your songs?

    As you delve into the songs and lyrics, I think it becomes obvious that environmental issues are important to us. If there’s a general message that I hope we get across, it’s that we should strive to be better stewards of our natural spaces, protect them from further exploitation and pressures from large corporations, and do a better job at collectively managing our resources. It’s an issue that goes beyond borders, and the warning signs are becoming more and more urgent.

    Canadian music takes on an interesting life Stateside; a handful of artists have become cultural phenomena and have been exposed to the point of excess and even ridicule, while most fly well under the radar – if their music receives recognition at all south of the border.  What do you think is important for American audiences to know about Canada’s musical identity?

    It’s difficult to make a blanket statement about Canada’s musical identity because of the diversity between genres and also the widening gap between mainstream and independent bands. To me, Canadian music represents, in a broad sense, a connection to the landscape and the elements and nature because traditionally this has been crucial to survival, but I think it also goes deeper than that, and into our communities and the linkage of people, and trying to tell a part of the story of those communities and where you are from.

    There is also a lot of regionalism in Canadian popular music. Are there particular influences in Southern Ontario that have found their way into GLS’ sound?

    I definitely feel I inspired by my hometown (Wainfleet, Ontario) and the rural places that surround the city I live in. The Bruce Trail (a 560-mile trail and biosphere reserve that follows the Niagara Escarpment in southwestern Ontario) is a really good example of that.

    Last year, GLS played Massey Hall in Toronto – which is one of the most historic and celebrated performing arts venues in Canada.  Was that a moment where you collectively thought “now we’ve arrived”?

    It was definitely a career highlight. As a Canadian musician, and especially a Toronto musician, it’s where you want to play.

    You’re scheduled to tour through the end of the year.  What does 2016 hold for GLS? Any hopes and/or dreams you’re looking to achieve?

    Wintertime is always a good time to woodshed and work on songwriting a little more intensely and with more focus. There’s something about a blanket of fresh snow that appeals to that.

    When an audience leaves one of your shows, what do you hope they’ll say about the band when they describe the band’s performance to someone else?

    I hope that they’ll be moved, and feel like they’ve been transported. I think our music creates a world and an environment inside a space, and on our best days, people can maybe walk away feeling like they’ve had a bit of a spiritual lift.

    To find more upcoming live music events, CLICK HERE to visit our Event Calendar.

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    Grant Walters
    Grant Waltershttps://columbusunderground.com
    Grant is a freelance writer for Columbus Underground who primarily focuses on music and comedy. He's a Canadian transplant, born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and schooled in Vancouver, British Columbia. Grant is also the co-author of two internationally acclaimed books: "Decades: The Bee Gees in the 1960s" and "Decades: The Bee Gees in the 1970s." He has also penned numerous articles and artist interviews for the nationally recognized site, Albumism.
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