Lost Channels Makes Polaris 2009 Long List2009.06.22Great Lake Swimmers "Lost Channels" nominated for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize Long List! To check the 40-strong Long List go here: http://www.polarismusicprize.ca/2009longlist/ Sit Down Feature With GLS On Tourdates.com2009.06.15While overseas on their recent Euro invasion, Tony and the band sat down with Mark Grassick of Tourdates to discuss the making of Lost Channels. Click here to get the behind the scenes story on how the record came together. NPR Tiny Desk Concert With Great Lake Swimmers2009.06.08All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen invites Tony Dekker to his tiny desk for an intimate solo session, showcasing tracks "Everything Is Moving So Fast," "Pulling On A Line," and Boilen favorite, "Various Stages." Coined the Tiny Desk Concert, Dekker and Boilen discuss the appeal of a guitarist playing the harmonica and performing in the office atmosphere while going in and out of song. The performance was taped on April 14th in Washington, DC shortly before the Swimmers performance at The Black Cat. Click here to watch the Tiny Desk Concert and read the feature recap by NPR's Stephen Thompson. Great Lake Swimmers iTunes Live Session EP2009.06.03During a recent visit to the iTunes Live studios, the Swimmers cut a seven-song set, exposing new colors for "Your Rocky Spine" and "I Am Part Of A Large Family" and adding a live heartbeat to the new songs "Pulling On A Line," "She Comes To Me In Dreams," and "Concrete Heart." Full track listing below:
Great Lake Swimmers on Good Morning America2009.06.01This past weekend, Great Lake Swimmers track "Pulling on a Line" was used in the "My Three Words" segment on Good Morning America Great Lake Swimmers Place #1 On CBC3 And Do Session2009.06.01For the second straight week, Lost Channels placed as the #1 record on the CBC Radio 3 charts. The band visited the CBC studios while in Vancouver to check in and play some tunes. For the full feature, please click here. To download the complete MP3 session with live music and interview, please click here. Want more? Check out these great web features on The Swimmers: The Musicologists Ten Albums Feature, Filter Mag Album Review, 97 Rue Du Rock Video and Feature (feature in French). Vimby Backyard Session With Great Lake Swimmers2009.05.28Enjoy the Vimby Backyard Session with Great Lake Swimmers above. The session was shot in Los Angeles in early 2009 and features a solo Tony Dekker performing "Pulling On A Line." Tony guides the song with in-between commentary on his musical background, upbringing, and new album. Norwegian TV Films "Everything Is Moving So Fast" By The Pool2009.05.27Our Norwegian friends at NRK filmed and featured this wonderful acoustic performance of "Everything Is Moving So Fast" prior to the Swimmers recent performance in Oslo. The video was shot poolside and offers great, single-take camera work. Norwegian friends - please click here to view the full feature. The Legion Sessions - Still2009.05.19Enjoy "Still" from The Legion Sessions. The video was directed by Scott Cudmore with sound by Graham Walsh. The video premiered with our good friends at Paste and can be viewed here. You can purchase the video now on iTunes and download the lyrics for free here. To celebrate the release of this video, limited Starbucks locations will be providing download cards for a free audio MP3 of Still on iTunes all this week. Pick one up before they're gone. To watch all Legion Sessions videos, please click here. The Legion Sessions - She Comes To Me In Dreams2009.05.15Enjoy "She Comes To Me In Dreams" from The Legion Sessions. The video was directed by Scott Cudmore with sound by Graham Walsh. The video is now available on iTunes. You can download the lyrics for free here. Look out for new Legion Sessions videos rolling out all summer long and watch the current ones on YouTube (Turn on the HQ) or Vimeo. TALL SHIPS LANDING PRESENTS GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS AT MASTS, MOTORS & MUSIC CONCERT JUNE 62009.05.14
Their tour has brought attention to the region in cities across Europe including Brussels, Paris, London and Madrid. The free concert will coincide with a day of racing at the 2nd annual Thousand Islands International Regatta and Festival on the city's waterfront. The public is invited to Tall Ships Landing to enjoy the free concert, which also includes an opening performance from Brockville's Healy & Orr. It starts at 2:30 p.m. with the St. Andrew Street gates opening at 2:00. Bytown Brigantine's tall ship Fair Jeanne, which provides adventure voyages, will serve as a floating stage for the concert prior to her departure for an international tall ship festival in Halifax. Thousand Islands photographer Ian Coristine contacted the band to suggest they record in the area after hearing their music on CBC radio's Vinyl Café Coristine, a member of the Maritime Discovery Centre's steering committee, said it's an honour that the Great Lake Swimmers will return to the Thousand Islands to celebrate the city's riverfront revival and the album they recorded here. "When I first heard their haunting folk/rock music I was captivated and figured that sound might make a perfect match to the beauty of this area, so suggested they come to discover it. They did and the rest of the story is still being written. It was terrifically gratifying when Tony Dekker, the band's lead musician shared with me how deeply impressed he was by his Thousand Islands experience. The fact he named the album 'Lost Channels' and that they are coming here straight from Madrid after a grueling international tour says it all." 2009.05.11 Great Lake Swimmers' new video for "Pulling On A Line" is up for voting all this week on mtvU's The Freshman. Please click here to place your vote. There is no registration required and you can vote as many times as you would like. Voting ends Friday. Thanks for all of the support and if you haven't seen the Legion Sessions video yet for "Pulling On A Line," click here. Exclusive Paste Download2009.05.09Tony Dekker stopped by Paste to deliver a solo performance at the Paste Studios for their VIP download of the week. The live recording of "Pulling On A Line" is from April 10th and available for download here. While the album version features mandolin, electric guitar, organ and full percussion, the track offers a whole new song when reduced to an acoustic guitar. This download is only available for Paste Digital VIP members. In additional Swimmers web news, LaundroMatinee is featuring an exclusive video session with the band and to our friends in the Netherlands, enjoy this show review from the recent gig at Paradiso. The Legion Sessions - Pulling On A Line2009.05.07Enjoy "Pulling On A Line" from The Legion Sessions. The video was directed by Scott Cudmore with sound by Graham Walsh. The video is now available for download on iTunes. Look out for new Legion Sessions videos rolling out all summer and watch the current ones on YouTube (Turn on the HQ) or Vimeo. Spinner Presents "Pulling On A Line" From The Legion Sessions2009.05.06Continuing with the roll out of videos from The Legion Sessions, Spinner has premiered the Legion Sessions video of "Pulling On A Line" as their video of the day. Click here to watch. For information on the Legion Sessions, click here and look out for more video content and Legion Sessions news coming shortly. Summer Festivals & New Shows For The Swimmers2009.05.04This summer, Great Lake Swimmers are hitting the road, riding the circuit of Canada's finest folk festivals. The band has also scheduled a few headlining gigs and special shows with good pals, Timber Timbre. For a complete list of tour dates and to RSVP, please click here. Look out for a full tour late summer/early fall. New Summer Dates
June 6th - Brockville, ON @ Fair Jeanne (Tall Ship) - RSVP June 13th - Niagara Falls, NY @ Boundary Waters Treaty Festival - RSVP June 18th - Peterborough, ON @ Gordon Best Theatre - RSVP June 19th - Ottawa, ON @ First Baptist Church - RSVP June 20th - Montreal, QC @ Theatre Plaza - RSVP July 9th - 12th - Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Folk Festival - RSVP July 18th - 19th - Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Folk Festival - RSVP July 25th - 27th - Guelph, ON @ Hillside Folk Festival - RSVP August 7th - 9th - Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Folk Festival - RSVP September 4th - Grafton, ON @ Shelter Valley Folk Festival - RSVP Great Lake Swimmers Feature On CBC2009.04.30Sarah Liss of CBC News wrote a glowing feature with interview on Great Lake Swimmers as the lead story in today's Arts section. Great Lake Swimmers & audiotransparent Present a Unique and Limited 7" Vinyl Release2009.04.29Great Lake Swimmers along with special friends, audiotransparent, present a unique and limited 7" vinyl release from www.katzwijm.com & (weewerk) Check this out! www.audiotransparent.com/single This four song, double split 7" vinyl album comes packaged in a beautiful handmade triple-gatefold sleeve, with artwork by lenxxx. It all started when the bands met while touring the Netherlands. Erik gave some banjo lessons and Tony invited audiotransparent to sleep at his place while touring in Canada. After recording the audiotransparent song "You Are A Movie" together, the idea for a split single was born. Beside this co-operation, you get an Elvis Presley cover, "Don't Be Cruel", and the newly written song "Send Me A Letter", which was written for and is also featured on the Canadian "Friends Of Bellwoods II" benefit compilation release for The Daily Food Bank in Toronto. audiotransparent contributes a new interpretation of the seventies love song "Never Let Her Slip Away" by Andrew Gold, as well as the wonderful song "You Are A Movie", featuring T.Dekker on duet vocals. Great Lake Swimmers Present Palmistry From The Legion Sessions2009.04.27During the month of February 2009, while the city of Toronto was busy battling against the wind, snow and all around miserable conditions that keep residents firmly indoors as often as possible, the Great Lake Swimmers decided to hunker down in one of their country's most esteemed locations, a Royal Canadian Legion Pub. Soon dubbed "The Legion Sessions", GLS chose the hallowed local in-which to capture live, many of the new songs from their freshly minted new album Lost Channels. The group enlisted the help of gifted young director Scott Cudmore to create a raw and intimate window into the subtle power of the group's sound. On board capturing the music resonating within these cozy surroundings was none other than Graham Walsh from the experimental electronic group Holy F**k. In celebration of all the great support that Great Lake Swimmers have received around the release of their new album Lost Channels, we are posting the very first video from this fantastic series, fittingly the first song from the album "Palmistry". And for anyone out there who hasn't picked up Lost Channels, exciting news; the acclaimed new album is available now for only $2.99 TODAY as the Amazon Daily Deal. Click here to purchase it now on AmazonMP3. Already own the album? Be a pal and tell your friends!  Video Interview With Baeble Music2009.04.24Earlier this week, Tony Dekker meet up with Baeble Music to discuss the new album, Lost Channels. Click here to watch the full video interview about life on the road as Great Lake Swimmers and the recording of Lost Channels. You can even win an autographed copy of Lost Channels just by watching the video interview. Lost Channels is available now for only $2.99 at AmazonMP3 for a limited time only! Lost Channels On Sale For $2.99 - Limited Time Offer2009.04.23 Please note that AmazonMP3.com is currently only available to US customers. The blogosphere acclaimed new record from Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels, is available in it's entirety at only $2.99 for a limited time only. Click here to purchase it now on AmazonMP3 before the offer expires. The record features new single "Pulling On A Line" and fan favorites "Everything Is Moving So Fast" and "Concrete Heart." Download the album now!
"Lost Channels... dips into new territory, forgoing pretty but plain melodies in favor of more key changes and greater instrumental variety. "Pulling on a Line" exemplifies Great Lake Swimmers' beautiful simplicity..." - NPR "The group has a gentle, vulnerable sound that is most notable in the high-pitched, aching voice of the front man Tony Dekker, who recalls another Ontarian, Neil Young." - THE NEW YORKER "There are very few voices in this world that cut as deeply as Tony Dekker's, and if any could fill up a hollow place, it would be his. Perhaps seeking that very thing, the Swimmers have done fragile, nostalgia-tinged odes to near aural perfection by paving rapt attention to acoustic reverberations." - FILTER "On (Lost Channels) the pristine intonations and detailed lyrical threads of Tony Dekker are surrounded by flute, guitar, drums, bass, pedal steel, (and) other voices." - STEREOGUM Concrete Heart Live Video From Calgary2009.04.16Enjoy this live video of "Concrete Heart" from Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary. The video was shot on the band's current Lost Channels tour and submitted to us by a fan. Please send us your live GLS video footage by emailing greatlakeswimmers@nettwerk.com. To check for local Lost Channels tour dates and to RSVP, please click here. Can't make it to a show? View live photo's here and add a caption for your chance to win an autographed Lost Channels CD. Lost Channels is available now on digital retailers and at record stores everywhere. Jam Base Live Review2009.04.13The fine folks at Jam Base came out to a recent Great Lake Swimmers show at Bottom Of The Hill in San Francisco, CA on April 3rd. A complete show review can be read here. For a full list of upcoming tour dates in North America and Europe, click here. If you are attending an upcoming show, we want you to film the band! Click here for more details. Can't make it out to a show? Click here for a gallery of live photos to see what you missed. Add a caption to any live photos for your chance to win an autographed CD! Live Photo Caption Contest2009.04.06 As Great Lake Swimmers' set off across the globe, city hopping from show to show, we have been collecting a ton of live photos and video content. To flare up the photos, we were hoping that we could get some help with the picture captions in exchange for an autographed copy of Lost Channels. Interested? Here is how it works:
That's it. Pretty simple, right? On May 5th we will pick our top 5 favorite captions and send each winner an autographed copy of Lost Channels. Don't see a picture that works for you? Head out to your local show and add your picture/caption to the 'Fan Photos' gallery. Great Lake Swimmers will be on tour all Spring. For a complete list of tour dates, please click here. Art Bergmann to Open Toronto Show April 25th2009.04.06Great Lake Swimmers are pround to announce their Opening Guest Performer for the Toronto Show on April 25th....Lengendary Punk Rocker / Singer Songwriter ART BERGMANN. Art will be performing a special acoustic set of music to open the Swimmers home-coming show after a five week tour of Western Canada and the United States. Great Lake Swimmers All Over The Interweb2009.04.03What are people saying about Lost Channels? We've got it all here for you... @lancearmstrong tweets: "Check out the new one (Lost Channels) from the Great Lake Swimmers. It's very good." NPR made "Pulling On A Line" the song of the day Paste did a sit down interview with Tony Dekker Exclaim did a feature review of Lost Channels Globe And Mail reviewed Lost Channels too Filter showed some love for the new record and US tour dates Torontoist featured Lost Channels in their Sound Advice section Strangeglue had lovely things to say about Lost Channels Blurt also joined the party to cover the record Campus Circle decided to give Lost Channels high marks The Dallas Observer got the inside scope about Lost Channels from Tony Washington Post Express gave Lost Channels a spin The BBC talked about Lost Channels as well AW Music covered the St. James Hall show SF's Noise blog highlighted Lost Channels The Toronto City News had a nice conversation with Tony Dekker AOL Music featured Great Lake Swimmers on the homepage with an article about the new record All Music raved about Lost Channels Baeble Music praised the new album Chewing Gum For The Ears was pretty excited for release of Lost Channels Aquarium Drunkard enjoys Lost Channels so much that they decided to present the LA show tomorrow. Lost Channels Video Commentary On Quicktime2009.04.02 Head over to our Quicktime Listening Party for a special listening of Lost Channels. At this listening party, you'll get video commentary from Tony Dekker as he recounts each track on the record with personal insight to how it came about. Lost Channels is available now on iTunes and record stores everywhere. You can view the new video for "Pulling On A Line" here and view tour dates here. Lost Channels Out Now2009.03.31Lost Channels, the new album from Great Lake Swimmers is out now! Pick it up at your local indie record store or preferred online retailer. You can also download the album on Amie Street all this week for only $5.00. The full record is streaming now on Myspace. Great Lake Swimmers On Simple Folk Radio2009.03.28Check out Brighton, UK radio station Radio Reverb as they present a special audio postcard from the Great Lake Swimmers on April 1st. The band will be performing the following songs:
Listen online here or locally on 97.2 FM. For additional information, air dates, and to RSVP, please click here. Lost Channels will be available everywhere on March 31st. You can pre-order now on iTunes Canada, Amazon CD, or Amazon Vinyl. For a complete album listening party, tour dates, and to view the new music video for "Pulling On A Line," please click here. "Pulling On A Line" Video Premiere On Pitchfork2009.03.25 Head over to Pitchfork for the music video premiere of "Pulling On A Line," the new single from the Great Lake Swimmers. Like what you hear and want more? Check out Last FM for the exclusive Lost Channels album listening party. The single, "Pulling On A Line" is available now on iTunes or Amazon. A physical preorder of Lost Channels is available here through Amazon. Lost Channels will be available everywhere on March 31st. Exclusive Lost Channels Listening Party Live On Last FM2009.03.24The Great Lake Swimmers and Last FM have teamed up to bring you the official album premiere of Lost Channels, the new record from the Great Lake Swimmers. Click here to stream the entire album plus bonus track by track commentary on each song. Lost Channels will be available everywhere on March 31st. To catch the band on tour, please click here. For live footage, music videos, and more, please click here. Lost Channels Bonus iTunes Canada Pre-order + New Song Stream2009.03.17Starting today, you can pre-order Lost Channels off iTunes Canada for the low price of $9.99. The pre-order includes the complete record as well as 4 exclusive bonus tracks. Pre-order now and your music will be delivered instantly on 3/31. For those who don't pre-order, iTunes Canada will still offer 2 of the 4 exclusive bonus tracks with purchase of the complete record. You may also pre-order in physical format worldwide through Amazon. In additional Great Lake Swimmers news, the new track "Concrete Heart" can be streamed in full by clicking here. You can also check out a new interview with Tony on Slowcoustic. And of course, check out Great Lake Swimmers as they tour North America and Europe throughout the Spring. Full dates can be found here. Follow the tour Twitter here. Great Lake Swimmers Live Pictures, Video, & Preorder Info2009.03.16As the first leg of the Great Lake Swimmer tour in Eastern Canada comes to an end, we thank everyone who came out to the shows and hope you had a great time. For those who couldn't make it, you can click here to see a live video of "Bodies And Minds" from The Capital. The video comes to us courtesy of Christian Hapgood. We've also uploaded a set of pictures to our Facebook page from The Ship performance courtesy of Mark Bennett. We welcome all user generated tour pictures on our Facebook Live Gallery and would appreciate any live footage to be sent to greatlakeswimmers@nettwerk.com. For a complete list of tour dates as GLS continue throughout North America and Europe, please click here. Look out for more live videos, new song leaks, and iTunes preorder news shortly. You can preorder Lost Channels now on Amazon and Amazon MP3 now. Fan Generated Tour Footage + Twitter2009.03.04
For a complete list of tour dates and to RSVP, please click here. Can't make it to any of the shows? Follow Tony's twitter as he plays show to show. Great Lake Swimmers Get Lost On Paste Magazine2009.02.24
"Everything Is Moving So Fast" Free MP3 Exclusive2009.02.20
"Pulling On A Line" Now On iTunes2009.02.18
DEBUT of Great Lake Swimers "Pulling On A Line"
|
 |
|
Tall Ships Landing is honoured that Great Lake Swimmers will be presenting a complimentary concert in support of the Maritime
Discovery Centre of the 1000 Islands in Brockville on Saturday, June 6th. The Toronto band is currently on an international tour promoting their new
album "Lost Channels". The album was recorded in and named for the 1000 Islands, which they have come to greatly appreciate. Tracks were recorded
at Singer Castle, St. Brendan's Church in Rockport and the Brockville Arts Centre.
Fifty-five years ago, Marilyn Bell took a plunge and traversed Lake Ontario. Back then, being a Great Lake swimmer was a big deal; now, it's an astonishing physical feat taken for granted. It's a rapidly forgotten part of history, like a faded map or a tattered photograph. Or a lost channel.
Tony Dekker's Great Lake Swimmers have spent the past seven years performing on stages around the world—though, like Bell, they should never be taken for granted. LOST CHANNELS, their fourth album set for release on March 31st, finds them once again recording at historic locations. This time in the Thousand Islands region of Ontario and New York state, telling tales of hidden histories, still "mining for light in the dark wells," still "tuned to an instrument of greater and unknown design."
The instrument in question is the singular voice of Tony Dekker, a voice that summons ghosts from times past. It’s a voice that is capable of conveying heartache and comfort all in the space of a single phrase. Though his supporting cast has changed over the years—with the exception of longtime right-hand man Erik Arnesen—Dekker has always encircled him self with sympathetic players who value spacious arrangements that frame his vocals. Over time, the band has evolved from a sparse, delicate and hushed unit into a well-rounded folk rock band, sacrificing none of their original intimacy while upping both the volume and tempos when necessary.
Dekker chooses to record in old churches, community halls, abandoned grain silos and rural locations. It's easy to hear why. His voice doesn't need any studio embellishment, standing at its strongest when bathed in natural reverb and enriched by the historical context surrounding it. 
greatlakeswimmers@hotmail.com
Phil Klygo: phil@weewerk.com
Produced With The Assistance of the VideoFACT (A Foundation To Assist Canadian Talent) PromoFACT Award Program, Supported by the MuchMoreMusic Network.