GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS RETURN WITH “ONE MORE DANCE AROUND THE SUN”, ANNOUNCE CANADIAN TOUR DATES

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS REVEAL FIRST NEW SINGLE SINCE UNCERTAIN COUNTRY (2023), “ONE MORE DANCE AROUND THE SUN”

WATCH / SHARE “ONE MORE DANCE AROUND THE SUN” HERE
BUY / STREAM “ONE MORE DANCE AROUND THE SUN” HERE

CANADIAN TOUR DATES WITH ELLIOTT BROOD COMMENCE OCTOBER 15 | TICKETS HERE

Photo Credit : Robert Georgeff // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

What would a Great Lake Swimmers song sound like if it were written during a hazy Laurel Canyon summer in the late 1960s? “One More Dance Around The Sun” offers a compelling answer. Their first new music since 2023’s Uncertain Country, it’s a warm, reflective track that rolls forward like a long drive at golden hour — steady, hopeful, and grounded in the quiet momentum of everyday life.

Led by songwriter Tony Dekker, Great Lake Swimmers have spent the past twenty-odd years crafting music that feels at once deeply rooted and free-floating — tethered to land and language, yet always reaching for something beyond. On this track, Dekker turns his eye to the passage of time and the search for constancy in an ever-shifting world. Lyrically grounded in furrows and rows, rivers and roads, the song traces the cyclical nature of days and seasons, of work and wear, and the idea that maybe, in the repetition, there’s a deeper insight to be attained. And a hope that digging through the dust might just uncover some kind of light.

WATCH / SHARE “ONE MORE DANCE AROUND THE SUN” HERE
BUY / STREAM “ONE MORE DANCE AROUND THE SUN” HERE

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“This song pinpoints a very distinct feeling for me,” says Dekker. “Riding around in the summertime with the windows down — maybe after a solid workday, maybe on route to an epic road trip, or maybe just seeing familiar surroundings with renewed vision. It’s about perseverance, new beginnings, and the searching that invites wisdom and perspective as the planet spins on.”

Recorded at Ganaraska Recording Company, a converted century-old farmhouse near Port Hope, Ontario, “One More Dance Around The Sun” brings together a trusted ensemble of Canadian folk collaborators. Dekker’s hushed, clear voice sits at the center of a warmly textured arrangement shaped by producer and bassist Darcy Yates and engineer and pedal steel guitarist Jimmy Bowskill. Colleen Brown’s Joni Mitchell–esque backing vocals lend harmonies that are both airy and soulful. The result is a golden-hued, analog-soaked track that feels lived-in, effortless, and casually luminous — a song that seems to have been with you all along, even on first listen.

Great Lake Swimmers to take to the road for Canadian tour dates with Elliot BROOD this fall beginning October 15. 

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS ON TOUR
October 15   Regina, SK  Darke Hall
October 17  Sherwood Park, AB  Festival Place Theatre
October 18  St. Albert, AB   Arden Theatre
October 20   Red Deer, AB   Bo's Bar & Grill 
October 21  Vernon, BC  The Vernon Towne Theatre 
October 23  Vancouver, BC  Biltmore Cabaret 
October 24  Victoria, BC  Capital Ballroom 
October 25  Nanaimo, BC  The Queens 
October 26   Campbell River, BC  Tidemark Theatre
October 28  Golden, BC  Golden Civic Centre 
October 29  Revelstoke, BC  Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre
October 30   Calgary, AB  Commonwealth Bar & Stage 
November 1  Saskatoon, SK  The Capitol Music Club
November 2 Winnipeg, MB  Park Theatre
All dates with Elliott BROOD

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GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS REVEAL NEW LYRIC VIDEO, LIVE LP OUT THIS FRIDAY

WATCH AND SHARE “I BECAME AWAKE” HERE

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS ARE RELEASING THEIR 2007 PERFORMANCE AT TORONTO’S CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER ON VINYL AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS VIA (WEEWERK) THIS FRIDAY, MAY 14

LIVE AT THE REDEEMER 2007 AVAILABLE VIA BANDCAMP NOW

PRE-ORDER LIVE AT THE REDEEMER 2007 HERE

Great Lake Swimmers Live At Church Of The Redeemer 2007 - Photo : Frank Yang // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

This past Friday, Great Lake Swimmers released their new LP, Live At The Redeemer 2007, via Bandcamp. In a few short days, the album will also be released on vinyl double LP and on digital platforms via (weewerk). Live At The Redeemer 2007 was recorded right at the end of the band’s Canadian spring tour of 2007, just days before the group continued on to embark on a full European tour to support the newly released album Ongiara.

Today, the band is sharing a lyric video for the live performance of “I Became Awake”, the last song on Ongiara and the last song performed at the Church of the Redeemer. “It has a dreamy, ethereal quality that was intensified by Bob Egan’s passionate pedal steel playing,” says songwriter Tony Dekker. “It also features backing vocals by Basia Bulat and violin by Owen Pallett, and the seven-piece group on this song really transcends the sum of its parts. The acoustics of the church were also a major part of the sound on this track.”

WATCH AND SHARE “I BECAME AWAKE” HERE

MORE ON LIVE AT THE REDEEMER 2007

Live At The Redeemer 2007 was originally recorded for CBC Radio broadcast by producer and engineer Ron Skinner, with live sound mixed by Andy Magoffin, who also re-mixed and mastered the recording for this release. The album is notable not only for the grand acoustics of the church, but for the raw first impressions of songs that would become fan favourites, as well as notable guest appearances by Basia Bulat (backing vocals), Owen Pallett (violin), and Bob Egan (pedal steel) in addition to the band’s core lineup. The live set is comprised of songs from the first three Great Lake Swimmers albums; Self-titled (2003), Bodies And Minds (2005), and Ongiara (2007).

“As I write this, we are very near to the year mark of a pandemic that has put much of the world into holding patterns of lockdown, isolation, and closures,” says Dekker. “It has been devastating on many levels, but there are silver linings; for me, it’s been a chance to press pause and reflect, with part of that being a look back, and taking stock. That has led to, in this down time, the opportunity to go through the archives of Great Lake Swimmers live recordings from over the years, and a few things were found that I think are worth sharing.

LISTEN AND SHARE “YOUR ROCKY SPINE” LIVE AT THE REDEEMER HERE

BUY / STREAM “YOUR ROCKY SPINE” LIVE AT THE REDEEMER HERE

What you hear on this record is the official release show for our album Ongiara, recorded for radio broadcast by the CBC on April 14, 2007. It was the first time that the new songs were performed in front of a hometown, Toronto audience, and it capped off a tour of Ontario, Quebec, and Western Canada. Days later, we were en route to Europe for a month of tightly scheduled tour dates there. And following that, a whirlwind month-long tour of the U.S. brought us up to a string of summer festival dates. It was a busy year, and looking back on it now, I’m not sure how we survived it. It was the first time that it felt like the music was starting to reach a wider audience.

For this particular show, we were lucky to have local friends and collaborators help expand our four-piece band at the time to a seven-piece, which includes Owen Pallett on violin, Bob Egan on pedal steel, and Basia Bulat guesting on backing vocals. At one point I’m also on stage alone with my guitar. 

Spaces have always been important to me, from where the albums are recorded to the rooms in which the songs are shared. Playing and singing in interesting acoustic places, like old halls, and churches, especially, draws out performances that I think have a special quality that you can’t quite put your finger on, but can feel are there; notes swirling together in a big open room, bathed in natural reverberation. As a singer, I feel that the performance is transformed by the space, as if it were another instrument, or a member of the band. The space completes the song, in a way, and I think there is evidence of that here.”

LISTEN AND SHARE “I AM PART OF A LARGE FAMILY” HERE

BUY / STREAM “I AM PART OF A LARGE FAMILY” HERE

On the recording of the performance, engineer Ron Skinner notes: “I’ve been recording live music for the CBC for more than 25 years. Over the course of my career I’ve had the great honour of recording hundreds of beautiful live performances. 

It is no secret that Great Lake Swimmers’ Tony Dekker likes beautiful acoustic settings. And Toronto’s Church of the Redeemer is definitely that. But more than that this location seems like the perfect spot for a Great Lake Swimmers concert. A beautiful, serene sanctuary right in the heart of a loud and busy city. I think you can hear that juxtaposition in the performances on this recording.

My stress levels are pretty high on the day of a live recording. The combination of the logistics, the long day and the adrenaline rush of recording live often makes it hard for me to enjoy the music. I generally get to experience the joy of the recording a few days later when listening back alone in the mixing studio. Now, hearing this recording again almost 14 years later, I remember it was a great day.”

CONCERT REVIEWS FOR GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS AT THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER, APRIL 14 2007

“I’ve seen a number of musical performances in a few of the churches on Bloor St, but this was my first at this particular house of worship and I think it sounded far and away the best...everything sounded stunning. Everything. The performances were note-perfect, the mix perfectly balanced and the church acoustics everything you’d hope they’d be. It would be possible to go on at length (even moreso) about how good it sounded, so let’s just say it sounded better than you could possibly imagine.” – Frank Yang, Chrome Waves

“It was my first time seeing a show in Church of The Redeemer which is a quaint, old church situated in downtown Toronto, conveniently off the subway line....Through roughly an hour and a quarter's set of material Tony Dekker performed his set through a variety of configurations. There were awesome full-band performances like set-opener "Your Rocky Spine", "I Am Part Of A Large Family" and "Moving Pictures Silent Films" (a strikingly beautiful song already made even better by Basia Bulat's lovely vocal touch). It was good news to hear from Tony that the evening was being recorded by CBC Radio, presumably for radio broadcast but hopefully also for a live album release if we could be so lucky.” – Michael Ligon, For The Records

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LIVE AT THE REDEEMER 2007 TRACKLIST
01 Your Rocky Spine
02 Backstage With The Modern Dancers
03 Various Stages
04 Bodies And Minds
05 Put There By The Land
06 I Am Part Of A Large Family
07 Changing Colours
08 Moving Pictures Silent Films
09 There Is A Light
10 Let’s Trade Skins
11 I Will Never See The Sun
12 Passenger Song
13 Where In The World Are You
14 Song For The Angels
15 I Became Awake
16 Imaginary Bars

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GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS SHARE ANOTHER TRACK FROM UPCOMING LIVE LP

LISTEN AND SHARE “I AM PART OF A LARGE FAMILY” HERE
BUY / STREAM “I AM PART OF A LARGE FAMILY” HERE

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS ARE RELEASING THEIR 2007 PERFORMANCE AT TORONTO’S CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER ON BANDCAMP ON MAY 7 AND ON VINYL / DIGITAL PLATFORMS ON MAY 14, 2021 ON (WEEWERK)

PRE-ORDER LIVE AT THE REDEEMER 2007 HERE

Great Lake Swimmers Live At Church Of The Redeemer 2007 - Photo : Frank Yang // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Great Lake Swimmers are sharing the live version of “I Am Part Of A Large Family” from their upcoming release Live At The Redeemer 2007. Set for release as a vinyl double LP and on digital platforms via (weewerk), the concert capped off the band’s Canadian spring tour of 2007, just days before the group continued on to embark on a full European tour to support the newly released album Ongiara.

“This live version of ‘I Am Part Of A Large Family’ has one of my favourite Great Lake Swimmers live band lineups,” says songwriter Tony Dekker. “Bob Egan on dobro, Owen Pallett on violin, and Basia Bulat on backing vocals, alongside the core four-piece band at the time. There is an energy in the performance which is absolutely intrinsic to that place and time. The live version rivals the album version in my mind, and really flourishes once the band gets going, transcending the sum of its parts.”

LISTEN AND SHARE “I AM PART OF A LARGE FAMILY” HERE

BUY / STREAM “I AM PART OF A LARGE FAMILY” HERE

MORE ON LIVE AT THE REDEEMER 2007

Live At The Redeemer 2007 was originally recorded for CBC Radio broadcast by producer and engineer Ron Skinner, with live sound mixed by Andy Magoffin, who also re-mixed and mastered the recording for this release. The album is notable not only for the grand acoustics of the church, but for the raw first impressions of songs that would become fan favourites, as well as notable guest appearances by Basia Bulat (backing vocals), Owen Pallett (violin), and Bob Egan (pedal steel) in addition to the band’s core lineup. The live set is comprised of songs from the first three Great Lake Swimmers albums; Self-titled (2003), Bodies And Minds (2005), and Ongiara (2007).

“As I write this, we are very near to the year mark of a pandemic that has put much of the world into holding patterns of lockdown, isolation, and closures,” says Dekker. “It has been devastating on many levels, but there are silver linings; for me, it’s been a chance to press pause and reflect, with part of that being a look back, and taking stock. That has led to, in this down time, the opportunity to go through the archives of Great Lake Swimmers live recordings from over the years, and a few things were found that I think are worth sharing.

LISTEN AND SHARE “YOUR ROCKY SPINE” LIVE AT THE REDEEMER HERE

BUY / STREAM “YOUR ROCKY SPINE” LIVE AT THE REDEEMER HERE

What you hear on this record is the official release show for our album Ongiara, recorded for radio broadcast by the CBC on April 14, 2007. It was the first time that the new songs were performed in front of a hometown, Toronto audience, and it capped off a tour of Ontario, Quebec, and Western Canada. Days later, we were en route to Europe for a month of tightly scheduled tour dates there. And following that, a whirlwind month-long tour of the U.S. brought us up to a string of summer festival dates. It was a busy year, and looking back on it now, I’m not sure how we survived it. It was the first time that it felt like the music was starting to reach a wider audience.

For this particular show, we were lucky to have local friends and collaborators help expand our four-piece band at the time to a seven-piece, which includes Owen Pallett on violin, Bob Egan on pedal steel, and Basia Bulat guesting on backing vocals. At one point I’m also on stage alone with my guitar. 

Spaces have always been important to me, from where the albums are recorded to the rooms in which the songs are shared. Playing and singing in interesting acoustic places, like old halls, and churches, especially, draws out performances that I think have a special quality that you can’t quite put your finger on, but can feel are there; notes swirling together in a big open room, bathed in natural reverberation. As a singer, I feel that the performance is transformed by the space, as if it were another instrument, or a member of the band. The space completes the song, in a way, and I think there is evidence of that here.”

On the recording of the performance, engineer Ron Skinner notes: “I’ve been recording live music for the CBC for more than 25 years. Over the course of my career I’ve had the great honour of recording hundreds of beautiful live performances. 

It is no secret that Great Lake Swimmers’ Tony Dekker likes beautiful acoustic settings. And Toronto’s Church of the Redeemer is definitely that. But more than that this location seems like the perfect spot for a Great Lake Swimmers concert. A beautiful, serene sanctuary right in the heart of a loud and busy city. I think you can hear that juxtaposition in the performances on this recording.

My stress levels are pretty high on the day of a live recording. The combination of the logistics, the long day and the adrenaline rush of recording live often makes it hard for me to enjoy the music. I generally get to experience the joy of the recording a few days later when listening back alone in the mixing studio. Now, hearing this recording again almost 14 years later, I remember it was a great day.”

CONCERT REVIEWS FOR GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS AT THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER, APRIL 14 2007

“I’ve seen a number of musical performances in a few of the churches on Bloor St, but this was my first at this particular house of worship and I think it sounded far and away the best...everything sounded stunning. Everything. The performances were note-perfect, the mix perfectly balanced and the church acoustics everything you’d hope they’d be. It would be possible to go on at length (even moreso) about how good it sounded, so let’s just say it sounded better than you could possibly imagine.” – Frank Yang, Chrome Waves

“It was my first time seeing a show in Church of The Redeemer which is a quaint, old church situated in downtown Toronto, conveniently off the subway line....Through roughly an hour and a quarter's set of material Tony Dekker performed his set through a variety of configurations. There were awesome full-band performances like set-opener "Your Rocky Spine", "I Am Part Of A Large Family" and "Moving Pictures Silent Films" (a strikingly beautiful song already made even better by Basia Bulat's lovely vocal touch). It was good news to hear from Tony that the evening was being recorded by CBC Radio, presumably for radio broadcast but hopefully also for a live album release if we could be so lucky.” – Michael Ligon, For The Records

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

LIVE AT THE REDEEMER 2007 TRACKLIST
01 Your Rocky Spine
02 Backstage With The Modern Dancers
03 Various Stages
04 Bodies And Minds
05 Put There By The Land
06 I Am Part Of A Large Family
07 Changing Colours
08 Moving Pictures Silent Films
09 There Is A Light
10 Let’s Trade Skins
11 I Will Never See The Sun
12 Passenger Song
13 Where In The World Are You
14 Song For The Angels
15 I Became Awake
16 Imaginary Bars

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