Great Lake Swimmers create new song honouring Gulf fishermen, Swim Drink Fish Music Club!2010.08.24

Ballad of a Fisherman’s Wife released on SwimDrinkFishMusic.com this week

Great Lake Swimmers, the Canadian folk-rock outfit led by Tony Dekker, released a new track on August 24th, honouring fishermen and families affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. "Ballad of a Fisherman's Wife" was written and produced in Toronto and has been released online at www.swimdrinkfishmusic.com.

"Great Lake Swimmers' "Ballad Of A Fisherman's Wife" was written after hearing, with great dismay, news about the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Most striking and heart-felt to me were the sentiments of outrage from those who made their living in and along these waters, especially the fishermen, and especially their wives. I wanted to comment on this ongoing crisis from that very specific viewpoint," says singer-songwriter Tony Dekker.

Dekker's music has been featured on the Swim Drink Fish Music website throughout the month of August. The Swim Drink Fish Music Club is an online music and audio experience @ www.swimdrinkfishmusic.com. Developed by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper with Ottawa Riverkeeper, and Fraser Riverkeeper, SDFM brings artists together with activists and citizens to celebrate exclusive and rare music while creating swimmable, drinkable, fishable futures for their communities.

"This latest release offers Club members a moving insight into the lives of people who are intimately connected to our fragile waterbodies. It also chronicles some of the greatest themes of our era: hardship, perseverance, and love. I hope our friends in the Gulf find strength that, even in this terrible time, others are watching, finding inspiration, and applauding their efforts," says Mark Mattson, president of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and Club co-founder.

The Swim Drink Fish Music Club is online @ www.swimdrinkfishmusic.com and on Twitter @SDFM. The Club’s monthly release schedule features new and exclusive songs by artists who care about clean water. We have proudly worked with founding artists including Broken Social Scene, Bruce Cockburn, Dave Bidini, Gord Downie, Pete Seeger, Sarah Harmer, Stars, and Canadian producer Chris Brown.

A Swim Drink Fish Music annual membership is $10. It provides unlimited access to the entire website and catalogue for one year. Members can download the songs, play them on any portable music device, and keep the music forever. For more information, please visit: www.swimdrinkfishmusic.com

(Media subscriptions are available via email: hello@swimdrinkfishmusic.com)
Interview requests or background, please call:
(In Toronto): Mark Mattson at Lake Ontario Waterkeeper: 416.861.1237
(In Ottawa): Natasha Wilson at Ottawa Riverkeeper: 613.321.1120

Great Lake Swimmers join the Swim Drink Fish Music Club!2010.08.14

Folk-rockers donate 4 exclusive tracks to clean water cause

The Swim Drink Fish Music Club is excited to announce that Great Lake Swimmers will be the Featured Artist during July-August 2010.

The Swim Drink Fish Music Club is an online music and audio experience @ www.swimdrinkfishmusic.com and on Twitter @SDFM. Developed by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Ottawa Riverkeeper, and Fraser Riverkeeper, SDFM brings artists together with activists and citizens to celebrate exclusive and rare music while creating swimmable, drinkable, fishable futures for their communities.
The Club’s monthly release schedule features new and exclusive songs by artists who care about clean water. Swim Drink Fish Music is proud to have worked with founding artists including Broken Social Scene, Bruce Cockburn, Dave Bidini, Gord Downie, Pete Seeger, Sarah Harmer, Stars, and Canadian producer Chris Brown.

Great Lake Swimmers are featured now at Swim Drink Fish Music. The group, led by Tony Dekker, has contributed three live tracks as well as a studio recording created specially for Swim Drink Fish Music. The live tracks were recorded at a Swim Drink Fish Music Presents show in June. They are: Your Rocky Spine, I Could Be Nothing, Everything is Moving So Fast. The fourth track is a new offering from singer-songwriter Tony Dekker:

"It is an honour to release four different songs from Tony and Great Lake Swimmers. Their name, their music, and their spirit all capture perfectly the kind of world we Waterkeepers are working to create - a world where water is always top of mind and where everyone can safely touch, drink, and enjoy their local waterway," says Waterkeeper & President Mark Mattson of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper.

Great Lake Swimmers’ most recent album, Lost Channels, won the 2010 Canadian Indie award for Favourite Folk/Roots Artist/Group, was shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris prize, and nominated for a Juno. Their songs will be released beginning in late July through mid-August.

More Canadian Dates Just Announced!2010.08.03

If you're spending this weekend in Ontario's lovely Grand bend area, be sure to catch Great Lake Swimmers this Saturday, Aug 7 at Aquafest! A FREE Eco-Bash presented by the Grand Bend Community Foundation. Pack a bathing suit and sunblock 'cause it's on the beach and our official GLS meteorologists are calling for sunshine!

If you can't get to Grand Bend, you can catch Great Lake Swimmers when they play another FREE show in St.Catherines, Ontario on Friday, Sept 17. They'll be at Montebello Park, and brought to you as part of Niagara Wine Festival.

For Western Canada, Great Lake Swimmers will be performing Friday, Sept 24 at Alix Goolden Hall in Victoria, British Columbia as part of Rifflandia Festival! There's a lot of other great artists listed on this bill and you should definitely plan to attend if you are in Victoria, BC from September 23-26.

East Coast! Great Lake Swimmers love you too! They'll prove it on Friday, Oct 22 when they perform at St. Matthew's United Church as part of Halifax Pop Explosion!

The above shows are all ages events!

Great Lake Swimmers Have New Merchandise!2010.07.25

Our Unisex Grey Zipper Hoodie has finally arrived! We have also restocked our vinyl and have Great Lake Swimmers, and Bodies & Minds 12" available, as well as Lost Channels Deluxe 180 gram vinyl, featuring Great Lake Swimmers Live at Trinity St. Paul's 7" and album download card. Please visit our online merch table.

Great Lake Swimmers to Perform at Halifax Pop Explosion!2010.07.22

Great Lake Swimmers will perform at the 2010 Halifax Pop Explosion on Friday, October 22 at St. Matthew's United Church in beautiful Halifax Nova Scotia. We look forward to seeing you there!

Free Tickets To A Show In Winnipeg!2010.06.23

Courtesy of Winnipeg International Jazz Festival and Into The Music Records, the Great Lake Swimmers would like to give away 2 tickets to their second night's performance at the wonderful West End Cultural Centre on Wed June 30th in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

To be eligible for the pair of tickets, simply email the reason why you deserve to win them to info@weewerk.com; along with your contact info. A winner will be announced on Monday June 28th.

River's Edge Music Video.2010.06.16

Enjoy the official music video for "River's Edge" by Great Lake Swimmers. The track is from 2009 breakout album, Lost Channels, available everywhere now and featuring "Pulling On A Line," "Stealing Tomorrow," and "Still."

The video was created by Nir Ben Jacob who had this to say about the creation of the video...

"About half a year ago, I stumbled on these wood-chip plate compositions my late grandfather made. They're a beautiful example of early Israeli-Yemenite art. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to animate them. They had been in storage for years so it meant a great deal to bring them out and breathe life into them. This was an opportunity to not only contribute to his work, but also expose it to the audience it never had. When I heard "River's Edge" I was amazed. It's a great track and the music and lyrics corresponded to the plates perfectly. It was really exciting to see how the visuals complemented the song."

Great Lake Swimmers Deluxe Vinyl Update + Free Download.2010.06.16

Due to unforeseeable set backs in the intense production of the Lost Channels Deluxe Vinyl, we have moved the vinyl release date to later this summer. Vinyl production is a tentative process and unfortunately the date we set out for release has been temporarily delayed.

The vinyl will be available later this summer and we will make sure to let you know first, as soon as a new release date is available.

To compensate for the wait, we are happy to offer you a FREE download of the brand new music video for "River's Edge." Click here to receive your free download and thank you for your understanding.

River's Edge Video Premiere On Amazon.2010.06.16

Our partners at Amazon have premiered the new animated music video for "River's Edge," by artist, Nir Ben Jacob. Click here to view, with the YouTube premiere set for release today.

Great Lake Swimmers play Aquafest!.2010.06.11

Great Lake Swimmers will be performing Saturday August 7th, 4:30pm at the Grand Bend Aquafest in beautiful Grand Bend Ontario. This is a FREE event!

Great Lake Swimmers play Clayton NY, June 26th.2010.06.11

With both the Brockville and Wolfe Island shows SOLD OUT last weekend, we suggest those of you in the area come see the band play at the beautiful Opera House Theatre in Clayton, New York on June 26th during the Clayton River Festival.

Great Lake Swimmers will release Lost Channels on deluxe vinyl, June 22nd.2010.05.26

The vinyl package will include:

- Deluxe 180-gram vinyl
- A live bonus 7" with 2 songs from the Trinity St. Paul's show in Toronto
- Album download card with 3 additional songs

The 7" will be packaged inside of the the vinyl cover with it's own unique sleeve. 7" tracks, "Put There By The Land" & "Concrete Heart," will also be available as digital downloads through the download card along with extra track, "It's Too Late." Preorder details and unboxing video to come.

Lost Channels Vinyl Track Listing:
Palmistry
Everything Is Moving So Fast
Pulling On A Line
Concrete Heart
She Comes to Me In Dreams
The Chorus In The Underground
Singer Castle Bells
Stealing Tomorrow
Still
New Light
River's Edge
Unison Falling Into Harmony

Download Card Track Listing:

Palmistry
Everything Is Moving So Fast
Pulling On A Line
Concrete Heart
She Comes to Me In Dreams
The Chorus In The Underground
Singer Castle Bells
Stealing Tomorrow
Still
New Light
River's Edge
Unison Falling Into Harmony
Put There By The Land (Live)
Concrete Heart (Live)
*Bonus - It's Too Late

New Great Lake Swimmers Merchandise Mail Order Page!2010.05.20

Please check out the new merchandise order page on our website.


Folks can now mail order cds, lps and tee shirts directly from us.

Cheers!

The Legion Sessions Out Today2010.05.18

The limited edition Legion Sessions physical CD from Great Lake Swimmers is out everywhere today. Click here to order from Amazon for only $6.98.

Click here to experience The Legion Sessions through the interactive microsite with YouTube videos below.

1. Palmistry (Legion Sessions)
2. Everything Is Moving So Fast (Legion Sessions)
3. Pulling On A Line (Legion Sessions)
4. Concrete Heart (Legion Sessions)
5. She Comes To Me In Dreams (Legion Sessions)
6. The Chorus In The Underground (Legion Sessions)
7. Stealing Tomorrow (Legion Sessions)
8. Still (Legion Sessions)
9. New Light (Legion Sessions)

RSVP Free Tickets to Great Lake Swimmers Concert in Brockville Ontario - JUNE 4th!2010.05.03

Thanks to the evening's presenters, Tall Ships Landing, there will be no charge for tickets to this special concert on June 4th. We urge you to reserve tickets asap as they are going fast. Please email your list of those attending to: TallShips@Fuller.ca. In the event there are any cancellations, we kindly ask that you advise TallShips@Fuller.ca so that your tickets can be used for someone else. Many Thanks!

If you haven't purchased Great Lake Swimmers' limited edition Legion Sessions physical CD, click here to preorder from Amazon for only $6.98. The album releases on May 18th and once it's gone, it's gone.

To experience the Legion Sessions, click here and explore the Legion Sessions interactive microsite.

1. Palmistry (Legion Sessions)
2. Everything Is Moving So Fast (Legion Sessions)
3. Pulling On A Line (Legion Sessions)
4. Concrete Heart (Legion Sessions)
5. She Comes To Me In Dreams (Legion Sessions)
6. The Chorus In The Underground (Legion Sessions)
7. Stealing Tomorrow (Legion Sessions)
8. Still (Legion Sessions)
9. New Light (Legion Sessions)

Legion Hall Show, May 1st. Toronto2010.05.03

Great Lake Swimmers, Saturday May 1 2010, Canadian Corps Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

photograph by Trevor Weeks

Legion Hall Show On May 1st In Toronto2010.04.28

Nettwerk & (weewerk) Presents Great Lake Swimmers, celebrating their new EP, The Legion Sessions.

Join the band for this intimate and free show at the Canadian Corps Association on May 1st. Full details can be found on this Facebook event.

Space is limited and entry is free with the purchase of any Great Lake Swimmers CD from any of these participating record stores: Criminal Records, Rotate This, Sonic Boom, and Soundscapes. Spread the word!

Doors at 9:30PM
10:30PM - Jesse T. Reid
11:30PM - Great Lake Swimmers

The Legion Sessions is available now at independent record stores.

New Video For Stealing Tomorrow2010.04.22

Enjoy the official music video for "Stealing Tomorrow" from the critically acclaimed album, Lost Channels. The video was shot by Candace Meyer in March of 2010.

Click here to purchase the Polaris and Juno nominated record Lost Channels.

Tony Dekker Live Tweets From The Juno Awards2010.04.15

With the Juno Awards just a few nights away, CBC Arts has selected Tony Dekker as their official Twitter correspondent of the night. Follow GLS on Twitter for live tweets from the show, this Sunday!

Great Lake Swimmers To Perform At 2010 Juno Awards Broadcast - New Legion Session EP Release2010.03.25

Juno Nominees Great Lake Swimmers are confirmed to perform during the 2010 Juno Awards Broadcast on CTV, Sunday April 18th. The band’s nomination for Roots & Traditional Album Of The Year: Group comes on the heels of a win for Favorite Folk / Roots Group at the Indies Awards, as well as a Short List Polaris Music Prize nod earlier this year.

A day prior to the Juno’s broadcast, Great Lake Swimmers will join the worldwide celebration of the beloved indie record store on Record Store Day (April 17) with the physical release of their new Legion Sessions EP. Recorded during the month of February 2009 in a Royal Canadian Legion Hall, the Swimmers captured live versions of many songs from their then freshly minted new album Lost Channels. The result is the watermark of a band embarking on a new and fully realized sound, almost a decade in development. The live EP captures this new rollicking full band sound, along with the gorgeous subtleties that the Swimmers have become best known for.

In celebration of both JunoFest and Record Store Day, the Swimmers will play two live shows in St. Johns. On the evening of Friday, April 16, the band is excited to play a co-headline show with St. John’s very own Hey Rosetta! The afternoon of Saturday, April 17 will be a second chance to catch them when they play an intimate performance at local music hub Fred’s Records, along with Postdata, Amelia Curran, NQ Arbuckle.

FREE Great Lake Swimmers Concert and Video Shoot in Hamilton on Wednesday March 17th!2010.03.04

Great Lake Swimmers will be playing a special free concert at The Underground (41 Catharine St. North) in Hamilton, and shooting a live video for their song "The Chorus In The Underground." Two sets of music by the band and the filming of this song by acclaimed director Scott Cudmore will be part of the evening's festivities. Bring your friends and have some fun with the Great Lake Swimmers - you could possibly be featured in the video!

Entry is guaranteed at the door only, on the night of the show, on a first come, first served basis. A cash bar will be available inside. Doors open at 9pm. Show starts at 10pm sharp!

Great Lake Swimmers Nominated For A 2010 Juno!2010.03.04

We are thrilled to announce that Great Lake Swimmers have been nominated for a 2010 Juno Award in the Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group category! Please click here to view the full nominations list.

Live Video of Palmistry from Sonic Boom Performance2010.03.03

Live on CBC Radio's GO!2010.02.23

Great Lake Swimmers will be performing live this weekend on CBC Radio's GO!. Free tickets are available here: cbc.ca/go/tickets.html

Great Lake Swimmers in British Columbia2010.02.23

See the band perform live at The PEAK Performance Lounge.