News

Great Lake Swimmers have just added tour dates to their Canadian 2015 tour:

May 22 – Sault Ste. Marie ON @ Loplops
May 23 – Thunder Bay ON @ Crocks
May 26 – Regina SK @ The Exchange
May 31 – Cranbrook BC @ The Key City Theatre

Here is a full list of their Canadian Spring 2015 tour dates so far:

April 15 – London ON @ Aeolian Performing Arts
April 16 – London ON @ Aeolian Performing Arts
April 17 – Wakefield QC @ The Black Sheep Inn
April 18 – Wakefield QC @ The Black Sheep Inn
Apr 23 – Toronto ON @ Randolph Theatre
Apr 24 – Toronto ON @ Randolph Theatre
May 22 – Sault Ste. Marie ON @ Loplops
May 23 – Thunder Bay ON @ Crocks *
May 25 – Winnipeg MB @ West End Cultural Centre *
May 26 – Regina SK @ The Exchange *
May 27 – Saskatoon SK @ Broadway Theatre *
May 29 – Edmonton AB @ Royal Albert Museum Theatre *
May 30 – Calgary AB @ Central United Church *
May 31 – Cranbrook BC @ The Key City Theatre *
June 1 – Nelson BC @ Civic Theatre *
June 3 – Victoria BC @ Alix Goolden Hall *
June 4 – Vancouver BC @ Vogue Theatre *

* with support The Weather Station

Photo by: Marina Manushenko

CBC Music will be holding a very special First Play Live concert of Great Lake Swimmers on Wednesday, March 11 at Studio 11 at CBC Headquarters in Toronto.

RSVP by Monday March 9, 2015 at 12:00pm EST to greatlakeswimmers@nettwerk.com for a chance at being one of the first to hear the music off the upcoming new album A Forest Of Arms

Capacity is very limited so it’s first come first serve with the first 50 people at the door (25 John Street entrance) that will receive seating for this exclusive event.

Great Lake Swimmers and Songkick bring you this advance ticket special pre-sale for their upcoming Canadian album release dates:

https://songkick.com/artists/207192-great-lake-swimmers/

Tickets are on sale now for a limited time – be the first to get GLS tickets for the spring tour before they go on sale to the general public, by clicking the link above.

Great Lake Swimmers will release their sixth album, A Forest Of Arms, on April 21, 2015 via Nettwerk Records. With a surging rhythm section, razor sharp violin, and flourishing banjo and guitars, Tony Dekker and his band mates have created some of their most dynamic songs to date.

As with past Great Lake Swimmers albums, A Forest Of Arms was recorded in several locations over the span of several months, covering extensive new territory while remaining true to the group’s refined sound. One of these unique and unusual locations was the Tyendinaga Cavern and Caves in Tyendinaga, Ontario. A number of the vocal and acoustic guitar tracks were recorded amid the haunting acoustics, stalactites, and circling bats in the caves. A Forest Of Arms was recorded and engineered by their long time live sound technician Justin Shane Nace and was mixed by the talented Howie Beck (Feist).

Great Lake Swimmers consists of Dekker on lead vocals and guitar, 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. There are also several special guest appearances on the album by Kevin Kane (Grapes Of Wrath).

Exclaim has the streaming premiere of “Zero in the City” the first single. Listen to the track here: http://tinyurl.com/k93vmbm/

CANADIAN TOUR DATES:

4/15 / London, ON / The Aeolian – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837768/
4/16 / London, ON / The Aeolian – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837793/
4/17 / Wakefield, QC / The Black Sheep Inn – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837803/
4/18 / Wakefield, QC / The Black Sheep Inn – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837823/
4/23 / Toronto, ON / The Randolph Theatre – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837838/
4/24 / Toronto, ON / The Randolph Theatre – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837853/
5/25 / Winnipeg, MB / West End Cultural Centre –http://winnipegfolkfestival.ca/concerts-events#!programmation=event$great-lake-swimmers/1204/
5/27 / Saskatoon, SK / Broadway Theatre – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837858/
5/29 / Edmonton, AB / Royal Alta Museum Theatre – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837868/
5/30 / Calgary, AB / Central United Church – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22834733/
6/1 / Nelson, BC / Civic Theatre – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837908/
6/3 / Victoria, BC / Alix Goolden Hall – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837918/
6/4 / Vancouver, BC / The Vogue Theatre – https://tickets.songkick.com/events/22837923/

The band will announce U.S. tour dates later this month and expect them to tour Europe in the early fall.

Friday February 27 – Oakville ON @ The Oakville Centre
http://oakvillecentre.ca/whats-on/GreatLakeSwimmers.html

In case you missed it, here is our LIVE AT MASSEY HALL concert from this past July, enjoy: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xm-pl9AzVUI

And have you seen us cover “I’m A Mountain” written by Sarah Harmer for the Polaris Cover Sessions: https://youtube.com/watch?v=GEM0qJOr70c Look for the vinyl edition next Record Store Day.

Speaking of vinyl, we also have a special vinyl bundle offer available on our Maple Music mail order site: http://maplemusic.com/artists/gls/
Cheers!

Great Lake Swimmers have been asked to join Daniel Lanois for a concert at The Banff Centre’s Shaw Amphitheatre on August 10th.

****************************************************************************
August 10 – Banff AB @ Shaw Amphitheatre – The Banff Centre
Gates 4 p.m. Music 5 p.m.
For more details and ticket information: http://tinyurl.com/k85686l

Heading into the fall Great Lake Swimmers will play the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage in Morrisburg, Ontario on September 20th. For more details please visit:
http://st-lawrencestage.com

Tony Dekker also recorded a covers album to help celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Zunior. Officially released on August 5th, Tony covers songs by Cadence Weapon, The Burning Hell, Rae Spoon, Matt Mays and many others. A benefit for Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto, folks can purchase a digital copy of the album at http://zunior.com/products/10-years-of-zunior-a-tony-dekker-cover-collection

Zunior’s anniversary will also be celebrated with the inaugural Sandbanks New Waves Festival on September 13th at Sandbanks Provincial Park. More festival details at: http://sandbanksnewwaves.com

*****************A reminder about Great Lake Swimmers August Dates:

August 23 – Peterborough ON @ Peterborough Folk Festival
http://peterboroughfolkfest.com/

Great Lake Swimmers are happy to announce they will be playing the Natal Day Festival in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Aug 2 – Dartmouth NS @ Alderney Landing ‘Natal Day Festival’
http://natalday.org/

With Rich Aucoin, Ashelin, and Sherman Downey and The Ambiguous Case.

Great Lake Swimmers have added two more festival dates to their summer schedule with plays this August in Orillia and Peterborough.**

Exclaim! also debut the second video from Tony Dekker’s solo album PRAYER OF THE WOODS for track “Talking In Your Sleep”, shot by Swimmers’ member Erik Arnesen.

View video: http://tinyurl.com/kdsdzqs/

Upcoming Shows:

July 8 – Toronto ON @ Massey Hall w/ The Rural Alberta Advantage
July 12 – Gravenhurst ON @ Peter’s Players
July 18, 19 – Vancouver BC @ Vancouver Folk Music Festival
July 22 – Kelowna BC @ Habitat
July 23 – Nelson BC @ Spirit Bar at the Hume Hotel
July 25, 26, 27 – Calgary AB @ Calgary Folk Music Festival
August 3 – Pelee Island ON @ The Island Unplugged
**August 23 – Peterborough ON @ Peterborough Folk Festival http://peterboroughfolkfest.com/

Photo by Marina Manushenko

Just announced! Great Lake Swimmers to headline MASSEY HALL in Toronto on July 8th, with The Rural Alberta Advantage!
http://masseyhall.com/eventdetail/GLSRAA/

In August the band will head to Pelee Island for the first time to take part in the
Island Unplugged festival.

Upcoming Shows:

July 8 – Toronto ON @ Massey Hall w/ The Rural Alberta Advantage

July 12 – Gravenhurst ON @ Peter’s Players
July 18, 19 – Vancouver BC @ Vancouver Folk Music Festival http://thefestival.bc.ca/
July 22 – Kelowna BC @ Habitat
July 23 – Nelson BC @ Spirit Bar at the Hume Hotel
July 25, 26, 27 – Calgary AB @ Calgary Folk Music Festival http://calgaryfolkfest.com/

August 3 – Pelee Island ON @ The Island Unplugged www.theislandunplugged.org/