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Tony Dekker has recorded music in a grain silo, a castle, a photo booth and a Royal Canadian Legion Pub, among other unconventional locations. It would be a waste of time to go looking for him and the other musicians who contribute to the Great Lake Swimmers at a recording studio.
Dekker said he typically finds traditional recording studios stifling. The search for alternative locations to record began years ago as a quest to find rooms with nice acoustics, like the grain silo where the band’s 2003 debut album was captured. That was all about creating a natural reverb and echo that can’t be created with effects, he said.
But in recent years it has been as much about the feeling and story of the location, Dekker said. It helps the creative process to find new and interesting places to record, he said.
“When you can feel the energy of a place, it translates into the tracks,” Dekker said.
Who knows if Dekker and the current Great Lake Swimmers crew will discover any new recording spaces when the band comes to Whistler to play during the 2010 Olympics, but such a find might convince them to return. The Feb. 13 show in Village Square will be the first time the Toronto-based band has performed in Whistler.
Dekker said the full five-piece band is coming to town for the show, including a variety of acoustic instruments such as banjo, violin, upright bass and guitar. But the star of the Great Lake Swimmers show is Dekker’s captivating voice, talented songwriting, and the lovely female harmonies that add texture to the songs.
Soothing and haunting all at the same time, it’s Dekker’s voice that has been the centre of the Great Lake Swimmers since he started it as a mostly-solo project in 2001.
The band’s sound is often described as folk rock, and some of the recent songs are a bit more upbeat than in the past, but Dekker said he considers the music to be quiet.
“It’s music that is meant to calm the spirit rather than be party music or something,” he said.
It’s also music that’s been getting attention from all over the place. Long championed by the CBC and often passed on by word of mouth, the Great Lake Swimmers have more recently been finding a spot on Billboard and other charts.
Fellow Whistler Olympic performer Feist has selected the band to open shows for her, and Robert Plant also handpicked the Swimmers as an opener. Plus, cyclist Lance Armstrong gave a shout out to the band on his Twitter account.
Dekker said the recent success, hot on the heels of the band’s March 2009 album Lost Channels, feels like a continuation of the slow and steady build that’s been a result of lots of touring and hard work. More people seem to be reached with each album, he said.
“It feels like a bit of a reward for all the hard work in a way, too,” he added.
Because the band essentially started as Dekker’s solo project, supporting musicians have drifted in and out of the band based on who was available to go on tour. Some members have been around for several years, while others are more recent additions.
But Dekker said the current lineup with Erik Arnesen, Bret Higgins, Miranda Mulholland and Greg Millson feels really solid. He refers to them as the “old and grey” group — he can see them all still playing together when they’re old and grey.
“The chemistry of the band is at a really high point right now,” he said.
Even better for audiences when the band delivers a free, outdoor show on Feb. 13 as part of Whistler Live Games programming. The Great Lake Swimmers are scheduled to hit the stage around 4:45 p.m. following performances by Elliott Brood and Valerie Sajdik.
Dekker said the band is excited about playing in Whistler during the Olympics.
“It feels really good to represent Canada’s music at the Games,” he said.
Visit www.whistler2010.com for a full lineup of free, daily shows scheduled for Village Square starting Feb. 12.
