Great Lake Swimmers Tour Select Dates w/ Tweedy

TORONTO FOLK ROCK FAVORITES, GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS ANNOUNCE SPRING US TOUR
BRAND NEW ALBUM LOST CHANNELS WILL BE RELEASED MARCH 31
SELECT JANUARY DATES WITH WILCO’S JEFF TWEEDY

Great Lake Swimmers

“The group’s songsmith Tony Dekker has without doubt created a repertoire of songs that belong to a dreamtime – ones that could easily have been sung for hundreds of years. –New York Press

“Banjo-fueled indie folk that pushes the boundaries of traditional songwriting.” -Top Indie Releases in 09, Denver Post

“Dekker’s bare-bones songs have played out like an afterword to a watery schlep across Erie or Ontario: He’s empty and downtrodden from the journey, but wiser for the hardship.” –Time Out NY

With their fourth album Lost Channels set for release on March 31, Toronto folk rock favorites Great Lake Swimmers are taking to the road to showcase their outstanding new batch of songs. The U.S. tour will kick off on the west coast in Seattle on March 31 and includes marquee dates at Spaceland in Los Angeles and The Bowery Ballroom in New York.

Their live show has won them ever-expanding audiences in the United States and Europe, and of course their native Canada. In 2008 Great Lake Swimmers shared the stage with an impressive list of artists, including Feist, Bela Fleck & The Sparrow Quartet, Hayden, Goldfrapp, Bill Callahan of Smog, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. And with select opening dates for Wilco‘s Jeff Tweedy later this month, the list continues to grow.

The anticipation for the full-length follow up to the highly praised 2007 album Ongiara (read our review here) has already started to accumulate. Feature album previews have already popped up everywhere from Brooklyn Vegan and Pitchfork to Paste, Venus and Time Out New York.

Lost Channels, their fourth album, finds them once again recording at historic locations, this time in 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 himself 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.

Lost Channels also features the talents of Julie Fader (flute/backing vocals), Greg Millson (drums), Darcy Yates (bass), along with special guests/Swimmers collaborators Serena Ryder with vocals on “Everything Is Moving So Fast” and Bob Egan on pedal steel.

Select January Dates:
Jan 29 – Kalamazoo, Michigan @ The State Theatre (w/Jeff Tweedy)
Jan 30 – Indianapolis, Indiana @ Locals Only
Jan 31 – Urbana, Illinois @ Univ. of Illinois (w/ Jeff Tweedy)

Lost Channel‘s Spring Tour Dates:
Mar 31 – Seattle @ The Tractor Tavern
Apr 01 – Portland @ Doug Fir
Apr 03 – San Francisco @ The Bottom of the Hill
Apr 04 – Los Angeles @ Spaceland
Apr 05 – Tucson @ Plush
Apr 07 – Austin @ Stubbs Bar-B-Q
Apr 08 – Denton @ Hailey’s
Apr 10 – Atlanta @ The Earl
Apr 13 – Charlottesville @ Gravity Lounge
Apr 14 – Washington @ Black Cat
Apr 15 – Philadelphia @ Johnny Brenda’s
Apr 16 – Northampton @ Iron Horse Music Hall
Apr 17 – New York City @ The Bowery Ballroom
Apr 18 – Cambridge @ The Brattle Theater
Apr 20 – Newport @ The Southgate House
Apr 21 – Chicago @ Schuba’s
Apr 22 – Minneapolis @ 7th Street Entry
Apr 23 – Madison @ High Noon Saloon

All Spring Tour Dates With Kate Maki