Great Lake Swimmers Interview with Tony Dekker and review
April 13th, 2009
This review/interview of Great Lake Swimmers is due, so with out further a due here you have it. No really, I just want to start off by saying I really enjoyed seeing Kate Maki preform I didnt know what to expect but it really reminded me of growing up in Edmonton and spending my summers volunteering at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. I dont know why it just really hit home. Kate Maki is a must to see again for me when she comes through Van. Dale Murray was pretty nice on the pedal steel.
I was fortunate enough to get a a chance to interview front man Tony Dekker of GLS before the show. They invited me down to sound check at St. James hall and I sat with Tony and you can read the interview below. As for the show its self way better then I thought it was going to be. They picked a great venue to play, the sound was spot on and GLS really seemed to have a good time up there in front of a sold out crowed. It was nice to see Greg Millson carry over from Kate Maki set to play with GLS, the guy seems to be on point in the back on drums through out the show. Plus he likes motorcycle which is pretty cool I might add. The crowed was just as into it as GLS appeared to be. At one point everyone carried a beat with there feet. I left the show thinking what a great way to spend my sunday. A few points through the show Tony had some solo songs which really seemed to capture the mood, and I didn’t get the feeling of routine at all.
Interview with Tony Dekker.
me: Hows the tour so far?
Tony: As iv been saying the tour has been awesome the audiences have been really great across Canada. We started the show in Newfound Land, played a show in Corner Brooke and two shows in St. Johns, made our way across and the audience has been really awesome so far. The driving has been a little intense as it is across Canada as one would expect.
me: How was the Coquihalla?
Tony: It was ok we went through Jasper last night I guess and did the other half of the drive through the rockies today. Pretty beautiful drive but a long haul.
me: You guys are playing a sold out show here tonight, how does that feel?
Tony: its great its what iv been saying these shows across canada have been exceeding my expectations in terms of great audiences and great turn outs. Its been a pretty magical tour so far (indeed:)
me: How do you guys feel when you come out west, I know your from Toronto currently, but what do you think of the west coast?
Tony: I really like coming out to the west coast, if for nothing else then the warm air and sunshine (it happened to be sunny that day) but vancouver is a pretty unique city being surrounded by mountains its a beautiful place. The people have always been nice here adf Nettwerk is based here too.
me: I was just going to say you guys stopping by your label, throwing any parties for the Juno’s?
Tony: um we will find out later…
me: Free booze?
Tony: ya that would be nice.
me: Lets move on, everyone says your cool to interview, youre a nice guy. Have you spent much time in Vancouver, being as I only interview bands that come through Vancouver? Have you spent time here, what are some of your Favorite spots and activities? (yes I did ask this questions)
Tony: Oh geez, lets see, I have not spent a lot of time to be honest in Vancouver, no more then 2-3 days at a time. because when we come here its usually to play a show and theres never really enough time to really get to know a place. I haven’t spent an extensive amount of time here, but im trying to remember the name, theres a really great vegen restaurant we went to?
me: The Foundation?
Tony: ya its probably my favorite place to eat in town.
me: If you weren’t a musician and recording/touring artist what would you be doing? Have ya thought about that?
Tony: Ya I dont know, thats a good questions actually. I think I’m to far gone to do anything else at this point. I dont know, before I got into music I worked for a film company briefly, maybe I could go down that route. I grew up on a farm so that could maybe be something.
me: Is film something that interest you?
Tony: not really, I think if i had to choose though I would maybe go into the world of visual arts, I had an Art’s minor in university.
me: Ya its rad, good sound, im sure it will get some great review. I was listening to the song Singer Castle Bells, what is the story behind that? Where did you get that chime from?
Tony: Its basically a West Minister chime, but it was recorded in a castle we recorded in on a Thousand Islands. We sort of had to make a big effort to get there with all of our instruments and all of our gear and i figured we had a unique opportunity to really document the sound of these bells, cause you could go up in the bell tower and be around all these crazy gears, pulleys and levers. I wanted to capture it. I thought wow that would be cool to go in and capture, cause you dont really have a chance, and I dont know of anyone who would ever bring in that extent of recording equipment. The bells were going off on the hour as we were recording there. To me I wanted to put it on the record to document and a remnant of the documentation of the place. Also to spilt up side A and side B, its the signal, the chime to turn the record.
me: What do you like about the new album, what did you take aware after it was all cut and mastered?
Tony: thats a good questions, um I was really happy to be able to play with Bob Egan a little bit more, he does pedal steel and some mandolin on the album and I really enjoy working with him and he contributed some really great peddle steel track. When I listening the album I was constantly blown away that we were able to have those sounds on the record. The combination of musicians was really good too.
me: After a long N.American Tour you looking forward to the European leg?
Tony: Ya its a bit of a different world, we have built up a really great audience over there so it makes a lot of sense for us to go back.
me: After the tour what does the summer hold for you?
Tony: I dont know, sleep for a month. Im going to take it easy and enjoy the summertime, get into some more writing. Get into that kind of routine, get into a creative routine, cause I find that its hard to maintain on the road. Were playing a few festivals in the summer though. Nothing confirmed yet, but possibly in July.
me: there’s a lot of good festivals in canada, Winnipeg folk fest, Edmonton folk fest which I volunteered at for around 6 years growing up, being as I did grow up in edmonton.
Tony: I like Edmonton a lot actually, like Whyte Avenue, such a great street with interesting places.
me: Given the tepid review for Ongiara from Pitchfork do you think it kind of put you behind the curve a little bit in terms of fans?
Tony: I dont know, I think one review on Pitchfork doesn’t mean a hell of a lot. I mean its means a lot obviously because there a very powerful website and I think that particular review was done by a really lazy journalist though and a lot of the songs were really miss quoted, the lyrics were kind of miss quoted and they didnt really do any research or anything.
me: I think there review was way shit.(as in Ongiara was a great piece of work)
Tony: I think it was just lazy, because its so big and so powerful (Pitchfork) they dont have time dedicate to actually getting the lyrics to song right.
me: It sounds like he didn’t listen to the whole album
Tony: ya exactly, and I don’t really pay attention to stuff like that anyways. Good reviews or bad reviews that doesn’t mean that much to me. Im not doing it for that reason.
me: what Book you reading right now?
Tony: Reading a book called The Book Of Flying by Keith Miller
me: If you could have your music in any film directors movie who would it be?
Tony: Wes Anderson ya I love his movies.
me: Ever though about moving to Vancouver and getting out of that Toronto scene?
Tony: Its a pretty long haul, I feel like I’m a north east dude, I need to be close to the lakes and thats where I grew up.