Great Lake Swimmers on The Mystical and the Natural
Featuring: Great Lake Swimmers
Written by: Justin Pearsall
Published: Aug 27th '07
Ongiara, the Great Lake Swimmers third album, is a rustic and warm example of natural songwriting. Tony Dekker, the band’s singer and songwriter, has crafted 10 songs where value is found in intimate detail, the way a phrase is sung and the album’s natural ambience more important than big crescendos. As such Ongiara takes some time to fully appreciate, but once explored the full colour of Dekker’s songs come alive, the characters and their journeys taking on increased significance with each listen.
Sitting down with WB, Tony Dekker explains the recording of the album and his thoughts on spirituality and naturalism.
WB: A major part of the Great Lake Swimmers sound is its rural, natural quality. Did growing up in Wainfleet, Ontario influence your songwriting?
TD: Growing up in a rural environment instils a certain amount of respect for the landscape and wilderness. I think there are themes in nature that I find really interesting too. It is an important part of what I do, but it’s also important to be removed from that and realise that once you’re not in it, you tend to be able to see it more objectively.
WB: Is the naturalism on the record an environmental statement?
TD: That’s an issue that is important for me to explore, but I don’t consider myself an environmentalist or someone who is trying to hammer home these types of issues, even though they are important. It just happens that the vibes of the songs and exploring a certain type of spirituality existing in nature coincides with the current trend to be aware of environmental concerns and issues. I find them important, but I’m not an advocate for these issues. Not directly anyway, maybe overtly.
WB: In regards to spirituality ‘I Became Awake’ is described in Ongiara’s press bio as speaking to revelation and self-realisation. Does this album have more answers, or at least a clearer path, than its predecessors?
TD: I think so; hopefully it’s a step towards being a little more concise. I’m trying to balance between having a concise narrative and evoking a feeling or emotion using more abstract ideas, or making an impression. Hopefully it steps towards a better balance of that.
WB: Being concise but expressive is a tough line. But I think it is one that you manage well.
TD: I would like it if a song could cut both ways. I think the best political songs or protest songs of our parent’s generation were essentially love songs. That’s an important thing to think about, a protest song doesn’t always have to be overtly about the topic.
WB: Is spirituality, to you, synonymous with religion?
TD: To me it’s a theme I’m writing about and interested in. I wouldn’t consider myself a religious person but I would consider myself a spiritual person. And it’s something I’m trying to work out in a way myself through my songwriting without necessarily being tied to a religious sect, without having to conform to the rules of religion.
WB: Do you see the religious differences between America and Canada as large?
TD: There are strange things going on in parts of the US right now with the evangelical and Mormon religions. It’s something I don’t really know that much about and I don’t really know that I have much authority to speak on that.
WB: In other GLS interviews I’ve read you’ve always guarded the meanings behind your songs lyrics. Is this because you feel they are too personal to share, or do you think it could cause a loss of mystique?
TD: The songs are best served when the listener is participating in them, bringing their own ideas and own interpretations to the song. I think that’s when they work best, when they’re engaged by people in that way.
I also think it just ruins the song, it ruins the interpretation that someone might have for it if you give away what a song is about. I think it’s good to leave it open ended so they can bring their own life to the song and it could mean something to them than I could have never dreamed up. Even my own interpretation of the song is no more valuable than anyone else’s.
WB: You recorded Ongiara at the Aeolian Hall in London, Ontario. How much of an impact did this have on the sound of the new album?
TD: The room affects your performance, being in a space like that which has such an ambient quality. It definitely changes the way you play and perform and created an overall tone for the album. I think we used that space as another instrument, or another member of the band almost. It was the kind of thing that permeated all of the tracks we did.
WB: For future albums will you look for similar spaces to record?
TD: I think so. Recording in a place like that makes it harder to fake it too. The sounds are more real, it sounds more like a band playing in a room, which was what I was after.
WB: The combination of the Aeolian Hall and the tempos and textures in your songwriting make Ongiara almost a mood piece. Was this intended?
TD: I didn’t really have an overall theme or concept to get across. It was simply another collection of songs and it’s easier to start picking out themes after. I think I chose songs that were kind of similar to each other, but I wasn’t doing it with a concept in mind.
WB: You’ve said that, since becoming financially stable, you try to write as often as possible. Does this make it hard to choose album cuts?
TD: There are a lot that will never see the light of day. I think it’s something you’ve got to be constantly doing in order to get to the good stuff. You just have to be very active about practicing and developing. Basically if it doesn’t work on acoustic guitar and singing I’ll let it go.
WB: Does melody or lyrics determine success, or is it a combination?
TD: It has to both. That’s the thing with songwriting, you need to connect with something you consider is worth sharing as far as the lyrics and message go and isn’t completely alienating on a music level.
WB: What influences the lyrical style?
TD: I’m not really too sure. I guess it’s about how well you can express yourself. I’ve listened to a lot of different kinds of music, but I’m not sure. For some reasons the more quiet and sad songs are the ones that resonate with me. I’m not sure exactly where it comes from or why even and I don’t have any real specific influences.
WB: Is it an amalgamation of your experiences?
TD: That’s partially true. As a songwriter generally you filter through your experiences and senses. I do listen to music and I consider myself a fan, but ultimately it comes down to how you are able to filter through the things you come into contact with in everyday life.
WB: GLS have been classified many ways (indie, folk, country, even world). Do you think genre distinctions are important?
TD: I don’t think they are all that important. In the end I hope good music is just good music and it doesn’t matter what label you put on it. I also understand that people need to have a reference point for it too. I don’t think about it much, I just try to write the best songs that I can.
WB: You’ve played with some great bands and artists, who has been the artist that has most inspired you?
TD: I’d have to say Andrew Bird. I’ve seen him with a drummer and solo. When I toured with him, it was solo.
WB: But for Andrew Bird that’s not really solo, is it?
TD: No, he plays a bunch of instruments. Watching him play each night was like watching a magician casting spells or something, like a shaman channelling these things into his music. It was really quite an amazing tour to be on. We also played with Feist a couple of years ago and that was a really great pairing, she has a really wonderful band.
WB: What’s next?
TD: I’m always trying to keep writing, even though it’s harder on the road. But really we’re going out into the fall without losing any momentum, with the touring we’ve been doing in the spring and there are still a lot of places we haven’t played and we’ll still be going strong.
