DN recordings talks to Tony Dekker of the Great Lake Swimmers

On Thursday, Toronto’s Great Lakes Swimmers came through Lincoln’s Bourbon Theatre, bringing their soft-spoken Canadian folk songs with them. Earlier in the day, the band’s singer and songwriter, Tony Dekker, sat down for a solo performance in the DN studio. Here is an excerpt from the interview.

Casey Welsch: When you are writing these songs, is it just you? Do you just put down the lyrics and the guitar as a solo thing and then add the full band later?

Tony Dekker: Exactly. Yeah. I figure that if a song holds up with just one instrument and one vocal then it’s sort of worth working further.

CW: And how does that whole process work, bringing in the full band? How much of it is you telling them how to do things and how much is a collaborative effort, like them bringing something new to your songs?

TD: It’s a bit of both actually. I try to listen hard to what the song is and what would be suitable instrumentation. With the new album I brought in the band and gave them more of a free reign, sort of a creative touch on the songs.

CW : Now I’m noticing kind of a nice subtle, heartfelt laid-back atmosphere. What are some of the influences of your music? And not just musicians, but like things and people and ideas.

TD: Well, when I have downtime and time to write, I really like getting into the woods and getting close to nature. Getting into the wilderness close to water and stuff. The quiet and calmness and stillness of that is really inspiring.

In terms of music, I’ve always been moved by the writing and music of Leonard Cohen. I think he’s a real guiding light in songwriting, and it’s amazing that he’s touring right now. I saw him a couple of times last year.

I read a lot and listen to a lot of music, but I really think getting out into nature is really inspiring.

CW: What’s something you’ve read lately that really got to you?

TD: There’s a Canadian writer named Joseph Boyden that just put out this book called “Three Day Road.” I just finished reading it. It’s got some really interesting perspectives on sort of the aboriginal viewpoint on World War I. There’s a little bit of war stuff in it, but it’s interesting to see that perspective on how things all went down. It’s a great book.

CW: What’s the most recent musical recording that’s tripped your trigger?

TD: There’s a band from Toronto called Timber Timbre. That latest record is one of my favorites of this year.

compiled by Casey Welsch