Our East Village music maven, Annie O, talks to Great Lake Swimmers' Tony Dekker ahead of the band's show for The Annie O Music Series at The Standard, East Village Penthouse on July 31st.
ANNIE O: Where are you based these days?
TONY DEKKER: We’re based in Toronto, Canada.
Tell us about your new album. How long did it take to make?
The new album takes a more scaled-back, minimal approach and focuses on more varied instrumentation than we've had in the past. Woodwinds, marimbas, congas, a pipe organ, harp, lute. We really tuned into what the individual songs were asking for. From writing to recording to mixing, it took about a year of creative bursts.
How did you come to the conclusion to not use any acoustic guitar?
We had reached a certain point in exploring a folk-rock sort of sound, and it was a personal challenge to do something different. I wanted to reach beyond my comfort zone, and dropping my main instrument was a pretty immediate way of doing that.
Any touring plans this summer?
We have tour dates in Canada and the US, and the full listing can be found on our website, www.greatlakeswimmers.com
What can we expect from your show at The Standard, East Village
We'll be playing as a scaled-back, three-piece band, and previewing songs from the new album in a really intimate way, which I think will be great for the setting. This is the first time that a lot of the new album will be performed live. We're pretty excited about it.
TONY DEKKER: We’re based in Toronto, Canada.
Tell us about your new album. How long did it take to make?
The new album takes a more scaled-back, minimal approach and focuses on more varied instrumentation than we've had in the past. Woodwinds, marimbas, congas, a pipe organ, harp, lute. We really tuned into what the individual songs were asking for. From writing to recording to mixing, it took about a year of creative bursts.
How did you come to the conclusion to not use any acoustic guitar?
We had reached a certain point in exploring a folk-rock sort of sound, and it was a personal challenge to do something different. I wanted to reach beyond my comfort zone, and dropping my main instrument was a pretty immediate way of doing that.
Any touring plans this summer?
We have tour dates in Canada and the US, and the full listing can be found on our website, www.greatlakeswimmers.com
What can we expect from your show at The Standard, East Village
We'll be playing as a scaled-back, three-piece band, and previewing songs from the new album in a really intimate way, which I think will be great for the setting. This is the first time that a lot of the new album will be performed live. We're pretty excited about it.
