As their name would suggest, Tony Dekker and his Great Lake Swimmers draw inspiration from nature; they dive deep into the Canadian wilderness and trace their way back to the place where soil meets cement—and us. Figuratively, of course.



Dekker’s voice is soothing, as is all of the beautiful instrumentation on this album. Some songs are more upbeat, like opener “Your Rocky Spine”, with its subdued banjo pluck and steady beat; others revel in their solemnity (“Changing Colours”), or their quiet hope (“I Became Awake”). Reading over the lyrics, you can see that, as a songwriter, Dekker loves a play on words. This attention to detail combined with a plainly lovely sound shows their focus truly was on “lyrics and the craft of songwriting.”



Though Ongiara takes its name from the boat that ferried the band to their initial recording sessions on Toronto Island, most of the album was recorded in London Ontario’s Aeolian Hall—which, so they say, is why “the new record is permeated with a rich natural reverb.”



The core band is Dekker (voice, guitar), Erik Arnesen (banjo, electric guitar), and Colin Huebert (drums, percussion, glockenspiel, timpani). Lending their talents to this album are: Mike Overton (upright bass), Darcy Yates (electric bass), Mike Olsen (cello), and Mike Bonnell (organ). Ongiara contains some extra-special treats by way of guests as well. Serena Ryder contributes backing vocals and autoharp across the album, and Sarah Harmer’s voice graces the final track, “I Became Awake”. Bob Egan of Blue Rodeo appears with his pedal steel and dobro; and Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy and Arcade Fire adds string arrangements.



Great Lake Swimmers are currently touring Europe, and will continue the tour with a thorough schedule of US shows this June.





Your Rocky Spine

Backstage With The Modern Dancers

Catcher Song

Changing Colours

There Is A Light

Put There By The Land

I Am Part Of A Large Family

Where In The World Are You

Passenger Song

I Became Awake