In between the plucked guitar strings, lush vocals, dancing violin and marching drums lies a constant force on all Great Lake Swimmers tracks. This force plays an accompaniment that is aside from it’s counterparts in which it does not capture the moment, but yields to it. Although hushed and subtle this essence lies the ground work for each song and most importantly, the inspiration. It – being nature – is the hums from mountain scapes, the brush of crisp air and the rejuvenation of water. Combining Great Lake Swimmers’ melodies, harmonies and rhythms with the elegant dance of the outside realm creates music that is calming like a campfire scene, yet brings one to dance in the purest form of nature: freedom.

Like their preceding albums, the Ontario-native band brings nature into all of their tracks. On their latest album, A Forest of Arms, singer and songwriter Tony Dekker, took to the flow of inspiration by recording in caves and followed the next step: helping to preserve his cherished well.

Dekker explains more:

Beyond the Benign: What prompted you to record in such unique settings, like a bat cave? Did you record in other unique places, similar to a bat cave?

Tony Dekker: We’ve been recording in interesting places with every one of our albums, which total 6 now (plus one solo album) over the last 12 years or so. Our first album was recorded entirely in a grain silo, the second in a church on Lake Erie, the third in the historic Aeolian Hall of London, Ontario, the fourth in various locations in the Thousands Islands region of Ontario and New Yorks’ St. Lawrence area, and the fifth in a Toronto ghost station on the transit line called Lower Bay. We were able to record vocals and some of the acoustic instruments at Tyendinaga Cavern and Caves in Ontario for the new album, A Forest Of Arms.

BtB: How did you capture the essence of the environments? Where any of the outside sounds captured on the album?

The caves were mostly free from outside noises. Any small noises like water dripping were not loud enough to be audible. We had a really good setup of microphones and recording gear to accurately record the sound of the space, and it was actually very challenging but also rewarding to figure out how to properly capture the natural ambiance of a cave system.

BtB: What type of influences went into writing A Forest of Arms?

TD: The cornerstone of the writing of the album was the song ‘The Great Bear,’ which was written during a trip that I took into the Great Bear Rainforest of Northern British Columbia with the World Wildlife Fund. I was able to see first-hand what a pristine and beautiful ecosystem exists there, and what a bad idea it would bring industry, specifically a big oil company, through the narrow passageways and rough waters of that area. With one spill the entire area would be wiped out, and I felt like I needed to add my voice to that concern. I’m surprised that more people aren’t outraged about we’re collectively using and managing our resources in a general sense. The balance is tipped in the favor of big corporations and this is a discussion that needs to happen urgently.

Also, I think there is a through-line in my writing that recognizes the beauty and also the danger of our environment, and celebrates that, over the course of our six albums. There is definitely a creative arc.

BtB: What are some of the connections held between nature and music?

TD: I feel really inspired by being in green spaces, whether it is in a city park, or in a more truly wild area such as northern Ontario or elsewhere. I like to be in nature as much as possible, and if I can get there to write, the circumstances are ideal for me. I’m most concerned with lyrics, and since that is such a big part of our music, I think that nature is really reflected in the words.

BtB: What went into assembling the current musician lineup of Great Lake Swimmers?

TD: We’ve been through a few different lineup changes over the years, but I feel that this one is particularly resonant on the new album. Our drummer, Josh Van Tassel, is the newest member, who joined about 2 years ago. A lot of the focus on percussion and rhythm can be attributed to his contribution as well as the bass player, Bret Higgins. Miranda Mulholland has been playing violin with us since she joined a tour in 2009, and our banjo and guitar player, Erik Arnesen, has been playing with the band since around 2004. We all crossed paths in the very fertile Toronto music scene, and I think we’ve found a combination that really has a spark, particularly in our live show.

A Forest of Arms is out now.

Great Lakes Swimmers play tonight at The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern.