Acclaimed indie-folk band Great Lake Swimmers announce ninth studio album + share wistful "Youth Not Wasted" out now

ACCLAIMED INDIE FOLK BAND GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS ANNOUNCE NINTH STUDIO ALBUM CAUGHT LIGHT DUE OUT OCTOBER 10–PRE-SAVE & THE GROUP TAKES STOCK OF LIFE WITH WISTFUL "YOUTH NOT WASTED"–LISTEN + WATCH LIVE DATES ACROSS CANADA & THE U.S. THIS FALL & WINTER–SEE DATES

Photo credit: Robert Georgeff

"A stunning variety of tones and textures..nothing less than both cerebral and sublime" – American Songwriter, 4/5

“Dekker’s preoccupation with the Canadian state of mind flourishes in his lyrics. Few songwriters are able to convey the country’s harsh beauty as well. …Canadian folk tradition personified in the 21st century” – Exclaim!

"It floats from country to folk to indie rock and back again… a sharp-toothed but achingly beautiful portrait of the natural world and the human condition.” – New Noise Magazine

Today, Toronto-based indie folk band Great Lake Swimmers announce their latest album Caught Light due out October 10 and available to pre-save now. With the announcement, the group shares "Youth Not Wasted" out now with a matching visualizer and announces an extensive tour through Canada and the U.S. with support from Elliott BROOD, Rita Visser, Justin Wells and Abe Partridge on select dates. See all dates below and find tickets and more information via greatlakeswimmers.com/shows. Led by founder Tony Dekker, holed up in the Canadian Ganaraska Forest, between Peterborough and Port Hope, with producer Darcy Yates (Bahamas) and engineer Jimmy Bowskill (Blue Rodeo), Great Lake Swimmers crafted their most realized work to date, tracked in just three days. Pulling from early ’70s folk/pop/rock like Gordon Lightfoot or Dory Previn, and ahead of recording, Dekker declared John Martyn’s 1971 album Bless the Weather required listening. Dekker adds the making of this record has given him, “a newly found zeal for not being precious and being more direct." On the meaning behind the title and themes throughout, Dekker says, "Where I grew up in a rural part of Niagara Region, on a farm, in the back 40 there was a very small airstrip with a skydiving club. As kids, we’d see these guys jumping out of planes, five, six at a time. Once, one of them landed in the fields around our house. That was such a powerful image to me as a kid: What happens when you don’t land where you intended, when life blows you off course? The phrase “caught light” refers to an unexpected situation where you don't have as much as you thought you wanted or needed. Early on in the album process, it became apparent that would be the title track." The band's latest wistful offering is "Youth Not Wasted," a twist on the famous Oscar Wilde quote, "youth is wasted on the young." It's a reflective, harmony-filled, acoustic tune that unfolds like a hazy memory. Dekker explains, "It suggests that every part of the adventure of youth does in fact matter, and constructs our identities in the present day. It considers the “caught light” of an old photograph, books left unread, and the points to which life’s energy ultimately pushes us. There is an element of taking stock and reflection on life lived to its fullest. It might also be a subtle homage to the early work of John Martyn, a key influence on the album, and particularly on this song." "Youth Not Wasted" (Official Visualizer) Earlier releases include "One More Dance Around The Sun" and "Wrong Wrong Wrong." Dekker says the sunny "One More Dance Around The Sun" evokes, "riding around in the summertime with the windows down — maybe after a solid workday, maybe on route to an epic road trip, or maybe just seeing familiar surroundings with renewed vision. It’s about perseverance, new beginnings, and the searching that invites wisdom and perspective as the planet spins on.” The gentle and textured "Wrong Wrong Wrong" is, “about being on the edge, in deep despair,” shares Dekker. “The consolation is that it places trust in the understanding of the listener – it’s almost as if the song is speaking directly to a sympathetic friend." Its fragility is met with an uplifting energy and a glistening pedal steel solo. Over 20 years in, with an extended network of past collaborators who float in and out, Great Lake Swimmers have arrived with a body of work that captures the band at their core. The group emerged from Southern Ontario in the early 2000s, known for their distinct warmth, resonant sound and lush, intimate live shows. Great Lake Swimmers have been shortlisted for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize and nominated twice for Canada’s Juno Awards, with the CBC calling them “a national treasure.” The band has received praise from a range of leading publications like TapeOp, Exclaim!, American Songwriter and more. Great Lake Swimmers' ninth studio album Caught Light is due out October 10 and available for pre-save now. Don't miss the band live on tour this fall and winter across Canada and the U.S. and connect with via Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Listen: "Wrong Wrong Wrong" Listen: "One More Dance Around The Sun" Listen: "Caught Light"

Download hi-res album artwork  Artwork credit: Designed by Erik Grice / Photo by Colin Medley Caught Light Tracklist 01. One More Dance Around The Sun 02. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong 03. For You To Come Around 04. Youth Not Wasted 05. Endless Detours 06. Running Out Of Time 07. Caught Light 08. Distant Star 09. The Fledgling Jay 10. All The Best

Download hi-res Canadian tour flyer

Download hi-res U.S. tour flyer

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS LIVE ACROSS CANADA & THE U.S. FALL/WINTER 2025 September 18 — Toronto, ON — Unplugged North at The Cameron House With Elliott BROOD: October 15 – Regina, SK – Darke Hall October 17 – Sherwood Park, AB – Festival Place Theatre October 18 – St. Albert, AB – Arden Theatre October 20 – Red Deer, AB – Bo's Bar & Grill October 21 – Vernon, BC – The Vernon Towne Theatre October 23 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret October 24 – Victoria, BC – Capital Ballroom October 25 – Nanaimo, BC – The Queens October 26 – Campbell River, BC – Tidemark Theatre October 28 – Golden, BC – Golden Civic Centre October 29 – Revelstoke, BC – Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre October 30 – Calgary, AB – Commonwealth Bar & Stage November 1 – Saskatoon, SK – The Capitol Music Club November 2 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre With Rita Visser: November 4 — Thunder Bay, ON — Magnus Theatre With Justin Wells: November 17 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works November 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe November 19 – Columbus, OH – Natalie’s – Grandview November 20 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark – Ann Arbor November 21 – Cleveland, OH – The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern November 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Turntable Indianapolis November 23 – South Bend, IN – Stockroom East With Abe Partridge: December 7 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground December 8 – Boston, MA – City Winery December 9 — Northampton, MA — The Iron Horse December 10 – Concord, NH – BNH Stage December 11 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge December 12 – Elkton, MD – Elkton Music Hall December 13 – Philadelphia, PA – MilkBoy