Tennis System straddled the line between noise rock and shoegaze dreaminess during their time in Washington D.C. However, after releasing their blaring 2012 debut, Teenagers, the trio moved across the country to Los Angeles. As a press release notes, the relocation “left Tennis System sun-bleached and wary, and left their music imbued with the peculiar patina of a rough-and-tumble circumstance.” The band’s pessimistic findings are indeed the emotional force behind their sophomore album, Technicolour Blind, out October 21st via Papercup Music.
On their latest single, “Dead Honey”, the band grapples with the repercussions of their uprooting. “‘Dead Honey’ is about love and distance,” frontman Matty Taylor said in a statement. “My girlfriend at the time was still living in D.C. while I was in L.A. When we were together, it was ecstasy. When I had to leave, it destroyed me. So, I would often ponder the thought of moving back to D.C. I just felt that if I did, I’d be a quitter.”
Even with the torrid impetus, the fuzzed out track tones down the angst from Tennis System’s previous work in favor of shimmering balladry. The guitars still clash emphatically against booming drums, but do so with a sense of finesse that plays off the downer sentiment of the track. Taylor’s voice sounds clear instead of hidden behind layers of reverb, giving way to a focus on his aching lyrics like, “Walking away, it kills me every time”. It’s a beautiful ode to feeling really shitty.
Listen in below.
Tennis System will support Technicolour Blind on a fall jaunt through the US, including a stop in NYC for CMJ Music Marathon. Find their full itinerary below.
Tennis System Tour Dates
10/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ La Cita
10/11 – Tempe, AZ @ Fifty One West
10/13 – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
10/14 – Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlie’s
10/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Mammal Gallery
10/19 – Washington DC @ Velvet Lounge
10/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary
10/24 – New York, NY @ Lit Lounge (CMJ Music Marathon)
10/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
10/27 – Chicago, IL @ The Burlington
10/28 – St. Louis, MO @ The Demo
11/06 – San Diego, CA @ The Hideout
11/07 – Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture
11/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Los Globos
11/12 – Oakland, CA @ Night Light
11/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Knockout
11/15 – Sacramento, CA @ Witch Room
11/16 – Portland, OR @ Rontom’s
11/17 – Olympia, WA @ The Guest House