Tennis just released their debut album, Cape Dory, on Jan.18, and they're already one of the hottest bands around.
The Denver duo, set to play the Tin Can early next month, is comprised of the married Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, who met while attending the University of Colorado. They named their band Tennis to poke fun at their aristocratic inclinations -- Riley used to play the sport, they both studied philosophy, and they also love sailing.
It was the latter interest that provided the genesis for Cape Dory. After graduating, the pair embarked on a seven-month sailing trip around the Eastern seaboard, and upon returning, recorded the album as a way to document the journey. In an interview with Paste Magazine, Riley had this to say:
"Music presented itself as a way to transmit and preserve those memories [of our trip]. To be honest, living at sea is really the only thing that inspires us. There is no one to take influence from, no Internet, no judgment, just pure,unmediated life."
That lust for life is the wind in Cape Dory's sails. Clocking in at a brisk 29 minutes, the album is a blissed-out collection of lush, airy pop, with songs like "Marathon" and "Take Me Somewhere" sounding like treasures unearthed from some 1960's time capsule.
The nostalgic vibe is derived in part from the band's simplistic approach. As Riley explains, “Simplicity and self-sufficiency were our highest priorities.... Having to do everything yourself [on the boat trip] made its way into our album by not having a producer, recording it ourselves, mixing it ourselves, very little production, etc.”
The dearth of studio trickery allows the songs to shine through, which they do brightly. You can see and hear for yourself at the Tin Can Alehouse on Feb. 5, where they'll be joined by openers Lord Huron and Air Waves. The show is sure to sell out, so get there early.
Chris Maroulakos is a writer and managing editor for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.
