Alice Vol. 3 No. 2

But Tennis’ draw doesn’t stop where the
waves do. Upon their most recent return to
land, they also formed their own record label,
Mutually Detrimental, in anticipation of the
recording and release of their new music. The
duo produced their most recent albums and
remained the creative overseers of their work.
Ready for more freedom as architects of their
own art, they knew it was time to take control
of the breadth of their music-making processes.
“Success is nuanced and unique and different
to every person,” Moore said. “Every human
being can define their own successful life, and,
especially, that’s the case for artists. And there
is not enough room for that uniqueness and
distinctness and individuality of what success
might look like for artists when you’re on a label
because they have their own financial risks
in line, so we knew if we had our own label, we
could pursue the things that made sense for
us and forget about the things that don’t make
sense for us.”
Without the added burdens brought on by
label relations, Tennis have found a liberation
in the ways they create and share their art.
“It’s hard enough just to make music and put
it out in the world and perform it live,” Moore
said. “We just didn’t need like 20 other burdens
on top of it. So that’s why we started our own
label. And it’s been extremely rewarding and
exactly what we wanted. Creating is a lot more
choiceful and personal.”
While Tennis appeared on the music map
at the turn of the decade when music bloggers
ruled and streaming was not yet a primary listening
platform, Spotify has since become a
fruitful venture for the band. At a point a few
years ago when their band was edging obscurity,
Spotify rocketed their music forward.
“Streaming has actually helped us, and Spotify
has allowed us to connect with our fans in
like a very democratic way,” Moore said. “People
just listen to us. During a time when other parts
of the industry were moving on from us, from
our band and losing interest, our listeners just
kept growing and growing on Spotify because
people were just still listening to our music.”
It’s no surprise their music caught the attention
of listeners. There’s a distinguished spunk
in Tennis’ catalogue. Since Cape Dory, they’ve
released three full-length records:Young & Old,
Ritual In Repeat and last year’s Yours Conditionally.
Self-described “arduous songwriters,”
Moore and Riley write detailed and pointed lyrics,
which are complemented by terrific stylistic
bass playing. “Ladies Don’t Play Guitar” is one
of those standout tracks from their discography
– a sharp satire with both bite and boogie. It
offers numerous layers to peel back with each
listen.
“Ladies don’t play guitar / Ladies don’t get
down, down to the sound of it,” Moore sings.
“Maybe we can play pretend / Baby I can go
down deep just to be what you’re needing.”
But cower to the patriarchy, Moore shall
not. In this #MeToo feminist moment,
Moore is using her platform as a writer to
convey resistance.
“It’s really amazing to be a part of it right
now, which is why I try to write about it in as
personal of a way as I can in my own songwriting,”
she said.
Tennis are ambitious not only in their songwriting,
but also in their work ethic and their
aesthetic. Rather than taking an extended break
from recording after the release of Yours Conditionally,
they decided to work towards an EP
using a few tracks left over from their sailing expedition.
Both releases carried with them a consistently
airy promotional package. The March
release of “Yours Conditionally” introduced
the ravishing campaign, complete with an infomercial-esque
video displaying the record. The
sportive sets for the video were built in Moore’s
living room.
“We did that, and then it came out so well
we used that as our foundational aesthetic for
the rest of our release,” Moore said. “Since the
EP came out within the same year we decided
to carry out the same visual campaign. It was
really, really fun to make.”
Tennis aren’t planning any new releases
this year, but 2018 is looking to be busy for the
band in its own way. They toured the month of
January, and they’re hoping to announce more
dates for the spring and summer soon. Moore
said she’s also working on building a sanctuary
studio where they can record. But in the midst
of all of this, their minds aren’t too far from
their boat.
“And I think somewhere in the middle of
that we’ll want to go sailing again.”
86 Alice Spring 2018