The sun’s out just in time to welcome summery husband and wife duo Tennis to The Blind Tiger. Hailing from Denver, Colorado spouses Richard Riley and Alaina Moore play shimmering doo-wop pop with just enough scratchy imperfections to keep us lo-fi fans happy.
Their story is interesting and one not usually associated with the excesses of a rock n’ roll lifestyle. After getting hitched the couple decided on a martial marine adventure and spent several years saving up enough money to buy a mini yacht. Said yacht was then used to convey the couple around the Eastern Seaboard for eight months whilst they wrote the music and lyrics to the album Cape Dory.
That album was never intended for public consumption but the internet got hold of it and the rest is, as they say, indie history. The band toured for over a year, building up a strong fanbase and laying the foundations for follow up album, Young and Old.
This album was recorded in Nashville with Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney and is a more mature record of quirky pop gems and lilting harmonies with enough oohs and aahs to to fill a 1950s American high school dance.
When playing live the duo are augmented by drums, which add rhythmic punch to the jangly guitars and keyboards and make songs such as “Marathon” sound that little bit more textured. Nonetheless, the extra instrumentation won’t detract from the warm and fuzzy feeling that Tennis are so good at delivering. They are sure to put a smile on your face and spring in your step.
