The widely praised duo Tennis will make their Fat Possum debut January 18 with their much-anticipated album Cape Dory, which SPIN proclaims “(almost) too good to be true,” giving it an 8 out of 10 review in their current issue. The release will include all songs from this summer’s 7” EP, South Carolina, which is lauded by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and more. Following the release, Tennis will embark on a nationwide tour.
The pair, consisting of guitarist Patrick Riley and vocalist Alaina Moore, met while studying philosophy in college. Motivated by stories shared by sailors including Joshua Slocum, and Lin and Larry Pardey, the two sold their collective possessions, bought an old sailboat and embarked on 7-month journey along the Eastern seaboard. Upon their return, and in search of an outlet to catalog their experience, the couple began writing music together.
The resulting lo-fi sound is inspired by the minimalist lifestyle they experienced on their adventure. Riley explains, “Simplicity and self-sufficiency were our highest priorities. When we were on the boat—no cell phones, no internet, no electricity most of time, having to do everything yourself—made its way into our album by not having a producer, recording it ourselves, mixing it ourselves, very little production, etc.”
Riley continues “Anytime we could make a song simpler, we did. There is very little tracking or overdubbing on the album. We didn’t want to use production tricks to make things sound ‘better.’ No vocal doubling, no harmonizers, no auto-tune.”
The band played their first-ever live show in July, yet have already packed venues including New York City’s Mercury Lounge. Following the release, Tennis will embark on an extensive U.S. tour kicking off January 27 in Salt Lake City.
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