Anger Is at Its Most Rhythmic on New Tennis Single “Need Your Love”

In Tennis’ video for new single “Need Your Love,” Alaina Moore, one half of the wife-husband duo, channels a permed Twiggy, complete with ‘70s piece-y eyelashes, an awesome green corduroy boiler suit and striking blue monolid eyeshadow. Husband Patrick Riley sports a relax-fit, houndstooth blazer and a sleek bowl cut. Over their decade-long careers, Tennis have etched out a distinct brand of stylish, sweet indie-pop, and now more than ever can the ‘70s influence be seen in the realm of indie releases.

Eternal romantics, the group’s new song has a rare anger for them. In a statement, Moore explains, “I usually deny myself the emotion, but the music demanded intensity from me and I had a lot to be angry about at the time.” Despite this, “Need Your Love” is still a shimmery, clarion banger. Instead, it communicates these feelings with tempo slowdowns, a feature of the track that give it a distinct action and movement—as the track becomes more narcotic, Moore’s vocals slink into a darker sensuality she usually doesn’t venture into. “Need Your Love” ranks among Tennis’ most complex tracks, with weighty composition and restless vocals that combine into a psych-pop tinge. “The music was resilient enough to handle our wildest ideas and we indulged every whim. It’s my favorite song Patrick and I have written.”

Tennis’ previous album Yours Conditionally was marked by simplicity, drawing comparisons to the works of Carole King. Swimmer, their forthcoming album on Mutually Detrimental, seems concerned with grander ideas and more complicated writing. Previous single “Runner” saw the duo venturing into funk groove and tapping on Moore’s soprano.

Tennis will be appearing at the Shaky Knees Festival in May. Watch the video for “Need Your Love” below, plus a 2012 Tennis performance from the Paste archives. Scroll down for their upcoming tour dates, and Swimmer’s album art and tracklist.

Swimmer Album Art:

Swimmer Tracklist:
01. I’ll Haunt You
02. Need Your Love
03. How To Forgive
04. Runner
05. Echoes
06. Swimmer
07. Tender As A Tomb
08. Late Night
09. Matrimony II

Tennis Tour Dates:

February
25 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Madrid Theatre & Cafe
27 – Dallas, Texas @ Granada Theater
28 – San Antonio, Texas @ Paper Tiger
29 – Austin, Texas @ Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

March
02 – Houston, Texas @ White Oak Music Hall
04 – Santa Fe, N.M. @ Meow Wolf
26 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Metro Music Hall
27 – Boise, Idaho @ Treefort Music Fest *
28 – Missoula, Mont. @ Top Hat Lounge
30 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Venue Nightclub
31 – Seattle, Wash. @ Neptune Theatre

April
01 – Portland, Ore. @ Wonder Ballroom
03 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
04 – ?Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Fonda Theatre – SOLD OUT
05 – ?Solana Beach, Calif. @ Belly Up Tavern
?06 – ?Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Fonda Theatre
08 – ?Phoenix, Ariz. @ Crescent Ballroom
10 – Denver, Colo. @ Ogden Theatre
16 – Omaha, Neb. @ Slowdown
17 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Cedar Cultural Center
18 – Chicago, Ill. @ The Vic Theatre
20 – Detroit, Mich. @ Majestic Theatre Center
21 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Deluxe at Old National Centre
22 – Toronto, Ont. @ The Opera House
24 – Burlington, Vt. @ Higher Ground
25 – Boston, Mass. @ Royale
?26 – Portland, Maine @ Port City Music Hall
28 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Brooklyn Steel
29 – Washington, D.C. @ The 9:30 Club
30 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Transfer

May
01 – Saxapahaw, N.C. @ Haw River Ballroom
03 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Shaky Knees Music Festival *
04 – Birmingham, Ala. @ Saturn
06 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Cannery Ballroom
08 – Louisville, Ky. @ Headliners Music Hall
09 – Saint Louis, Mo. @ Delmar Hall

(* FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE)

All headline dates with support from Molly Burch.