Acclaimed indie-pop duo Tennis has unveiled their spectacular new version of the Carpenters’ classic “Superstar.” Produced and recorded by the husband and wife duo of Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore in their hometown of Denver, CO, the track is available now at all DSPs and streaming services.
LISTEN TO “SUPERSTAR”
“Karen Carpenter is a major influence on my writing,” says Tennis’ Alaina Moore. “Her voice is so distinctive, I can always imagine her interpretation of a song regardless of genre. Our goal with ‘Superstar’ was to re-cast her voice in the context of a different band in a different era. This led us to take a lot of liberties, including writing a bridge that doesn’t exist in the original. The result is something that doesn’t really sound like Tennis or the Carpenters, which we really liked. I feel a strong pull toward women whose creative contributions were cut short by their untimely deaths – Laura Nyro, Judee Sill, Trish Keenan, and of course Karen Carpenter. This song is really just me carrying a torch for her.”
In addition, Tennis will return to the stage later this month with “live: in the void,” a very special livestream performance set for October 17 at 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT. Directed by Tennis’ longtime visual collaborator Luca Venter, the one-of-a-kind concert experience will see Riley and Moore joined onstage by their full touring band for the first time since quarantine. Tickets for “live: in the void” are on sale now exclusively via the band’s own tennis-music.com.
“This announcement has been a long time coming,” says Moore. “Once live music was effectively canceled, Patrick and I started working on a way to make it up to ourselves, our band, and to you. We wanted to do more than an acoustic set from home. We wanted to play a proper show with our band – the one we had spent so much time preparing in January. It has been a logistical challenge pulling this off while carefully observing restrictions and protocols. Despite the nasal swabbing, mask wearing and obsessive hand washing, the whole endeavor has given us a much-needed sense of normalcy. It is no small feat for a luddite (Pat) and a germaphobe (me) to attempt a livestream during a pandemic, but here we are!”
BUY TICKETS FOR TENNIS “LIVE: IN THE VOID”
“Superstar” and “live: in the void” follow the release earlier this year of Tennis’ acclaimed new album, SWIMMER, available now via the band’s own Mutually Detrimental label. Produced by Tennis and mixed by four-time GRAMMY® Award-nominee Claudius Mittendorfer (Panic! At The Disco, Parquet Courts), the album sees the duo elevating their distinctive pop approach to heretofore unexplored new heights, experimenting with atypical instrumentation, complex time changes, and an increased focus on lyrical storytelling fueled in part by a series of life-changing experiences that only served to strengthen their already powerful personal and creative bond.
