Tennis Courts Spent some time answering our questions about their music and how they make it. Let’s see what they have to say!
Q: First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
A: For sure! In college, when I was first trying to get a band together, I was writing songs with my friend Angus. We were toying around with some band name ideas, and this is the one that stuck. Also that Lorde song rules.
Q: Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
A: In 2019, we started the band in Charleston, SC. We were in college and we would just play any chance we could. We played so many house parties, bars, and basements. We even played on a boat once. Throughout that time, we weren’t sure what the future of the band would be. We were a college band, we played house shows, we weren’t really taking it seriously. I think it was the pandemic that put everything into perspective for us. That was when we started releasing music online and saw that people outside of our friend group in Charleston were listening. We played a few shows in the summer of 2021 that really solidified for us that this band could be something we continued doing after college. That’s when we really started taking Tennis Courts seriously as a band. We moved to Brooklyn that winter and by the summer we were touring up and down the East Coast.
Q: How would you describe your sound?
A: I’d say everything we do kinda falls under the “Indie” umbrella, but if we’re being specific, I’d say we sit comfortably somewhere between alt-country and power pop.
Q: Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
A: I mean, we collectively listen to so much music. I think, as a band, some of our biggest influences are bands like Big Star, The Beths, Peach Pit, and Big Thief. Also newer bands like Wednesday, Pinegrove, and Boygenius have had a huge influence on us recently. Especially while recording our most recent record.
Q: What’s the last song you listened to?
A: Either “Cortez the Killer” by Neil Young or “Apathy” by Work Wife
Q: What’s your source for hearing new music?
A: Most of the time it really just is word of mouth for me. I’ll either see people talking a lot about something online or my friends will recommend something to me. I have a couple friends who’s music tastes just align with mine and we’re constantly showing each other music. Also going to shows, I’ve found some of my favorite bands because I’ve seen them live supporting a band I liked.
Q: Who is your dream producer?
A: George Martin or Dr. Dre.
Q: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
A: Flyte or Briston Maroney. Seeing what Briston has done over the last few years has been super inspiring to us.
Q: What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
A: I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t just obsessed with music. I remember being 7 years-old singing along to Green Day to myself in the mirror. It really is, I think for all of us, the only thing we want to do. So we’re just going to keep doing it because it’s the only thing we know how to do.
Q: Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
A: So usually Andrew or I will come to the band with a song that’s like 80% done, then we’ll sit with it and try and flesh it out. Adding parts, trying to find where it’s going to sit sonically, stuff like that. But usually Andrew or I will at least have the bones of a song before bringing it to the rest of the band.
Q: How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
A: I think we really connect with our audience when we play live. It’s so great to meet people after the shows and hear their stories as to how they found our music, that makes everything kinda seem real. The internet makes it so easy to connect with people, but sometimes it’s also easy to forget that there’s an actual person on the other side. The best way to connect with us is to come to a show! We have a bunch coming up this summer in New York and down the east coast. So if you want to follow us on social media that’s probably the best way to find out about that.
tenniscourts | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Q: What’s next for you?
A: We have a bunch of new songs coming out this summer and then an album in the fall. Lots of touring during all that time too. I might also take up cycling soon, not sure.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
A: Yeah for sure, our new song “Am I Not Talking Enough” is out now. This song feels like a new chapter for us as a band, so we’re really looking forward to what’s next for us. If you want to find out about shows and new songs and all that definitely follow us on Instagram, that’s where we post and interact the most.
Bio:
Singer-songwriter duo Patrick Walsh and Andrew Clarke began writing and performing music under the name Tennis Courts in 2019. With a fluctuating lineup of local musicians, the pair made a name for themselves in the beerlit basements and bars of Charleston, South Carolina with their raw and rowdy brand of hypercaffeinated indie rock.
Tennis Courts relocated to Brooklyn, NY in 2021, where they quickly set roots and found a consistent lineup with guitarist Brian McKenna and bassist Spencer Brigman. In their new home, the band continues to work, play, and hone their craft. Drawing on a wide range of influences from Big Star to Big Thief, Tennis Courts sits comfortably on the fence between power pop glitz and alt-country gloom.
The band’s debut full-length is set to release later this year. Recorded in Oakhurst, New Jersey with Erik Romero, the record captures Tennis Courts at their most vulnerable. Without sparing any of the noise and energy that made them dive-bar favorites, the new songs explore the dread and confusion of navigating life in your 20s. With anthems for the night of and the morning after, Tennis Courts has created a soundtrack for weekend benders everywhere.
