Kerrang! – July 12, 2019

wordS:

JAMES MACKINNON

12 KERRANG!

warmer crowds and climate of

Los Angeles. Not that it’s all been

sunshine and roses since then. A

“real-life Spinal Tap” sequence

of events, including a motorcycle

crash, forced frequent line-up

changes, while the band also

contended with the everyday grind

of hustling

in the City

of Angels.

“I don’t

even know

if I’ll have a

home when

I get back

from tour,”

admits Matty,

who hawks

vintage clothes

to make ends

meet. “It’s cutthroat. You see the

highest highs and the lowest lows

side by side.”

Fortunately, with the solidified

ranks of Matty, bassist Sam

Glassberg and drummer Garren

Orr – both transplants from

Boston’s hardcore scene – it

looks like Tennis System’s luck

is finally turning. Upcoming

third album Lovesick is a lush

collection of dreamy tunes

that were recorded in just five

days with producer Jack Shirley

(Deafheaven, Oathbreaker). “He’s

amazing, and we did everything

in one or two takes,” enthuses

Garren. “There’s something really

organic and cool about that,

because that’s what our live show

is like. We wanted to capture that

frantic energy.”

“It’s the sound of the three of

us playing off each other,” agrees

Sam. “We all like shoegaze, but

at our core we’re a punk band.

We play loud, hard music. That’s

what Tennis System is.”

It is indeed. Turn it up.

TENNIS SYSTEM’S ALBUM LOVESICK

WILL BE RELEASED AUGUST 2

VIa GRAVEFACE

T

he influence of shoegaze is

everywhere in 2019. From

Philadelphia’s Nothing to Belgium’s

Slow Crush and blackgaze heroes

Deafheaven, the air positively crackles with

blissful distortion and saturated melodies.

And volume. Lots and lots of volume.

“Most of our earlier shows would get

shut down by police

because of the noise,”

chuckles Tennis

System frontman

Matty Taylor. “Even

recently, we played a

tiny venue in Morro

Bay in California and

the owner kept turning

our pedals down while

we were playing. But

we’re gonna play loud

• that’s just how it is.”
  It’s no wonder Matty ended up starting a
  band like Tennis System. His mum supplied
  booze to most venues in Washington, D.C.,
  which allowed him to sneak in and watch
  local legends Fugazi. Shortly after forming
  Tennis System, he swapped D.C. for the

“THE POLICE SHUT

US DOWN FOR

BEING TOO LOUD”

MATTY TAYLOR

Tennis System:

making a racquet

Shoegaze-charged punk trio serving up

feedback, volume and riffs galore...

NEW NOISE

Your guide

to TENNIS

SYSTEM...

GET TO

KNOW

THEY ARE:

Decibel-crushing

noise rockers with

shades of The Cure

and My Bloody

Valentine in them.

HEAR: Shelf Life, the

lysergic lead single

from upcoming

album Lovesick.

SEE: The weird,

bamboozling and

bloody video for

E V E R Y B O D Y.

MORE INFO:

Facebook.com/

TennisSystem

TENNIS SYSTEM