Tennis band — Tennis — Photo by Luca Venter

Tennis have shared the final song before the release of their upcoming album Swimmer with the newly released “How To Forgive.” Written as a “palette cleanser” to get her into a different headspace after completing another song on the new record — lead singer Alaina Moore finds something raw and vulnerable in herself on the new single.

“How To Forgive” has all the hallmarks of a lush, dream-pop track, complete with Moore’s tender vocalizations and husband Patrick Riley’s intoxicating production. The duo never fails to dazzle; as hypnotic as ever and continuously adept at plucking the tenderest of heartstrings, “How To Forgive” is an unpolished look at not only the direst of loves, but also in the way Moore and Riley bring that to life in a song.

“My plan was to channel early Madonna. We tried varispeeding the mix to simulate the girlish timbre I was going for, but ended up re-tracking the song in the highest key I could sing it in. The result is the most difficult song I’ve written for myself,” Moore said of the recording process. “Comping it was a nightmare and I really agonized over my performance. I wanted it to sound effortless, but it wasn’t. I started crying between takes of the line I’ve been questioning myself, convinced I wasn’t getting it right. We had a good laugh about that later. Patrick re-comped my vocals while I stomped off to sulk. He used my first two takes, when I was still vulnerable, before I had gotten lost in my head. When he played back his edit, I loved it. It wasn’t the polished performance I’d wanted, but I loved it even more because of it.”

Tennis goes on tour next month with two stops at the Fonda Theatre on April 4 (sold-out) and April 6. Their new album Swimmer is out February 14, pre-order here. Visit their website, Facebook, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.

Stream: Tennis’ “How To Forgive”

Tennis Tour Dates

FEBRUARY
25 – Kansas City, MO – Madrid Theatre & Cafe
27 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
28 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
29 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q
MARCH
2 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
4 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf
26 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
27 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Fest *
28 – Missoula, MT – Top Hat Lounge
30 – Vancouver, BC – Venue Nightclub
31 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
APRIL
1 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
3 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore – SOLD OUT
4 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre – SOLD OUT
5 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
6 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre
8 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
10 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
16 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
17 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center
18 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
20 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre Center
21 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre
22 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House
24 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
25 – Boston, MA – Royale
26 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
28 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
29 – Washington, DC – The 9:30 Club
30 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
MAY
1 – Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom
3 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Music Festival *
4 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
6 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
8 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
9 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall