Newly signed to the punk-roots music and art label Quiet Panic, LA based musician Tennis System released, “Truth Hurts,” the first single off the band’s upcoming album, ‘Autophobia,’ dropping later this summer. “Truth Hurts” is an edgy, atmospheric single with a lot of space to explore the frustrations and insecurities of being alone. Gritty guitar, synth and echoey vocals are used to channel these negative feelings to fuel a much more positive mindset about being alone.
With new stressors thanks to the pandemic and shelter-at-home orders throughout the last year, Tennis System guitarist and frontman Matty Taylor works through some of the anxieties he faced throughout 2020 to dig deeper than ever before in his music.
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Encouraged by his friend and fellow musician, Chadwick Johnson of Hundredth and Pure Violet to release something new, Taylor notes it was his friend’s prompting that helped him get out of the stress of stagnancy from the pandemic.
“I was done. I didn’t want to make music anymore,” Taylor says. “If Chadwick hadn’t called me and said, ‘Why don’t you come down here and make the record?’ I don’t know what the fuck I would have done. I wouldn’t have made this record.”
From there, what emerged was a piece of work reflective of the type of lonely environment brought on by social distancing, especially for a musician who enjoys making music and performing it live. “Truth Hurts” is also a fantastic prelude to Tennis System’s upcoming LP. Along with tackling the emotional turmoil of last year, Taylor also explores in his upcoming new album, his fear of inadequacy and whether or not he’ll be successful in a solo career. The inability to work with other musicians spurred a new way of thinking and creating for Taylor, resulting in a much more organic and personal album.
“Writing these songs without a band let me make music without having to meet anyone’s expectations but my own,” says Taylor. In unprecedented times, “I focused on making the record I wanted to make.”
For more on Tennis System / Matty Taylor, make sure to follow him on social media.
Words: Patti Sanchez
