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In the interview below with Alaina of Tennis, we cover a broad range of subjects.
We hope that this conversation with Alaina of Tennis gives insights for any aspiring musicians & artists living in Colorado today.
AC: Thanks for speaking with us today. While you have been living in Denver, what changes have you seen with all the new development and growth happening in the city?
AM: I mean, I definitely have mixed feeling about it; it’s unfortunate that Denver used to be the best-kept secret for a long time. I know especially for artists and the people who have been living in the city for a long time and have been adding value to it, are now being priced out – it’s just the inevitable part of a growing city. In general, I used to have some frustrations with Denver feeling a little bit small, and I definitely don’t feel that way anymore. When we come home, I want to feel like I have deep roots, and I’ll always feel that way with Denver.
AC: It’s nice to hear that against all odds you/Tennis is sticking it out in Denver. Do you see it becoming more or less accessible for artists here? Since you were once “emerging” artists in this city nearly 10 years ago and have watched it change?
AM: I think it is becoming less accessible, but it will have more to offer. That is really the most frustrating part about a booming city, is that it has more to give but the barrier to entry is higher. And I think that that is something that everyone is frustrated with these days, politically and culturally in every sense.
AC: Yeah, I mean it’s really a balance. You would hope that with more money comes more resources for creative people. I guess another thought is what amenities and access do you see in other cities (if any) that we could be offering in Colorado?
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AM: Well you have companies like Vinyl Me Please moving their headquarters from Chicago to Denver, which is amazing. Patrick and I are building a studio here in Denver; it’s going to be small, but we want it to be something that anyone here can use, and we want to put into it all of the gear and set it up in way based off all of the studios that we have worked in over the past several years. I feel like everyone is trying to figure out their own ways to enrich the scene and community here. It’s hard; we spend a lot of our time on the road and so it’s a big transition for us building a proper studio and laying down some roots.
AC: That’s really exciting! Is there any estimate on the opening date for this studio?
AM: We are a ways away. We just bought the space before we went on tour so we haven’t even touched it yet. When we get back from our next tour we will start actually building out the studio itself, but we are probably a couple of months away; our whole goal is to have a really small studio, with a highly curated selection of gear.
AC: You will have to keep us posted on the studio when it opens!
AM: Absolutely! We are also trying to make a studio that is actually more of a neutral space as well, every studio I’ve ever been in has been something that was designed for men, and so basically every studio is a man cave. I mean I work differently and am inspired differently than the average male producer, and I am going to make the studio that frankly doesn’t exist as far as I am aware of.
AC: That’s also really amazing that you are bringing that level of knowledge back from everywhere that you have recorded with Tennis and imparting it into the local scene around here.
AM: We want to train someone right away to be an assistant engineer and we want to involve other people and give back to the community. I’m excited about it!
AC: Another interesting question nonetheless is about corporate influence and the arts and how as a working musician this had affected you.
AM: Well, I can definitely speak to that. Most artists make their money through licensing, which is interesting since no one really accuses anyone of selling out anymore unless they do something that they said they would never do. Selling out is kinda just retired from our vocabulary; I don’t know a single millennial who would accuse someone of selling out unless they were being a hypocrite. Instead, the attitude is more “oh yeah? Great, they got paid.” – That is the main way to make money now. I definitely think that that’s going to change the way people write; they are going to be fully aware of “oh if I do this one thing, it’s going to sound like the next Apple commercial,” but it is not the worst thing that they think that way. My favorite era was the 1960’s, which was arguably very formulaic; it was an incredible time for music, but it was also really canned.
All I can hope is that the people who compensate these artists don’t pander to the lowest common denominator and that they elevate their audience rather than the most contrived songs being selected.
My line is pretty much that any corporation can license any of our songs and I will be jumping for joy, but I would never write a song specifically to be licensed.
AC: It’s nice to hear that this is a conscious choice for Tennis, that “we will write how we write and if they come, great, if not, also great.” Well, I’m damn near out of questions…
AM: Thank you so much for not asking us questions like “what does your band name mean. “ It was actually really nice covering all that terrain with you.
AC: Oh God, I wouldn’t do that to you guys! Thanks so much for talking with us and keep us posted on the studio!
AM: Will do!
