INTERVIEW: DEATH TENNIS: YOUR NEW FAVOURITE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BAND
Death. Tennis. Two words you would think don't belong together. Words, when combined, would make most of us think of something violent, right? No, this Montreal duo does not make Punk or Metal music (or any other genre or subgenre that would be considered aggressive). Talya (vocals) and Marco (guitar) compose emotional and haunting Alt-Indie songs. As for the name, there is a fascinating story behind it, which was told during our conversation. Want to know that story? Please, stick around!
When clicking on your linktree, I noticed you are on TikTok, how is your relationship with it? Do you enjoy posting on there? Do you think it actually helps reach a wider audience?
Marco: I don't think it helps reach wider audiences. TikTok is the worst offender of this but it's designed to keep you there. You cannot listen to music or consume any art fully. You scroll away from it and are on to the next thing. There is no click through anywhere but I think TikTok is probably the worst.
Talya: The other day, someone commented: "This is my new favourite song! This is my new favourite band!" I was like: "Are you a bot? Are you a real person?" She was like: Yeah, why?" "Before I was going to tell you that I'll remember you forever, I just had to check if you were a bot." Sometimes, you'll get 1 or 2 people. I think you have to play a really specific game on TikTok, one that I'm personally not interested in playing. "Showing my friend this song I wrote..." We know that it's bullshit.
Marco: Because of the nature of it, you have to digest music through something else a skit or whatever trend is happening. You have to do the trend, put your music in it, and hope that people are listening. It's not a good way to introduce people to your art.
Some bands plan the content they'll film for TikTok ahead of time. Do you see yourself ever doing that?
Marco: We kind of have to. We want to be better. It's hard because it feels disingeneous in a lot of ways.
Talya: The saddest thing is our most successful piece of content across TikTok and Instagram is a stupid meme I made. It's a 7-second video. We didn't gain a single follower from it. It was the performance videos that we did after that did it more. To grab somebody's attention you need to be really really hot in a very specific way and have XYZ amount of resolution, lighting. I am like: "Bro, I'm writing songs about my feelings and I would love to focus on that."
Live session of their song "Fight" taken from their YouTube channel
You released your first record back in 2023. and you have been working on new music. I was wondering when can we expect new material?
Talya: July or August. Our first record is like growing pains recorded. We both came from a Jazz school background. That record is special to me because it's my return to wanting to make music again. I had a pretty bad experience in university. "I think I might quit. Maybe, I shouldn't do this." Lockdown happened. Marco and I were living in a house with 3 (sometimes 4) other people. At some point, everybody left and it was just the two of us. "We paid rent for this month. We might as well stick around." We had never written music together. We made music together. Marco would do a track and send it to me. That album is kind of just "How do we make music together?" In the last 2 years performing, writing more and more, deciding what we want to do has been a really cool process.
Are there any lessons that you learn while making your first album that you can apply now?
Talya: Not to release an album. We are not releasing an album.
Marco: Someone told me if everything is really collective and has a cohesive vision and it makes sense to package it as an album, then do it. You have to go in with that intention of making one thing. I feel like an EP is more like: "here is a bunch of ideas." Making an album takes too long and is too much work. 5 songs is a lot easier and more realistic within a specific timeframe. We both work full-time jobs.
Can we expect an EP?
Talya: Yes or at least, a bunch of singles. It's probably that thing where singles come out and then, the EP is like two new songs.
Marco: It's more conducive to do something and move on to the next thing, keeping the ball rolling.
As music listeners, do you prefer full-length albums or EPs?
Talya: I'm an album listener! I think it depends what you are searching for when listening to music. I'm searching to be inspired. I'm searching to be understood. I want to hear as much from a time period as I possibly can. I have an EP which I wish was an album. It's the "blisters" EP by this artist called Serpentwithfeet. It's this collaboration between these visionary producers and this amazing singer. Serpentwithfeet has done since then and it's been interesting but I wish that universe lasted longer.
The first time I saw you perform was at that awesome roof show. How was that experience for you?
Talya: Stressful. It was a lot to plan and coordinate. We played two sets that night. We played in Callahan's band as well. I think it was beautiful. I said stressful in the beginning but it was beautiful. It was magical. Being able to sing and look at the Montreal skyline. There were so many people and everybody seemed to have a really good time. I felt very grateful to be asked to do that. Ultimately, putting on shows is stressful. We didn't organize the show though. *Shoutout Shane!
Marco: We were both involved in the planning process, doing sound, and running around until the second we got on stage. The second you go on stage, you're like: "Oh, this is the coolest thing ever." To be corny about it, it felt like Montreal. It felt like things we hear about or go to growing up in the music scene. It recaptured the things I was into in high school.
Clip of Death Tennis performing at the roof show, October 2024. Taken by me (Ariane/MusicBreather)
Did you go to a lot of shows as teenagers?
Marco: I did! Especially when I entered cegep, I started immersing myself. In high school, I wasn't allowed out. There are always cool shows happening.
Talya: Once I turned 15-16, I feel like I was fairly confident that's what I wanted to do. I was really into the lesser known bands that would come through the city. You would see people at La Sala Rossa that you were obsessed with. For better or for worse, I was really in contact with a lot of the artists I was into. I got to meet a lot of them. I went to Warped Tour when I was 13 years old. "I listen to your album every day of my life and now, you are just in front of me." It was really cool.
Can you think of a show (that you attended during those years) that was memorable to you?
Talya: The first time Ed Sheeran came to Montreal. He came with Snow Patrol. It was at Metropolis/MTelus). I was in line early. I liked being in the front, reading the setlist, being involved as much as I can without putting on the show. Ed was not super famous yet. He was famous on Tumblr. He was chilling outside. He asked me for a selfie. I had bought his album at HMV but the weirdest part is it wasn't even on sale in Canada yet. He signed it and was like: "How do you have this?" It was a really funny interaction. I ended up meeting him once or twice more that night. When he played, he did this loop cover of "Wayfaring Stranger". He put down his microphone and sang to the entire packed room, completely acapella. I found that so impactful. It brought me to tears in the moment. Same thing with Snow Patrol, they have a song called "Lifening" where they sing: "This is all I ever wanted from life." looking at everybody. Being in the front row, I felt that look to my core. "Man, this is all I ever wanted from life." I haven't even done it yet. I cried for weeks after. "I have to figure out a way to do this."
Marco: I have one but from a couple years ago (not teenage years). Pinegrove at Studio TD! It was magical. They're such a inspiring band! They're such a cool live band. They do iterations of all of their music. They're high caliber musicians. As I age, I become more in tune with myself as an artist, I can appreciate these kinds of shows way more than I did when I was a kid. The point was being out, being there. I wasn't absorbing the actual art as much.
Talya: I liked that show too! I gave myself whiplash because I was headbanging too hard. I had to drive to Toronto the next day. I was told once if you get neck pain, you should wear a neck brace while you sleep.
You have a lyric video and a live session out. Would you ever put out a music video (perhaps for a song that isn't out yet)?
Marco: Ideally. On paper, we will. In practice, we'll see.
Talya: We have ideas. The problem is we made a bunch of stuff we didn't release. There are two more live sessions that should have come out, another lyric video. We waited too long. "I don't think we want to say this anymore."
Marco: I think we got to a place where we weren't 100% with the product and how it turned out. Sometimes, you kind of have to move past that and release something anyway. I think we are now better at executing our vision.
Do you think music videos are still important in 2025?
Talya: I think world-building is important. I have been thinking about that more and more recently; what draws me to artists. It can be really simple. There is this band called The Beths. When we started Death Tennis, I was like: "These people are music school kids doing Indie music in the best way ever! We can do that too!" Their world-building is pretty simple. They make a lot of their music videos with the same team. It's very true to them. It's not like they're making a character but it's all part of this cohesive, slightly quirky, super true thing. You could make up a whole character. You could be Chappell Roan. You could be something in between.
Marco: It helps connect people with what you are trying to do. As the artist, it's fun to express yourself in a medium that isn't necessarily the one you're most familiar with. Expressing ideas through film is something I'm slowly in the process of discovering. As a consumer of art, why wouldn't you have a more complete experience? The music is obviously super important but it helps you understand the artist's intent when you have multiple mediums to consume.
Talya: If we take the band Ok Go, I can close my eyes and can remember their music video from like 2012. Can I remember how the song goes? Not so much! The music videos were so iconic.
This makes me think, I wrote an article about ten of my favourite music videos. Do you have a favourite music video?
Marco: There is a video by this Argentinian Rap/Hip-Hop duo called Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso. Their "Tiny Desk" session became viral. They released an EP and it has a 16-minute video as a companion. You cannot really understand the EP without watching it. It's a series of music videos. I think that's so genius. It's such a good idea.
Talya: They're very courageous! I admire them!
You describe your music as Alt-Indie. If you could with two bands or artists; one that could be considered Alt-Indie as well and another one that is completely different, who would it be?
Talya: I would collaborate with Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso but stylistically, I don't know how it would work. I would like to find out though. Hannah Montana...just kidding! I mean, that would be good! The Jonas Brothers! That would have been me in 2008.
Marco: I feel like it wouldn't be a big band. There are friends I want to work with. Maybe, we should actually do it. Also, I think we would say The Beths. I also would love to do something in the more Electronic music realm of things; drum and bass, an electronic exploration of our ideas.
Talya: I feel like we're at a point where we like for the sound to have its own unique quality.
When putting Death Tennis together, was the goal always to create emotional Alt-Indie music or did it just happen naturally?
Talya: I think it was about discovering which is inevitably an emotional thing to do. We were both people who didn't express ourselves to our fullest extent growing up. It's a little bit unbelievable with the amount that I talk. I had a situation with somebody that I knew who was like: "You have one album in you. Once you get over your traumas you want to talk about, you'll never be able to make music again." The goal wasn't to make emotional music but I think we're both really emotional people.
Marco: We consume a lot of really emotional art. I prefer music that isn't uplifting. It's more of an experience. It's more than just putting a bop on. I like to be contemplative. Inevitably, because of the art that we consume, we produce something in the realm of it. Looking at Talya; I think you write from a very deep place.
Talya: Imagine if I could write a song about butt. That's my next project. A lot more challenging! *Laughs
Marco: I do think we entered into it with no real idea of how our music was going to sound like but with a good idea of what it was going to feel like.
Talya: That's a good way to put it, Marco! Good for you, champ!
Speaking of emotional, listening to a song of yours such as "Bad Sport" makes you feel some type of way. Have you ever had a moment on stage where you felt emotional playing a song of yours? How do you cope with it?
Talya: I think that's where the art is made. I remember when we opened for Augustana in October last year. We literally had 48 hours to prepare for the show. We couldn't get our drummer to do it. We were going to do it without a drummer. That felt like a very naked way to present our music. I remember two nights before, when we agreed to do it, I was sitting on my couch "Okay, that's crazy." I think Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth (I could be wrong) who said to the effect "the reason that people go see artists, experience live music is to watch people risk themselves." The song "Bad Sport" was me wondering "Will anything good happen for me? When is it my turn?" I was watching people around me get what I was hoping for. I was happy but also there is this feeling of being left behind. There was this idea "I just need to risk myself". It's really tough. There have been times when my voice was broken and I was on the border of crying or I did cry a little bit (not that anybody can tell, I keep it to myself). I cannot be like "This is too hard for me." What if this is the song that makes somebody feel heard? Not to mention, this whole thing is embarrassing. That's something I think about a lot too. You get up on stage and are like: "Here's my whole chest. Enjoy!"
Marco: It can only demonstrate that you wholeheartedly believe in what you're saying.
PIctures (and screenshots from a video I took) taken by me (Ariane/Music Breather) at two different shows in August 2025
Have you ever noticed any audience members getting emotional while you were playing (or perhaps someone coming up to you after a show)?
Marco: After the show, for sure! On stage, I don't notice audience members because I'm freaking out the entire time. People have said really nice things; even about our recorded music such as how much they relate to it.
Talya: Sometimes, you see people with a little hand on their chest or a glimmer in their eye. "Love you! I don't know you but I love you so much!" We played a show in Toronto one time. I was in the crowd and I could tell everyone was staring at me.
One last question about being emotional; when was the last time any form of art made you emotional? What was it? It could be anything; music, a painting....How did it affect you?
Talya: A painting on Reddit yesterday! This is so depressing but it's on brand with us. Someone painted a dream that they had with them and their late fiance. You couldn't see either of their faces and it was shrouded in this cloudiness. I even dropped a comment which I don't do very often. It definitely moved me to tears. On the other side of that, when I really sat down and listened to Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso for the first time in a long time, I was really drawn to the commitment they have to their music, to their vision, and the conviction with which they're doing everything they do even though the songs are pretty unserious.
Marco: Louis-Jean Cormier's latest project. It's a project about him coping with the grief of losing his father and having a bunch of regrets about their relationship. So much of it is about existing with grief right now but also looking back. It's a gorgeous album.
I usually don't ask bands that question as I find it cliché and boring but in your case; I have to ask, where does your name come from? Is there an elaborate story behind it?
Talya: The shortest answer is that it came from a dream that I had. I have really elaborate dreams with full fledged stories. I see faces. I know who the people are especially, if they aren't represented by their normal body. Essentially, Marco was in the dream but not as himself. He was another person named Taleem. He didn't look like himself but I just knew it was Marco. One of my best friends Amelia was in the dream as well. We were invited to this gala. At some point, the energy in the room shifted and they were like: "You got to come with us!" There were like 60 of us and we were brought to safe houses. Nobody knew what was going on or at least, I didn't know what was going on. The more I looked around, the more I realized a lot of people knew what was going on but me. We were separated into two groups and everybody that I knew was in the opposite group. We got brought to this forcefield. Wanda Vision vibes. I started to notice that when any two objects were colliding, they would destroy themselves. I noticed that there was a tennis court. The group that Marco (Taleem) and Amelia were in were given racquets and told to go play tennis. My group had to watch the tennis match. Then, I started realizing tennis involves collision, therefore, explosion. I didn't see anything bad happen. They both looked at me like they knew what they had to do. It was part of this bigger plan that I wasn't aware of. It felt really powerful. I told the story to two of my friends: "Yeah, they played the death tennis." Both friends (Amelia and another friend of mine) were like: "Dude, you should call your band that!" We were kind of playing around with other names that were much worse. We thought to ourselves: "The band makes the band name. You can be called whatever if you assume yourself enough."
On a happier note, I know you have played more than one show with Odie Harr. You even have been on stage with them. How did you become friends with them. What is the story here?
Talya: It's through that Neutral Milk Hotel cover show you did!
Marco: Shane put on a charity show. Also, we play in a band Callahan who plays with Odie Harr. I feel like we woke up one day and we were friends. It feels normal and natural. I genuinely have trouble thinking about how it began.
Talya: Everybody in Odie Harr is so awesome. It's just a good group of people. You'll have a good hang with any combination of those people, truly. Great band! Great music! That's probably the coolest part about doing any of this; finding local bands liking them as people and liking their music.
Marco: Shane is always trying to put on shows. He's a pillar of the community. I mastered Odie Harr's EP.
Thank you, Talya and Marco, for one of the most wholesome interviews I have had the chance to conduct. Their authenticity and kindness truly made this conversation feel like a hangout with friends who love music as much as I do, if not more. What can I say? Death Tennis cannot fake it. On and off stage, they are genuinely themselves. If you want music that will enable you to process some of those complex feelings you are dealing with and make you feel less alone, Marco and Talya have your back. Okay, that was a little cheesy, wasn't it? It doesn't matter, but expressing your honest feelings does. Go ahead, make yourself a warm cup of your favourite tea, prepare yourself a coffee any way you like, grab your warmest, softest blanket, and give Death Tennis a listen.
Your favourite emotional blogger/interviewer and drinker of iced coffee all-year long,
Ariane
LINKS TO FURTHER DISCOVER AND SUPPORT DEATH TENNIS
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