[Exclusive Interview]: TENDER on New Music, New Tour, & New Year

If there was one word that could be used to describe TENDER’s music, it would be “Mystical.” Meet TENDER, an electronic duo based out of London, England, who formed together back in 2015. The pair, consisting of Dan Cobb and James Cullen, have been known for creating enchanting, trance-like tracks that have you swirling in the fog of their airy voices and atmospheric productions. The band recently released their new single “6 in the Morning” which is an indie-electro pop chant, underlined by funky synths and exotic whines. However, their music in general is most often than not soothing and hard-hitting. It’s the kind music I’d picture in the climax scene of a film or the kind of music I’d hear in space exploring the abyss of emptiness and stars. Their music is like the passive, aggressive love in a relationship and the tension before and after the conflicts of any given moment. The sonic vision reminds me of that of the Gorillaz and BASECAMP. It’s dark, sultry, and seductive, while at the same time relieving, fresh, and tranquil.

TENDER has been most notably recognized from its syncs in popular film and TV spots such as Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “How To Get Away With Murder”. With three EPs and two albums, these creative soundscapers have designed a world of music all their own for our listening pleasure. The phantoms of their echoing melodies along side their vocals and their instrumentals haunt you in the most inviting way that you won’t want to stop listening to just one song off the project. You’ll want to keep letting each song flow into one another, immersing yourself and allowing their tender touches of sound to reach you.

I’m very excited to see the guys live; in fact, I’ll be attending the band’s show this February at their LA stop of the tour, so be sure to stay tuned for the pictures I’ll capture! I was very happy to have the chance to interview, which you can find below.

And, these are the dates for the rest of the tour so you can catch them when they are in your neck of the woods: 

TOUR DATES

February 2020

6th - San Diego, CA

7th - Santa Anna, CA

8th - Los Angeles, CA

10th - San Francisco, CA

12th - Seattle, WA

14th - Salt Lake City, UT

15th - Denver, CO

16th - Chicago, IL

20th - Columbus, OH

21st - Washington, DC

22nd - Brooklyn, NY

April 2020

2nd London, England

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Here Is Our Interview:

Neelu Mohaghegh [N]: Hey guys! Thanks for taking the time to interview with me! Super excited for the show as well! Ok, so let’s just start with how you guys got started in music and how did you get to this point now?

Tender [T]: We met at school and have played in a few small bands for a few years. Then about 8 years ago we were flatmates and started playing around with electronic elements rather than just guitars. We made a couple of demos and 3 days later, one called 'Armour' made it to the front page of reddit. It just snowballed from there really. Here we are 3 EPs and 2 LPs later! 

[N]: If you could only describe music in one sentence to people, what would you say?

[T]: Dark grooves with room to breathe

[N]: How does the electronic scene in London compare to the scene in the U.S. or other places you have performed in?

[T]: In the US, people seem to be a bit more enthusiastic and loose when they go to watch an artist. In London, you can tell people are into the music, but at times it's as if they're too cool to sing or dance along. There's more of a quiet appreciation, less obvious that they're having fun, which we get a buzz off from the US crowds. 

[N]: What’s your favorite place in the world?

[T]: We've enjoyed many different shows across the US and in general we like how different it is from city to city. We also managed to sneak under the wall and play in Mexico City which was absolutely wild and a trip full of the best food we've ever tasted. 

[N]: So, since the blog is called detour, I usually ask artists, what is your detour? In other words, what is something you love outside of music that fans would never expect or don’t know about you currently. It could be a hobby or a fun fact.

[T]: We're both big fans of soccer, where Dan actually helps a professional team by scouting for new players, but also among the rare few that follow what you would call 'football' in the states. We both follow the Chiefs. 

[N]: In your opinions, what makes you guys know that you have the song? What is that thing while you are writing/producing your music that makes you realize you have a song you want to put out to fans?

[T]: We try to visualize how other people would react if they put it on in their car, or if they were walking down the street listening to it, or how it would feel in a public space. Often things can feel a bit stop/start and you know it's not going to influence somebody to lock into the groove. A strong melody is also so important for us. It should feel familiar, but where you can't place it. 

[N]: What’s your go-to song—one that you can listen to endlessly?

[T]: Jai Paul - Jasmine 

[N]: What is something you are most looking forward to on this upcoming tour, and what is your favorite part about performing live? 

[T]: We're looking forward to meeting new people, eating food that we don't get back home and shaking our head at pro-gun merch at truck stops. Our favourite part about performing live is just seeing the reaction a bunch of songs we wrote at home manage to get thousands of miles away. 

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Be sure to check out more of Tender’s music on Spotify and to follow them on socials: Instagram | Official Site