The teasing continues. Another glimpse into their debut record, listen to Gum Country Tennis (I Feel Ok)“.
Writing and music inspiration can come from anywhere; guitarist and songwriter Courtney Garvin (The Courtneys) can attest to that. Garvin pens an ode to her love of tennis and further explains, “Kinda goofy, but in all honesty, my relationship with tennis is so meaningful to me on a spiritual level. It’s my meditation practice. The game makes you present; you’re repeating movements and finding a rhythm. And it’s so creative. I think all athletes are artists. Plus you get to be outside, getting exercise, hanging with friends and all of those things are so good for you. So the song is pretty much about how tennis makes my life better. I love tennis. If anyone reading this wants to play (after the pandemic), please hit me up.”
The duo began in Vancouver, where they quietly made lo-fi four-track recordings in an apartment. Then they relocated to their current home in Los Angeles. Recording the album with Joo-Joo Ashworth at Studio 22, the press release cites the following as influences and reference points: Stereolab, The Replacements, The Breeders, Beat Happening, Yo La Tengo, Meat Puppets, and The Magnetic Fields.
Simplicity often works, Tennis (I Feel OK) is quite literally about how playing tennis makes Garvin feel OK. Currently, we could all use a little OK too. Especially with lyrics like, “why don’t we go down to the court?” goes the chorus. It all wraps up quite earnestly: “It’s just a game/ It’s all the same/, And when it’s done/ I feel OK/ I feel OK/ I feel OK/ I feel OK/ I feel OK/ I feel OK/ I feel OK/ I feel OK.”
