Contributing Writer
Rising UK indie duo TENDER continue to build hype around their third album Flux with the hypnotic new single ‘go steady’, out on 7th June via Nettwerk.
In support of their third LP releasing 6th September, TENDER have also just announced their tour across the US this autumn, culminating in a trip across the pond for a London headline show at Lafayette on 9th December.
The fourth single from Flux, the LP which comes out later this year, ‘go steady’ is another lush production from the duo, rich in melodic flourishes. Centred around a meaty trip-hop groove, the track is elevated by elegant string melodies and atmospheric vocal chants as lead singer James Cullen intones dark truths about the male psyche.
Speaking about the single’s themes, the duo explained that ‘go steady’ is about “toxic masculinity and calling out people for their shit.”
The track is the follow-up to previous singles ‘sprinkles’, ‘come clean’ and ‘daydreamers’, which heralded their acclaimed 2024 comeback after two years and received BBC Radio 1’s Chillest Show with Sian Eleri, BBC Radio London’s Introducing show with Jess Izzat and further support such as ‘Track of the Week on 6 Music with Craig Charles and Huey Morgan show.
Since the band’s inception, TENDER has specialised in walking that artful line between personal and the universal. The British duo’s acclaimed debut, Modern Addiction, charted the aftermath of a tumultuous breakup, earning rave reviews in the UK and US for its soul-baring candour, with Stereogum calling it “vibrant and entrancing”, while Metro hailed it as “stunning”.
The band’s debut album lead single ‘Nadir’ was an early career highlight and featured in the soundtrack of the Netflix smash To All The Boys I’ve Ever Loved. The LP followed a series of similarly celebrated singles and EPs that saw the duo rocket from an unassuming bedroom project to an online sensation seemingly overnight success. Overall the band have now amassed over 500 million streams across the DSP platforms, as well as boasting nearly 300K YouTube subscribers.
With the gorgeous ‘go steady’, TENDER expands on a new chapter in their musical journey that’s set to be bookended by their upcoming third album, out later this year.
Stream the single in full HERE
Tour dates
28 Oct – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
30 Oct – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
01 Nov – San Francisco, CA – Swedish American Hall
02 Nov – Santa Ana, CA – New Parish
03 Nov – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
05 Nov – Denver, CO – Bluebird
07 NOv – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
09 Nov – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
11 Nov – Chicago, IL – Subterranean
12 Nov – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
13 Nov – Toronto, Ont – Velvet Underground
15 Nov – Washington, DC – DC9
16 Nov – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Neck Tie
19 Nov – New Your City, NY – Racket
9 Dec – London, UK – Lafayette