Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley knew ending their band, Tennis, might spark rumors. “The word ‘breakup’ in the context of a married duo was going to be so terrifying,” Moore says. But after 17 years of marriage, 15 years as a band, seven albums, and a run that’s included late-night TV and sold-out shows, they’re simply prioritizing their relationship, which began when they were students at the University of Colorado Denver.

The indie-pop twosome released its final album, Face Down in the Garden, this spring, and the accompanying tour stops at Denver’s Mission Ballroom on August 26. “It’s going to be bittersweet,” Moore says of the show. “I’ll probably cry.” Before the waterworks begin, we caught up with Moore to find out what it’s like to split while staying together.

5280 August 2025
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Editor’s note: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

5280: How has your marriage evolved since the band began?
Alaina Moore: My marriage to Patrick is the greatest work of my life, and it’s the thing I’m most proud of. I’ve never seen a marriage like ours. I think our relationship has evolved the most because of the band. We had that realization while we were working on our most recent record. Our marriage unfolded against the backdrop of touring and making albums, and it has really shifted our connection to each other.

It’s special to find a creative partner and a life partner. I think that’s really profound.

It’s probably not easy.
It’s hard. It’s difficult to navigate. That’s part of the decision to retire from the band, because we felt like we wanted to let our marriage breathe outside of this giant endeavor we’ve put our effort into maintaining for the past 15 years. Our dynamic has put a lot of pressure on our relationship. There’s no work-life balance. We can’t ever turn it off.

How do you maintain a marriage and still allow yourselves to be critical of each other’s work?
I think you have to love the person more than you love your own ego. I remember the first time we had an argument in the studio. It was over a guitar solo I wanted [Patrick] to play, and he didn’t want to play it. I stormed out and called my mom. She was like, “What do you love more: your husband or the guitar solo?” I went back in and told him I loved him more than a guitar solo. He was so touched that he played the solo.

Why end the band now?
We felt like if we kept pushing this, we would start diluting the quality of our work—that it would feel forced. And, right now, it didn’t. With Face Down in the Garden, the songs were inside us and needed to come to light. At the same time, we knew we were getting to the end. Like, the well is running dry.

What do you want your fans to remember about Tennis?
I want it to age well. We’ve always wanted to make music that’s timeless. I want you to be able to listen to us in five years or 20 years. I hope that’s the legacy we’ve established. Fans connect with our story and our marriage, and I feel like we’ve done our best to let people into our world, because it is special. Patrick and I have built something unusual together. We want to preserve that memory for people.

What’s next for you two?
One thing that bonds us is that we have always had a shared goal or a dream. Even though we’re stepping away from Tennis, there will be a new dream to replace it. I don’t see it as being music any time soon.

I’d like to write a book. Patrick wants to build a house. He wants to work with his hands and see something tangibly come to life. I would be very happy if we do something that displaces the band in significance, but I don’t care if the next chapter is widely known or outward facing. I’m completely satisfied with everything we’ve achieved.

Read More: A Q&A with Tennis (from 2013)