Tegan and Sara

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Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara performing at Sydenham United Church in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 2007
Tegan and Sara performing at Sydenham United Church in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 2007
Background information
Origin Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Genre(s) Indie rock
indie pop
powerpop
folk pop
Years active 1995–present[1]
Label(s) Vapor, Sanctuary, Sire
Website Official website
Members
Tegan Rain Quin
Sara Kiersten Quin
Edward "Ted" Gowans
Shaun Huberts
Johnny "5" Andrews
Former members
Dan Kelly
Chris Carlson
Rob Chursinoff

Tegan and Sara is a band consisting of Canadian singer-songwriters and identical twins,[2] Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Kiersten Quin (born September 19, 1980).[3]

Contents

[edit] Biography and musical career

Tegan and Sara were born in Calgary, Alberta. They initially played as PLUNK and lacked a drummer and bass player. In 1997, they both used their school’s recording studio to record two demo albums: Who's in Your Band? and Play Day.[4] In 1998, they made an early breakthrough by winning Garage Warz Battle of the Bands, a local music competition in Calgary.[5] Since then, the two have toured with Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright, Kaki King, Northern State, An Horse, The Pretenders,[5] Ben Folds, The Killers, Rachael Cantu, Vivek Shraya, Cake, Gogol Bordello, Hot Hot Heat, Ryan Adams,[6] Veda Hille, Little Birdy, Iron On, Little Brazil, Bryan Adams and Weezer. They also performed a show at Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair. They are signed to Neil Young's Vapor Records in Canada and to Sire in the United States as their previous label, Sanctuary Records, is no longer releasing new music in the United States. Currently, Tegan lives in Vancouver and Sara lives in Montreal.[7]

When they were competing in Garage Warz, they were known as "Sara and Tegan" because that is how their mother registered them on the competition forms. Their first album, Under Feet Like Ours, was initially released under the name "Sara and Tegan";[3] copies are now a sought-after commodity among their fans.[citation needed]

While both twins are similarly involved in vocals and playing instruments, the singing of the lead melody usually goes to whichever twin wrote the particular song. The two usually do not sing together on their early albums, however, they do on their later albums and in concert.

Their fifth album, The Con, was released on July 24, 2007.[1] It was co-produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie. Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Sharp of The Rentals (was with Weezer during The Blue Album and Pinkerton), Hunter Burgan of AFI and Kaki King appears on the album.[8]

[edit] Cover songs and collaborations

In 2005, The White Stripes performed a cover of Tegan and Sara's song "Walking with a Ghost", which was released on that band's Walking with a Ghost EP. "Walking with a Ghost" was also used in a mashup dance remix bootleg by Party Ben[9] with a song by Mylo, "Paris Four Hundred", under the title "Walking with a Ghost in Paris", which became a sought-after club track after an influential dance radio station in the United States, C-89.5/KNHC/Seattle, Washington, started playing the song.[citation needed]

In 2005, the two performed a cover of Cyndi Lauper's version of Prince's "When You Were Mine".

In 2006, Tegan and Sara also contributed a cover of Bruce Springsteen's, "Dancing in the Dark", to Australian radio station Triple J's Like a Version radio programme. The track was released on a compilation disc of that programme's songs, Like a Version: Volume Two.

Tegan has contributed backup vocals to "The Alphabet" by Vivek Shraya, "Never Give Up" by Melissa Ferrick, "La Le La La" by Kinnie Starr, "Hey Kids" by David Usher, "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" by Against Me! and "Saturday" by Rachael Cantu.

In 2007, Sara contributed backup vocals to The Reason's "We're So Beyond This" and Vivek Shraya's "Your Name".

In 2007, Sara recorded a cover of R.E.M.'s "Sweetness Follows", from the album Automatic for the People, on the Stereogum album Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic for the People, with previous Tegan and Sara collaborators Ted Gowans and Kaki King providing the music.

In 2007, Tegan and Sara performed a cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella".

In 2008, Sara had an appearance in Kaki King's music video for "Pull Me Out Alive".

Their song "Hop a Plane" is featured on Austin City Limits Music Festival 2008 Lineup Mashup by Car Stereo (Wars).[clarify]

In 2008, Tegan wrote & performed "His Love" as a companion piece to the Augusten Burrough's novel, A Wolf at the Table.

In March 2008, "Friends of P -- Tribute to The Rentals" was released, and Tegan and Sara contributed their recording of "Man With Two Brains."

[edit] Television and film

Tegan and Sara have made many television appearances, including Vicki Gabereau's Canadian talk show, CityTV's "Ethnosonic", The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, MuchMusic's The New Music and Brad TV, Sonic Temple, Jonovision, Late Night with Conan O'Brien (on more than one occasion), Jimmy Kimmel Live (March 23, 2005) and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (November 11, 2004). They also played "Monday Monday Monday" on ZeD, and thus the song appeared on the 2003 CD ZeD: Live Off The Floor.[10]

Their songs have appeared on several soundtracks, including those for the films Monster-in-Law and Sweet November. Tracks are also found on the television shows Grey's Anatomy, The L Word season 3, Veronica Mars season 2, One Tree Hill seasons 1 and 2, and jPod. On The-N's channel, their song "The Con" was played repeatedly between television programs.

Tegan and Sara also had a guest appearance as themselves on the The L Word, playing the song "Love Type Thing". The episode was entitled "Last Dance" and aired on March 19, 2006.

They also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 23, 2008.

[edit] Accomplishments

Tegan and Sara have been profiled in a number of magazines and their albums have been included on several notable "best of" lists. In the fall of 2003, they graced the cover of ROCKRGRL magazine issue #49, which focused on a tribute to duos. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine named their album So Jealous on their list of the best 50 albums of the year.[11] Tegan and Sara were nominated for a 2006 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year alongside Hot Hot Heat, Metric, The New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene. They were also nominated for 2008 Alternative Album of the Year alongside Arcade Fire, Wintersleep, Holy Fuck and Patrick Watson. The 2008 Junos were presented on April 6 in Calgary, Alberta and they lost to Arcade Fire. More recently, they appeared on the cover of the Summer 2007 issue of Under the Radar, the March 2008 cover of Alternative Press magazine and Spinner.com placed them at #7 on their list of Women Who Rock Right Now.

[edit] Personal lives

Although their sexuality is rarely overtly the subject of their songs, the fact that both sisters are lesbians has been the subject of some interest to the music press.[12]

[edit] Band members

Tegan Quin (above) and Sara Quin at a concert in Detroit, Michigan
Tegan Quin (above) and Sara Quin at a concert in Detroit, Michigan

Current

  • Tegan Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano, MalletKAT, and various percussion
  • Sara Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano, and various percussion
  • Edward "Ted" Gowans – guitar, keyboard, and MalletKAT
  • Shaun Huberts – bass guitar, synth bass, and keyboards
  • Johnny "Five" Andrews – drums, various percussion

Previous

  • Dan Kelly – bass guitar (until Fall 2007)
  • Chris Carlson – bass guitar (until 2006)
  • Rob Chursinoff – drums (until 2005)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] Music videos

  • "The First" (2000)
  • "I Hear Noises" (2002, directed by Sean Michael Turrell)
  • "Monday Monday Monday" (2003, directed by Christopher Mills)
  • "Living Room" (2003, directed by Kaare Andrews)
  • "Walking with a Ghost" (2004, directed by Troy Nixey)
  • "Speak Slow" (2005, directed by Tegan Quin/Angela Kendall/Brian Dutkewich)
  • "This is Everything" (Angela Kendall)[14]
  • "Back in Your Head" (2007, directed by Jamie Travis)
  • "The Con" (2007, directed by Suzie Vlcek)

[edit] DVDs

  • It's Not Fun, Don't Do It! (2006)
  • The Con - The Movie (2007)[15]

[edit] Awards and nominations

Year Award For Result
2000 YTV Achievement Award Band/Musical Group Won
2003 Western Canadian Music Awards Outstanding Pop Recording (If It Was You) Won
2006 Juno Awards Alternative Album of the Year (So Jealous) Nominated (lost to Broken Social Scene)
2007 Juno Awards DVD of the Year (It's Not Fun Don't Do It) Nominated (lost to Sarah Harmer)
2008 Juno Awards Alternative Album of the Year (The Con) Nominated (lost to Arcade Fire)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Tegan and Sara's official MySpace.
  2. ^ Ross, Mike (1999-11-16). The Mighty Quins. torontosun.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  3. ^ a b Nichols, Natalie. "Nervous Breakthroughs", Los Angeles City Beat, 2005-04-28. Retrieved on 2006-09-12. 
  4. ^ Tegan and Sara biography. AskMen.
  5. ^ a b Tegan and Sara. Sanctuary Records. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
  6. ^ Tegan and Sara: SO JEALOUS. Press kit on official website. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
  7. ^ Rodriguez, Albert (2005-06-08). Tegan and Sara Reinventing Queer Stereotypes in Rock Music. Windy City Times. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
  8. ^ Tegan & Sara Update - News Article - AbsolutePunk.net.
  9. ^ Party Ben - Stuff to Have.
  10. ^ "ZeD: Live off the Floor," CBC Shop Online, URL accessed 13 March 2007.
  11. ^ "Records of the Year", Rolling Stone, 2004-12-15. Retrieved on 2006-09-11. 
  12. ^ spinner.com=http://www.spinner.com/2007/06/11/rockin-out-interview-tegan-and-saras-tegan-quin/
  13. ^ initially released under Sara and Tegan, re-released under Tegan and Sara in 2001
  14. ^ hidden video on It's Not Fun, Don't Do It dvd. Officially a music video as discussed on the commentary
  15. ^ On the DVD portion of the CD/DVD The Con

[edit] External links

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v • d • e
Tegan and Sara
Sara Quin · Tegan Quin
Albums
Singles
"Time Running" · "I Hear Noises" · "Monday Monday Monday" · "Walking With a Ghost" · "Speak Slow" · "Back in Your Head" · "The Con" ·
Demos / EPs
Yellow Demo · Orange Demo · Red Demo · Tegan and Sara EP · I'll Take the Blame EP ·
DVDs
It's Not Fun, Don't Do It! · The Con: The Movie
Related articles