Tegan and Sara
| Tegan and Sara | |
|---|---|
 Tegan and Sara in Hamburg, Germany, in 2008 |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Genres | Indie pop, indie rock, New Wave |
| Years active | 1995–present[1][2] |
| Labels | Vapor, Sanctuary, Sire |
| Website | teganandsara.com |
| Members | |
| Tegan Quin Sara Quin Edward "Ted" Gowans Shaun Huberts Johnny "5" Andrews |
|
| Past members | |
| Dan Kelly Chris Carlson Rob Chursinoff |
|
Tegan and Sara is a Canadian indie pop/indie rock/New Wave band led by identical twins Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write songs, most often separately. Whoever writes each song typically sings the lead vocals for it.[3] The band has released six studio albums since 1999, most recently Sainthood in 2009.
Contents |
History
Tegan and Sara Quin were born September 19, 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. They began playing guitar and writing songs at age 15.[2] They initially played as PLUNK without a drummer or bass player. In 1997, they used their school’s recording studio to record two demo albums: Who's in Your Band? and Play Day. In 1998, they won Calgary's "Garage Warz" competition, using the studio time they won to record their first professional demo, Yellow Demo, which was followed by Orange Demo and Red Demo. For a while they played as "Sara and Tegan" before deciding that it was easier to say "Tegan and Sara."
Two songs from Red Demo appeared on their first album, Under Feet Like Ours, which they released independently in 1999. Neil Young's manager signed them to Young's Vapor Records label, and they released This Business of Art through Vapor in 2000. They have toured extensively since then.
In 2002, the band released If It Was You. Their fourth album, So Jealous, was released in 2004 and led to wider success. This album was released through both Vapor and Sanctuary. One track on the album, "Walking with a Ghost", was covered by The White Stripes, who released it on their Walking with a Ghost EP.[4]
Their 2007 album The Con was released by Vapor and Sire because Sanctuary chose to no longer release new music in the United States. The album was co-produced by Chris Walla. Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Sharp of The Rentals and previously Weezer, Hunter Burgan of AFI, and Kaki King all appear on the album.[5]
On October 27, 2009, Tegan and Sara released their sixth album Sainthood, produced by Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp, as well as a three-volume book set titled ON, IN, AT.[6] While recording Sainthood, Tegan and Sara spent some time writing songs together in New Orleans. The song "Paperback Head" appeared on the album, making it the first song on any Tegan and Sara album that they wrote together.[7] Spin magazine gave Sainthood four out of five stars and wrote, "Tegan and Sara's music may no longer be the stuff of teens, but its strength remains in how much it feels like two people talking."[8] On July 6, 2010, Sainthood was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. The winner will be announced on September 20, 2010 at a gala in Toronto.[9]
Personal lives
Tegan lives in Vancouver, BC, and Sara lives in Montreal, QC.[3] The media has sometimes focused on the fact that they are both lesbians and twins, even though these topics rarely come up in the band's songs. Both Tegan and Sara have expressed concerns about how they have been portrayed in the media and about sexism and homophobia.[10][11][12]
Touring
Tegan and Sara began touring after graduating from high school in 1998, traveling by car or Greyhound bus.[13] In 2000, they toured with Neil Young and The Pretenders. Their onstage banter, including stories and commentary about their childhood, politics, and life on the road, has become an indispensable part of their live shows. Other notable touring mates include Ryan Adams, Ben Folds, Gogol Bordello, Cake, City and Colour, Death Cab for Cutie, Hot Hot Heat, The Killers, Rufus Wainwright, and Weezer.
They have performed at festivals including Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair 1999; Coachella, Lollapalooza, and SXSW 2005; Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Falls Festival, and Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour 2008; Southbound 2009; Groovin the Moo, Sasquatch!, and Glastonbury 2010.[14]
Tegan and Sara's 2010 supporting acts include Astronautalis, An Horse, The Jezabels, Hesta Prynn, Holly Miranda, and Steel Train. Tegan and Sara will be the direct supporting act for Paramore for the 2010 Honda Civic Tour. They will appear on select dates during the 2010 Lilith Fair.
Other work
In 2009, both Tegan and Sara worked as producers for the first time. Tegan worked with char2d2 on the 2009 "Small Vampires EP", while Sara started work on 2010 albums by Fences and Hesta Prynn.[15]
Collaborations
In 2007, Tegan sang in Against Me!'s song "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" and Sara sang in The Reason's song "We're So Beyond This", as well as appearing in these music videos.
In April 2008, Tegan wrote and recorded a song titled "His Love" at the request of Augusten Burroughs as a contribution to the audio version of his book A Wolf at the Table. The two headlined Spin's September 2008 Liner Notes benefit for Housing Works, a New York non-profit.[16]
In addition to their own set, Tegan and Sara performed with DJ Tiësto during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 13, 2008. Tegan and Sara appeared as guests, providing live vocals for Tiësto's remix of "Back in Your Head".[17] Tegan and Sara also collaborated with Tiësto on the song "Feel It in My Bones" from his 2009 album Kaleidoscope and appeared in the music video for this song.
Tegan and Sara released an Alligator remix album on iTunes in 2010. Contributors included Doveman, Passion Pit, Ra Ra Riot, and VHS or Beta.
| List of joint and solo collaborations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member(s) | Year | Collaborator(s) | Song | Album |
| Tegan & Sara | 2009 | Tiësto | "Feel It in My Bones"[18] | Kaleidoscope |
| Fucked Up | "Do They Know It's Christmas?"[19] | |||
| Margaret Cho | "Intervention" | |||
| Tegan | 2005 | Vivek Shraya | "The Alphabet" | A Composite of Straight Lines |
| David Usher | "Hey Kids" | If God Had Curves | ||
| 2006 | Melissa Ferrick | "Never Give Up" | In the Eyes of Strangers | |
| Kinnie Starr | "La Le La La" | In the Eyes of Strangers | ||
| Rachael Cantu | "Saturday" | Run All Night | ||
| 2007 | Against Me! | "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" | New Wave | |
| 2008 | Alkaline Trio | "Wake Up Exhausted" | Agony & Irony | |
| 2009 | Jim Ward | "Broken Songs" | In The Valley, On The Shores EP | |
| Rachael Cantu | "Saturday" | Far And Wide | ||
| "Thieves and Their Hands" | ||||
| "Blue House Baby" | ||||
| Sara | 2007 | The Reason | "We're So Beyond This" | Things Couldn't Be Better |
| Ted Gowans and Kaki King | "Sweetness Follows" (R.E.M. cover) | Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic for the People | ||
| Vivek Shraya | "Your Name" | If We're Not Talking | ||
| 2009 | Dragonette | "Okay Dolore" | Fixin to Thrill | |
Television and film
Tegan and Sara have appeared on American, Canadian, and European television shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live (2005), Jonovision, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (2004), Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2005, 2007, 2009), The Late Show with David Letterman (2000, 2008), The NewMusic, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2008), and ZeD.[14]
Tegan and Sara songs have been featured in the films Monster-in-Law and Sweet November and in the television shows 90210, Being Erica, Ghost Whisperer, Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, Hollyoaks, jPod, The L Word, Life Unexpected, Melrose Place (2009 series), One Tree Hill, Parenthood, Vampire Diaries, Veronica Mars, and What's New, Scooby-Doo?.
In 2006, Tegan and Sara performed in The L Word episode "Last Dance" (season 3, episode 11). In 2008, they appeared on the kids music television show Pancake Mountain. In addition to acting in a skit, they performed the songs "Back in Your Head", "Hop a Plane", and an acoustic version of "Walking with a Ghost". In 2010, they appeared on CBC's Mamma Yamma, revising their single "Alligator" into a children's song: "Scaly, yes it's true. My spiky claws crawl over you."
Band members
Current
- Tegan Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Sara Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Edward "Ted" Gowans – guitar, keyboards
- Shaun Huberts – bass guitar
- Johnny "Five" Andrews – drums
Former
- Dan Kelly – bass guitar
- Chris Carlson – bass guitar
- Rob Chursinoff – drums
Discography
- Under Feet Like Ours (1999)
- This Business of Art (2000)
- If It Was You (2002)
- So Jealous (2004)
- The Con (2007)
- Sainthood (2009)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | — | YTV Band/Musical Group Achievement Award | Won |
| 2003 | If It Was You | Western Canadian Music Awards, Outstanding Pop Recording | Won |
| 2006 | So Jealous | Juno Awards Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2007 | It's Not Fun Don't Do It | Juno Awards Music DVD of the Year | Nominated |
| 2008 | The Con | Juno Awards Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2009 | "The Con" | Studio8 Song of August 2009 | Won |
| 2010 | Sainthood | Juno Awards Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2010 | Sainthood | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
References
- ↑ "Columbus Arts Briefs". The Lantern (Ohio State University). November 16, 2007. http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/11/16/Arts/Columbus.Arts.Briefs-3107593.shtml. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gdula, Steve (November 21, 2000), "Double the power", The Advocate, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=62MEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80, retrieved March 13, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Miller, Winter (May 4, 2008). "Songwriting Sisters and the Universe of What They Like". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/arts/music/04play.html?_r=1. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ "Tegan & Sara Biography". AskMen.com. http://uk.askmen.com/women/singer_300/388c_tegan_and_sara.html. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Foucart, Jon (February 22, 2007). "Tegan & Sara Update". AbsolutePunk. http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=215184. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Quin, Tegan (September 11, 2009). "ON, IN, AT". Tegan and Sara. http://teganandsara.com/news/on-in-at-the-tegan-and-sara-books/. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Eells, Josh (November 11, 2009). "Tegan and Sara: Across a Crowded Womb". Spin. http://www.spin.com/articles/tegan-and-sara-across-crowded-womb. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Wood, Mikael. "Tegan and Sara, 'Sainthood' (Vapor/Sire)". Spin. http://www.spin.com/reviews/tegan-and-sara-sainthood-vaporsire. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ "Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. http://www.polarismusicprize.ca/blog/159. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ↑ Ash, Amanda (November 2009). "Tegan & Sara: Sisters of Mercy". Exclaim!. http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=138&csid2=778&fid1=42045. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Ash, Amanda (October 6, 2009). "Indie ladies who lunch: Tegan and Sara edition". The Indie Files. http://theindiefiles.com/2009/10/06/indie-ladies-who-lunch-tegan-and-sara-edition/. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Baltin, Steve (October 1, 2009). "Tegan and Sara's Sara Quin Strives Toward 'Sainthood'". Spinner.com. http://www.spinner.com/2009/10/01/tegan-and-saras-sara-quin-strives-toward-sainthood/. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
- ↑ Quin, Tegan (1/28/2010). "thoughts on home". Tegan and Sara. http://teganandsara.com/uncategorized/thoughts-on-home/. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Press Kit — Biography" (PDF). Tegan and Sara. http://teganandsara.com/presskit/TS_Biography_2009.pdf. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ↑ Floyd, Mikela (January 11, 2010). "Northern State’s Hesta Prynn to Release Solo Material". Filter. http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/news/entry/northern_states_hesta_prynn_to_release_solo_material/. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ "Tegan Quin, Augusten Burroughs Co-Headline SPIN's 'Liner Notes' Event". Spin. July 21, 2008. http://www.spin.com/articles/tegan-quin-augusten-burroughs-co-headline-spins-liner-notes-event. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Maddux, Rachel (June 15, 2008). "Bonnaroo 2008: Day 3". Paste. http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/festivus/2008/06/bonnaroo-2008-day-3.html. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Dombal, Ryan (August 4, 2009). "Sigur Rós's Jónsi, Bloc Party's Kele Okereke on New Tiësto Album". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/news/36120-sigur-ross-jonsi-bloc-partys-kele-okereke-on-new-tiesto-album/. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ↑ Colly, Joe (December 11, 2009). "Fucked Up: 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11683-do-they-know-its-christmas-ft-andrew-wk-ezra-koenig-david-cross-et-al/. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
External links
- Official website
- Tegan and Sara on Myspace
- Tegan and Sara channel at YouTube
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