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Tegan & Sara

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Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara, Vancouver, BC
Background information
Origin	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Genres	Indie pop, Indie rock, New Wave
Years active	1995–present12
Labels	Vapor, Sanctuary, Sire
Website	Official website
Members
Tegan Quin Sara Quin Edward "Ted" Gowans Shaun Huberts Johnny "5" Andrews
Former members
Dan Kelly Chris Carlson Rob Chursinoff

Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie rock/indie pop duo of identical twins Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Kiersten Quin, born September 19, 1980. Both Tegan and Sara write, sing, and play guitar and keyboard. They have released six studio albums since 1999, most recently Sainthood in 2009.

Contents 1 History 2 Personal lives 3 Touring 4 Publications 5 Television and film 6 Cover songs, songs about, and collaborations 6.1 Songs covered by Tegan & Sara 6.2 Tegan & Sara songs covered by other musicians 6.3 Songs about Tegan & Sara by other musicians 6.4 Collaborations (Tegan solo) 6.5 Collaborations (Sara solo) 6.6 Collaborations (Tegan & Sara) 7 Other work 8 Band members 8.1 Current members 8.2 Former members 9 Discography 9.1 Studio albums 9.2 Singles 9.3 DVDs 9.4 Demos 9.5 EPs 9.6 Music videos 9.7 Unreleased/ B-Sides 10 Awards and nominations 11 References 12 External links

History

Tegan and Sara were born in Calgary. They initially played as PLUNK and lacked a drummer and bass player. In 1997, they used their school’s recording studio to record two demo albums: Who's in Your Band? and Play Day. They had three demo albums called Orange Demo, Yellow Demo, and Red Demo.³ In 1998, they made an early breakthrough by winning Garage Warz Battle of the Bands, a local Calgary music competition.⁴ Since then, the two have toured extensively. 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.

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. The competition was held at a local club in Calgary, and since the twins were 17 at the time, they were not able to go inside without adult supervision. Their first album, Under Feet Like Ours, was initially released under the name "Sara and Tegan". This Business of Art, released in 2000, was their first official release through Vapor Records, though they independently released Under Feet Like Ours the previous year. This album was recorded at Hawksleytown Studios and mixed and mastered at Umbrella Sound in Toronto. So Jealous was Tegan and Sara's fourth album, released on September 14, 2004. One track on the album, "Walking with a Ghost", was later covered by The White Stripes and became the title song of their EP Walking with a Ghost.

While both twins are similarly involved in vocals and playing instruments, the singing of the lead melody usually goes to whichever twin wrote the song.

Their fifth album, The Con, was released on July 24, 2007.² It was co-produced by Chris Walla. Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Sharp of The Rentals (who was with Weezer during The Blue Album and Pinkerton), Hunter Burgan of AFI, and Kaki King appear on the album.⁵

Tegan and Sara released their sixth album Sainthood, produced by Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp on October 27, 2009. ⁶ Spin Magazine gave Sainthood four out of five possible 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." SPIN.com ⁷

Personal lives

Although their sexuality is rarely the subject of their songs, both sisters are lesbians. Both of the twins have repeatedly expressed disappointment that their sexuality is so often focused upon in reviews of their music.⁸ The two have expressed their desire to be judged solely on their music, not on their gender, sexuality, nationality, or the fact that they are twins. ⁹

Tegan lives in Vancouver, BC. Sara lives in Montreal, QC.¹⁰

Touring

Tegan and Sara have been touring since 2000 (the first being with Neil Young¹¹), and finished their 2009 fall US tour to record their latest album. They have recently released new Europe tour dates on their website.

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.

Notable touring mates include Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright, The Pretenders,⁴ Ben Folds, The Killers, Cake, Gogol Bordello, Hot Hot Heat, Ryan Adams,¹² Death Cab for Cutie, City and Colour, and Weezer. They also performed a show at Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair.

They have been seen on festival lists, including the 2008 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Austin City Limits, Southbound Festival, Coachella, Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour, and most recently Rifflandia.

Publications

Tegan and Sara released a three volume book set to accompany Sainthood, which was published October 27th, 2009. ¹³

Publications
Title	Year
ON, IN, AT	2009

Television and film

Tegan and Sara have made television appearances, including Vicki Gabereau's Canadian talk show, CityTV's "Ethnosonic", The Late Show with David Letterman (on more than one occasion), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, MuchMusic's The New Music and Brad TV, 90210, 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.¹⁴ The twins have also been featured on the hit TV show The L Word.

Their songs have appeared on soundtracks, including those for the films Monster-in-Law and Sweet November. Tracks are found on the television shows Grey's Anatomy, Being Erica, The Hills, What's New Scooby Doo, Ghost Whisperer, The L Word, Veronica Mars, One Tree Hill, and jPod. On The N's channel, their song "The Con" was played between television programs. Tracks from the album So Jealous were used on Grey's Anatomy, particularly in the early seasons. Recently their music appeared on the British television series Hollyoaks.

In 2006, Tegan and Sara appeared in the L Word episode Last Dance (Season 3, Episode 11).

In the spring of 2008 Tegan and Sara appeared on the kids music television show, Pancake Mountain. In addition to acting in a skit, they performed the songs "Back In Your Head" and "Hop A Plane", as well as an acoustic version of "Walking With A Ghost".

Cover songs, songs about, and collaborations

Songs covered by Tegan & Sara

• "In Your Room" - The Bangles
• "When You Were Mine" - Prince (2003)
• "Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie (Spiders from Venus: Women Cover David Bowie, 2004)
• "Dancing in the Dark" - Bruce Springsteen (Like a Version: Volume Two, 2006)
• "Man With Two Brains" - The Rentals (Friends of P – Tribute to The Rentals, 2008)
• "Umbrella" - Rihanna
• "I Ran (so Far Away)" - Flock of Seagulls
• "Tired Of Sex" - Weezer

Tegan & Sara songs covered by other musicians

• "Walking With a Ghost" - The White Stripes (Walking With a Ghost EP, 2005)
• "Wake Up Exhausted" - Alkaline Trio (2008)
• "So Jealous" - Cancer Bats (Tour EP, 2009)
• "Back In Your Head" - HeyHiHello (2009)
• "Not Tonight" - Matt Sharp feat. Maya Rudolph
• "Walking With a Ghost" - Nick Storm
• "Back In Your Head" - Tiesto
• "Call It Off" - World War Wonderful
• "Hell" - Amanda Palmer (Holiday Webcast)
• "Monday Monday Monday" - Ryan Adams
• "You Wouldn't Like Me" - Motion City Soundtrack
• "Nineteen" - Heathers

Songs about Tegan & Sara by other musicians

• "Creeping Out Sara" - NOFX (2009)
• "Creeping Out Tegan" - NOFX (2009)

Collaborations (Tegan solo)

• "The Alphabet" - Vivek Shraya (A Composite of Straight Lines, 2005)
• "Hey Kids" - David Usher (If God Had Curves, 2005)
• "Never Give Up" - Melissa Ferrick (In the Eyes of Strangers, 2006)
• "La Le La La" - Kinnie Starr (Anything, 2006)
• "Saturday" - Rachael Cantu (Run All Night, 2006)
• "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" - Against Me! (New Wave, 2007)
• "Broken Songs" - Jim Ward (In The Valley, On The Shores EP, 2009)
• "Some Will Have To Go", "You Are A Small Vampire" - Char2d2 (Small Vampires EP, 2009)
• "Eaten Alive", "Thieves and Their Hands", "Blue House Baby" - Rachael Cantu (Far And Wide, 2009)

Collaborations (Sara solo)

• "We're So Beyond This" - The Reason (Things Couldn't Be Better, 2007)
• "Sweetness Follows" - (R.E.M. cover) - Ted Gowans and Kaki King (Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic for the People, 2007)
• "Your Name" - Vivek Shraya (If We're Not Talking, 2007)
• "Okay Dolore" - Dragonette (Fixin to Thrill, 2009)

Collaborations (Tegan & Sara)

• "Feel It in My Bones" - Tiësto¹⁵ (Kaleidoscope, 2009)
• "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Fucked Up¹⁶ (digital track, 2009)
• "Intervention" - Margaret Cho (2009)

Other work

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.com's September 2008 Liner Notes benefit for Housing Works--a New York non-profit.¹⁷ Burroughs read excerpts from his latest novel while Tegan played "His Love" and songs from The Con sans Sara.

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 Tiesto's remix of "Back In Your Head".¹⁸

Hunter Burgan (who played bass for all of Tegan's songs on The Con) confirmed in his blog that both he and Tegan are involved in an upcoming electronic side-project.¹⁹

In 2009, both twins added "producer" to their résumés. Tegan worked with char2d2 on the 2009 "Small Vampires EP", while Sara started production on upcoming albums by Fences and Hesta Prynn²⁰, both due out in 2010.

Band members

Current members

• Tegan Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboards
• Sara Quin – vocals, guitar, keyboards
• Edward "Ted" Gowans – guitar, keyboards
• Shaun Huberts – bass guitar
• Johnny "Five" Andrews — drums

Former members

• Dan Kelly — bass guitar
• Chris Carlson — bass guitar
• Rob Chursinoff — drums

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Name
1999	Under Feet Like Ours
2000	This Business of Art
2002	If It Was You
2004	So Jealous
2007	The Con
2009	Sainthood6

Singles

Year	Song
2000	"The First"
2003	"Time Running"
2003	"I Hear Noises"
2003	"Living Room"
2003	"Monday Monday Monday"
2004	"Walking with a Ghost"
2004	"Where Does The Good Go"
2004	"Speak Slow"
2007	"Back in Your Head"
2007	"The Con"
2008	"Call It Off"
2009	"Feel It in My Bones" (Featuring Tiësto)
2009	"Hell"
2010	"Alligator"

DVDs

Year	Name
2006	It's Not Fun, Don't Do It!
2007	The Con — The Movie21

Demos

Year	Name
1998	Yellow Demo
1998	Orange Demo
1998	Red Demo
2008	The Con Demos

EPs

Year	Name
2007	I'll Take the Blame
2008	Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) - EP

Music videos

Year	Name	Director
2000	The First	Unknown
2002	I Hear Noises	Sean Michael Turrell
2003	Monday Monday Monday	Christopher Mills
2003	Living Room	Kaare Andrews
2004	Walking With A Ghost	Troy Nixey
2005	Speak Slow	Tegan Quin/Angela Kendall/Brian Dutkewich22
2007	Back In Your Head	Jamie Travis23
2007	The Con	Suzie Vlcek24
2008	Call It Off	Angela Kendall25
2009	Hell	Jamie Travis26

Unreleased/ B-Sides

Year	Name
unknown	Give Chase
unknown	His Love
unknown	Dancing in the Dark
unknown	Love Type Thing
unknown	Days and Days (aka Painting Songs

Awards and nominations

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. (November 2008)

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)
2009	Studio8 Song of August 2009	"The Con"	Won

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Tegan and Sara

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tegan and Sara

• Official website

v • d • e Tegan and Sara Sara Quin · Tegan Quin Albums Under Feet Like Ours · This Business of Art · If It Was You · So Jealous · The Con · Sainthood Singles "The First" · "Time Running" · "I Hear Noises" · "Monday Monday Monday" · "Walking with a Ghost" · "Speak Slow" · "Back in Your Head" · "The Con" · "Call It Off"  · "Hell"  · "Alligator" Demos / EPs Yellow Demo · Orange Demo · Red Demo · Tegan and Sara EP · I'll Take the Blame EP · The Con Demos DVDs It's Not Fun, Don't Do It! · The Con: The Movie Related articles Discography