Tegan Quin

Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters, Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentalists.

The duo has released ten studio albums and earned a Grammy nomination in 2012 for their video album ''Get Along''. Their most recent album, ''Crybaby'', was released on October 21, 2022. Their memoir, ''High School'', was released on September 24, 2019, and in the fall of 2022, the TV series based on the memoir was released on Amazon Freevee.

History

1995–2002: Background and early work

Tegan and Sara began writing songs at 14. One of the first songs they wrote was "Tegan Didn't Go To School Today", written by Sara and recorded by the pair on cassette tape. The band was first called "Plunk", short for "light punk", due to their lack of a drummer and bassist. In 1997, they used their school's recording studio to record two demo albums: '' So Who's in Your Band?'' and ''Play Day''. In 1998 they won Calgary's "Garage Warz" competition, which awarded them studio time. They recorded their first professional demo called ''Yellow Tape'' under "Sara and Tegan" using this studio time. This was followed by ''Orange Tape'' and ''Red Tape''. In May 1998, they opened for Hayden in Calgary, marking their first major show.

In 1999, they released their debut album, ''Under Feet Like Ours'', as "Sara and Tegan", with producer Jared Kuemper., After listening to it, Elliot Roberts flew up from Los Angeles to meet them at the Starfish Room in Vancouver, British Columbia, and he offered them a record deal that same night. Two songs from ''Red Tape'' and two from ''Orange Tape'' appeared on the album. They later changed their name to "Tegan and Sara" because people regularly misheard "Sara and Tegan" as "Sara Antegan". They signed with Neil Young's Vapor Records and released ''This Business of Art'' through the label in 2000. According to Tegan, having no manager for the first three years of their career taught them to be “very cognizant and present” in every decision.

2002–2011: Mainstream success

In 2002, Tegan and Sara released their third album, ''If It Was You''. Their fourth album, ''So Jealous'', was released in 2004 and led to wider success and attention, both locally and internationally. This album was released through both Vapor and Sanctuary. The band's 2007 album, ''The Con'''','' was released by Vapor and Sire because Sanctuary no longer released new music in the United States. The album was co-produced by Chris Walla. Guests and collaborators on the album included Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Sharp of The Rentals (and previously Weezer), Hunter Burgan of AFI, and Kaki King.

On October 26, 2009, Tegan and Sara released their sixth album, ''Sainthood'', produced by Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp. ''Sainthood'' debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart at number 21, selling 24,000 copies in its first week. While recording the album, Tegan and Sara wrote songs together in New Orleans for a week. The song "Paperback Head" was the only song the pair wrote to appear on the album, making it the first song on any Tegan and Sara album they wrote together. Spin 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." The duo also put out a three-volume book set titled ''ON, IN, AT'' that included stories, essays, journals, and photos of the band touring America in late 2008, writing together in New Orleans and touring Australia. Lindsey Byrnes and Ryan Russell took the photographs in the book.

In 2011, they launched "2011: A Merch Odyssey", which saw at least one new item in the official online stores every month for the entire year. A live CD/DVD combination package titled ''Get Along'' was released on November 15 and contained three films titled "States", "India", and "For the Most Part". It was nominated for Best Long-Form Music Video at the 2013 Grammy Awards.

2012–2018: ''Heartthrob'', ''Love You to Death,'' and ''The Con X: Covers''

Tegan and Sara began recording their seventh studio album, ''Heartthrob'', on February 20, 2012. Greg Kurstin produced eight songs. Joey Waronker contributed drums to these songs. Two songs were produced by Mike Elizondo, with Victor Indrizzo contributing drums, Josh Lopez contributing guitar, and Dave Palmer contributing piano. Justin Meldal-Johnsen had the last two songs. The first single, "Closer", was released on September 25, 2012. The album was released on January 29, 2013, and debuted on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 at number 3, the band's highest-charting record, selling 49,000 copies in its first week. ''Heartthrob'' debuted at number 2 on the Canadian chart and digital downloads chart and hit number 1 on the rock and alternative album charts. In July 2013, the album was shortlisted for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize. In March 2014, Tegan and Sara won three Juno Awards for Single of the Year, Pop Album of the Year and Group of the Year making them the first female band and the first duo to win this award.

Tegan and Sara finished their eighth studio album on November 30, 2015. On March 10, 2016, they announced that the album's title would be ''Love You to Death'', with the release date set for June 3 of that year. They released the album's lead single, "Boyfriend", on April 8. On April 25, tour dates were announced for their 2016 global tour to support the album. The duo released a music video for each track on the album.

Tegan and Sara collaborated with 17 artists, including Cyndi Lauper, to create ''The Con X: Covers'' in 2017 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the release of The Con. The participating artists recorded covers of ''The Con'''s original songs to benefit the Tegan and Sara Foundation. Tegan and Sara also toured an acoustic version of ''The Con'' in 2017, with some of the proceeds supporting the Tegan and Sara Foundation.

2019–2020: ''Hey, I'm Just Like You'' and memoir

In May 2018, at Out Web Fest, Tegan stated they were working on a book, podcast and new record. On September 24, 2019, their memoir ''High School'' was released by MCD Books, a division of Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, alongside Simon & Schuster Canada and Virago Press in the United Kingdom. The memoir details their teenage years, growing up in Canada and "worshipping" Nirvana, Green Day and the Smashing Pumpkins. The book also details the twins' exploration of their sexuality. While researching the book, Tegan and Sara found cassettes of some of their earliest songs.

In early 2019, Tegan and Sara announced they were working on their next record for release later that year. On July 9, 2019, they announced via Instagram that their ninth album would be called '' Hey, I'm Just Like You'' and would consist of 12 re-recorded songs they initially wrote as teenagers. It was released on September 27, 2019, three days after the release of their memoir.

In April 2020, the duo created a live "show" called ''Where Does the Good Grow'' to entertain their fans during the COVID-19 pandemic, with merchandise designed by EE Storey. The show was held every Thursday at 3 p.m. PST on their Instagram account until the series finale on July 23, 2020.

In 2021, it was announced that a TV show named ''High School'', based on their memoir of the same name, would be filmed in Calgary and directed by Clea DuVall. Twins Railey and Seazynn Gilliland were cast as the main characters. The show was filmed from April to June 2022 and was released on Amazon Freevee in the fall of 2022.

2021–2022: ''Still Jealous'', new record label, and ''Crybaby''

In July 2021, Tegan and Sara announced a return to the studio to work on their 10th album. On February 1, 2022, they announced ''Still Jealous'', an utterly acoustic re-imagining of ''So Jealous''. ''Still Jealous'' was released on February 11, 2022.

In April 2022, the duo announced they had left Warner Records and signed a new record deal with Mom + Pop. They also released the first single, "Fucking Up What Matters", from their 10th studio album on April 28, 2022. On July 12, 2022, they unveiled the album title, ''Crybaby'', and that it would be released on October 21, 2022. The second single, "Yellow", was released on the same day, with the music video released on YouTube. The twins also announced their first tour in three years, which started in Philadelphia, PA, on October 26, 2022, and ended in Vancouver on November 20, 2022.

2023–Present: ''Junior High'', ''Substack'' and ''Not Tonight Tour''

In 2023 the duo released their first graphic novel, titled ''Junior High'', based on their youth, with artwork by Tillie Walden. It explores the themes of growing up, coming out, and self-discovery through music and sisterhood (loosely serving as a prequel to their adolescence memoir, ''High School''. In February 2024, the duo announced they would be introducing a new subscription to their already popular "Substack" called The Loners Club. This included the reintroduction of the pandemic-era Instagram show "Where does the good grow". In early 2024, the twins set out on tour to celebrate their album ''If It Was You'' (2002). The tour is centered around Ontario, Canada, starting in Richmond Hill in March 2024 and ending in Guelph in April 2024. In April 2024, the twins won the Juno Humanitarian award for their work with the Tegan and Sara Foundation.

Influences

Tegan and Sara have credited Green Day, Nirvana, and Hole for "truly start ngto cement our desire to write and make our music". During their teenage years, the duo was influenced by Hayden, The Smashing Pumpkins, Violent Femmes, Dinosaur Jr., and Teenage Fanclub. Other artists who have influenced Tegan and Sara include Depeche Mode, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Mike Elizondo, Pink, Lily Allen, Erasure, Ace of Base, Tom Petty, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Ani DiFranco, the New Pornographers, Cyndi Lauper, Sinéad O'Connor, Against Me! and Bruce Springsteen.

Personal lives

Both twins are gay, and both are married. In 2018, Tegan married Sofia Snow, after dating for two years. In 2011, Sara married her longtime girlfriend Stacy Reader, and in August 2022, they welcomed their first child, a son.

At 19, both Quins moved from their hometown of Calgary, Alberta, to Vancouver, B.C. In 2003, Sara moved to Montreal. Tegan lived in Vancouver and Los Angeles for many years, while Sara lived in Montreal and New York City. As of 2019, Tegan and Sara had moved back to Vancouver.

Tegan and Sara are active politically and socially engaged. They advocate for LGBTQ equality, music education, literacy, and cancer research.

The sisters are cousins to musician Jen Twynn Payne, drummer and lead vocalist for the Vancouver-based band The Courtneys.

Activism and involvement in the LGBTQ+ community

In 2012, they appeared on the cover of ''Under the Radar'' magazine's "Protest" issue. Both were photographed holding a sign: "The rights of the minority should never be subject to the whim of the majority." Also, they actively supported Quebec students protesting against the provincial government in Canada. In the U.S., both were vocal during California's Prop 8 debates.

In 2013, the band partnered with Coolhaus, their "favourite ice cream sandwich truck", to create an ice cream sandwich in favour of same-sex marriage. The sandwich featured "double chocolate" cookies and salted caramel ice cream and was named "Til Death Do Us Part". The duo partnered with Revel & Riot to create a T-shirt that would fund Revel & Riot's mission for LGBTQ rights. The "Animals" T-shirt features Tegan and Sara, a turtle, fox, koala, penguin and a dragonfly, all labelled with their Latin names. The text at the bottom reads, "Gay behaviour is found in over 1500 species. LGBTQ equality now." All sale proceeds go to benefit the work of Revel & Riot.

Due to the expansion of their audience, Tegan and Sara have gained a higher profile in the LGBTQ community. They were awarded Outstanding Music Artist at the GLAAD Media Awards, beating out high-profile musicians, including Lady Gaga and Elton John. In June 2014, Tegan and Sara joined WorldPride to perform in the closing ceremonies at Yonge–Dundas Square in downtown Toronto.

On November 10, 2016, rather than boycotting North Carolina for HB2, Tegan and Sara performed at The Orange Peel and donated their proceeds to Equality North Carolina to fight the legislation. This inspired the band Matt and Kim to match their donation with merchandise proceeds.

In December 2016, in the wake of the United States presidential election, the sisters founded the Tegan and Sara Foundation to advocate for "economic justice, health and representation for LGBTQ girls and women". They have since partnered with Kiehl's to release Ultra Facial cleansers with limited-edition packaging to raise funds for the foundation. Profits from ''The Con X: Covers'' and a portion of ticket prices from ''The Con'''s 10th-anniversary tour went to the Tegan and Sara Foundation. At the end of ''The Con'''s 10th-anniversary tour in 2017, they stated their plan to take two years off from touring to focus on the foundation and to make a new record.

In 2024, Tegan and Sara began activism in response to new policy pitched by the United Conservative Party in Alberta. The proposed bill was posed to impact LGBTQ youth by outing them to parents if they used new pronouns or names in school, and limited medical care for trans youth. The Tegan and Sara Foundation published an open letter signed by more than 400 Canadian musicians denouncing the UCP policy. The two also used their Juno Awards speech time to speak against this policy.

Touring

Tegan and Sara began touring after graduating high school in 1998, travelling by car and Greyhound bus. In 2000, they toured with Neil Young and the Pretenders. Other notable touring mates include Ryan Adams, Weezer, Bryan Adams, Jack Johnson, the Black Keys, Ben Folds, Gogol Bordello, Cake, City and Colour, Death Cab for Cutie, Hot Hot Heat, the Killers, New Found Glory, Paramore, Rufus Wainwright, Eugene Francis Jnr, the Jezabels, An Horse, Steel Train, Holly Miranda and Speak.

The sisters engage in onstage banter, often including stories and commentary about their childhood, politics and life on the road. This has become a characteristic trait of their live shows.

They have performed at festivals including the Mariposa Folk Festival 2001; Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair 1999, 2010; Coachella 2005, 2008, 2013; Lollapalooza; SXSW 2005, 2013; Austin City Limits; Bonnaroo; Falls Festival: Sasquatch! 2010; Osheaga; Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour 2008; Southbound 2009; Glastonbury 2010; Australia's Groovin' the Moo 2010, 2013; Splendour in the Grass 2016; Winnipeg Folk Festival 2011; Newport Folk Festival 2011; saskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival 2011; Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest 2011, 2015; Outside Lands 2014; Firefly 2014 and Area506 in 2017 in Saint John, New Brunswick. They performed at the ending ceremony at Toronto World Pride 2014 and at Boston Calling in May 2014.

In 2013, Tegan and Sara opened for the band Fun. on their Most Nights Summer Tour, which started in Toronto, Ontario, on July 6 and ended in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on September 28. In January 2014, Katy Perry announced that Tegan and Sara, Capital Cities, and Kacey Musgraves would be the opening acts for the North American leg of her Prismatic World Tour. Tegan and Sara toured with Perry from September to October 2014.

On February 25, 2014, Tegan and Sara announced their ''Let's Make Things Physical Tour''. The tour included various supporting acts for cities, including Lucius

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