Tegan And Sara Biography

Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie rock/indie pop duo consisting 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.

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. In 1998, they made an early breakthrough by winning Garage Warz Battle of the Bands, a local music competition in Calgary. 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 bar/club in Calgary, and since the twins were only 17 at the time, they were actually 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 particular song.

Their fifth album, The Con, was released on July 24, 2007. 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.

Tegan and Sara released their sixth album Sainthood, produced by Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp on October 27, 2009. 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

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

Tegan currently resides in Vancouver, BC. Sara currently resides in Montreal, QC.

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

They are famous for their onstage banter; their stories and commentary about their childhood, politics, and life on the road have become an indispensable part of their live shows.

Opening bands like Northern State and An Horse have become household names among Tegan and Sara fans.

Notable touring mates include Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright, The Pretenders, Ben Folds, The Killers, Cake, Gogol Bordello, Hot Hot Heat, Ryan Adams, 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 numerous 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.