Tegan and Sara are an indie-pop duo composed of identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin. They began playing music together in high school and officially formed a band in 1998. The two have gained popularity as indie pop musicians and they have written nine albums and multiple EPs. Another fact not entirely relevant to their music is that both sisters are openly gay, and have throughout the past two decades actively and consistently promoted LGBT rights and marriage equality. This makes their music particularly appealing to me, as some of their music deals with self-acceptance and queer identity, which at the time of their releases was still very much controversial and rare.
I was able to see the duo perform in Asheville in around 2015 at The Orange Peel. As a young teenager, it was really empowering for me to experience the expression of the two artists and the loving environment they cultivate within their music and live shows. The pair are so talented and brought great energy to the stage.
My favorite albums by Tegan and Sara are So Jealous (2004) and The Con (2007), with the latter being forever the most impactful, best album to me; it was the first Tegan and Sara album I ever heard, and when I was younger my dad and I always listened to the CD in the car on the way to school. So Jealous was definitely impactful to the artists’ reputation. Tracks like “Walking with a Ghost” and “You Wouldn’t like Me” really solidified the artists as iconic in the indie pop realm, after multiple album releases leading up to the success and flow of the album. Their following album, The Con, is an absolute winner. Every single track on the album is beautifully crafted and each song flows into the next seamlessly. The Con is one of the few albums ever in which I truly enjoy and appreciate every single track from the album.
The two continue to find success in music with their hit single “Closer” and their musical contribution to the LEGO movie. I am excited to see where their artistry takes them next.
– Miranda
