The duo has released nine studio albums so far: Under Feet Like Ours (1999), This Business of Art (2000), If It Was You (2002), So Jealous (2004), The Con (2007), Sainthood (2009), Heartthrob (2013), Love You to Death (2016) and Hey, I'm Just Like You (2019). They also issued the live album/DVD Get Along in 2011 and their memoir High School in 2019.
Tegan and Sara initially played as Plunk in 1995, 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.
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 with Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright, Kaki King, The Pretenders, Ben Folds, The Killers, Rachael Cantu, Vivek Shraya, Cake, Gogol Bordello, Hot Hot Heat, Ryan Adams, Veda Hille, Little Birdy, Iron On, Little Brazil, Bryan Adams, and Weezer, and they performed a show at Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair.
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. Their first album, Under Feet Like Ours, was initially released under the name "Sara and Tegan". 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. The two hardly sang together in the recordings of their early records, but they started to more on their later records and when live.
On their 2004 album, So Jealous, the two lend their unusual voices and simple guitar riffs to power pop ballads about love and emotional, haunting songs such as "Walking With a Ghost".
The fifth album, The Con, released July 24, 2007, showed a shift in style towards darker tunes compared to the relatively upbeat indie pop of So Jealous. The singles "Back in Your Head", "The Con" and "Call It Off" were issued to support the album. The twins toured the album for over a year and a half.
Their sixth studio album, entitled Sainthood, was released on October 27th, 2009, to generally positive reviews. The album included the singles "Hell", "Alligator", "On Directing" and "Northshore".
Tegan and Sara also collaborated with many other artists, including Tiësto for the single "Feel It in My Bones" (from the album Kaleidoscope, 2009), and Morgan Page for the single "Body Work" (from the album In the Air, 2012).
"Closer", the first single from their seventh album was produced by Californian pop producer Greg Kurstin. The song was made available for download September 25, 2012. On 29 January 2013, Tegan and Sara released their seventh studio album, Heartthrob.
The duo's eighth studio album, titled Love You To Death, was released on 3 June 2016. The lead single Boyfriend was released on 8 April. Greg Kurstin returned as the producer.
On October 20, 2017, the duo released a compilation album titled Tegan and Sara Present the Con X: Covers, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The Con. The compilation contains covers of each song performed by various artists, as well as a previously unreleased demo “Miami Still”, performed by the duo. The proceeds of the record and subsequent tour benefitted the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which raises money for self-identified women and girls in the LGBTQ community.
The duo released their memoir, High School, on 27 September 2019. It recounts their childhood and adolescence growing up in Alberta in the 1990s as well as their musical beginnings. The book debuted at number fifteen on The New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction best-sellers list. Along with the book, Tegan and Sara's released their ninth studio album, Hey, I'm Just Like You, which contains re-recordings of unreleased demo songs that the duo recorded as teenagers. The record was produced by Alex Hope and is the first Tegan and Sara record produced, performed, engineered, mixed, and mastered by a team of all women. The band embarked on a US, Canada and UK tour to promote the book and album, playing mostly acoustically, reading excerpts from the book and incorporating old video footage from the band's teenage years.
The current live touring band members include Ted Gowans (guitar; 2004-present), Jasper Leak (bass; 2012-present), John Spence (keyboards; 2012-present), and Adam Christgau (drums; 2013-present). Former live touring band members include Johnny Andrews (drums; 2006-2010), Shaun Huberts (bass; 2007-2010), Dan Kelly (bass; 2007), Chris Carlson (bass; 2001-2005), Rob Chursinoff (drums; 2001-2005) and Jason McGerr (drums; 2012).
Official site: http://www.teganandsara.com
05. Not Tonight
Tegan and Sara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will pull your tangles out
In the back of your car I feel like
I have traveled nowhere
What will bring me home?
What will make me stay, stay?
What will bring me home?
What will make me stay, stay?
I don't know, ooh
I don't know
I don't know, ooh
Everything in my body says not tonight
Everything in my body says no
Everything in my body says not tonight
Everything in my body says no
What will bring me home?
What will make me stay, stay?
What will bring me home?
What will make me stay, stay?
Well I don't know
I don't know, ooh
I don't know
I don't know, ooh
The lyrics to Tegan and Sara's "Not Tonight" describe the internal struggle of someone who is torn between conflicting emotions about a relationship. The singer is asking for love and intimacy from their partner, represented by the metaphorical image of pulling "sore ribs" and "tangles" out, indicating a desire for emotional support and comfort. However, despite this need for connection, they still feel lost and uncertain about where they stand in the relationship.
The line "In the back of your car I feel like I have traveled nowhere" highlights the sense of stagnation and lack of progress in the relationship. The singer is looking for something to bring them home and make them stay, but they don't know what that is. The repetition of the phrase "I don't know" reveals the confusion and emotional turmoil of the singer.
Overall, the song captures a sense of being stuck in a state of uncertainty, and asking for assurance and connection from someone who may not be able to provide it. It's a painfully relatable experience that many people go through at some point in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Love pull your sore ribs in
I want you to feel safe and secure with me, and I will support you through any pain or hardship.
I will pull your tangles out
I will help you untangle your problems and find clarity in your thoughts.
In the back of your car I feel like / I have traveled nowhere
Despite being physically moved, I don't feel like I've made any progress or experienced anything new.
What will bring me home?
What will make me feel at peace and comfortable in my own skin?
What will make me stay, stay?
What will make me want to stick around and commit to something or someone?
Well I don't know / I don't know, ooh
I am uncertain and indecisive about what I want and what will fulfill me.
Everything in my body says not tonight / Everything in my body says no
My intuition is telling me that this is not the right time or situation for me, and I should trust my gut feeling.
What will bring me home?
What will make me feel at peace and comfortable in my own skin?
What will make me stay, stay?
What will make me want to stick around and commit to something or someone?
Well I don't know / I don't know, ooh
I am uncertain and indecisive about what I want and what will fulfill me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sara Keirsten Quin, Tegan Rain Quin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind