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
B W U
Tegan and Sara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are working like a dog
Growing distant from your wife
in an underearning job
Looking after your small child
Never knowing who you are
Then I reached into your world
Dropping down like a star
Catalysts will find you
when you need shaking up
Nothing will stay hidden
The truth of what you're doing will draw to the top
and with these waves of photons coming in
all will be seen through
Dishonesty will disappear,
get ready
Desire
reaching through the room like sunlight
irresistable to you
Who we are, and who we could be
Who you are, and who you could be (with me)
Everyone wants to be known
Everyone needs to be wanted
Who you are, and who you could be
We met, you kissed me that one time
then had to leave you behind
I had to fly back here and deal with all my stuff
Tell her all your secrets that you told me
So you can get back intimacy
You need to be truly loved in the light of being known
You need to be washed clean in the light of disclosure, hon
Catalysts will find you
when you need shaking up
Nothing will stay hidden
The truth of what you're doing will draw to the top
and with these waves of photons coming in
all will be seen through
Dishonesty will disappear,
get ready
get ready
Desire
reaching through the room like sunlight
irresistable to you
irresistable to me and you
I can see earthquakes coming to these hills
The song “B W U” by Tegan and Sara is a melancholic and emotional account of a man who is trapped in a picture-perfect life, which is not fulfilling him. The song portrays the man working hard to support his small child and wife who are growing increasingly distant from him. However, the song takes a turn when the singer reaches into the man's world, and as a catalyst, shakes him up. The lyrics reveal that his dishonesty will soon be exposed, nothing will remain hidden, and ultimately, he needs to be known truly and loved in the light of disclosure.
The chorus of the song expresses the need for everyone to be known and wanted as they are - this is not only significant for the man in the song but is a universal human need. The song also explores the difficult yet necessary process of letting go of secrets and being washed clean in the light of disclosure. The final lines of the song are a powerful metaphor where the singer sees earthquakes coming to the hills, indicating that change is coming.
Overall, the song is an introspective take on human relationships and the need for honesty and authenticity in it. The song's message is a call for everyone to embrace the truth and be their true selves, even if it means exposing their flaws.
Line by Line Meaning
In a picture perfect town
You live in a town that appears to be perfect and flawless.
You are working like a dog
You are working extremely hard.
Growing distant from your wife
You and your wife are becoming emotionally distant from each other.
in an underearning job
You work in a job that pays less than what you need or deserve.
Looking after your small child
You take care of your young child.
Never knowing who you are
You feel like you don't truly know yourself.
Then I reached into your world
I entered your life.
Dropping down like a star
I entered your life in a significant way, like a shooting star.
Catalysts will find you
Experiences or people that fundamentally change you will enter your life.
when you need shaking up
These catalysts will enter your life when you need a change.
Nothing will stay hidden
Everything that's been hidden will come to light.
The truth of what you're doing will draw to the top
What you're doing will be exposed.
and with these waves of photons coming in
With this influx of light, or clarity, everything will be revealed.
all will be seen through
Everything will be fully revealed and seen for what it truly is.
Dishonesty will disappear,
Deceit or lies won't be able to last or continue.
get ready
Prepare yourself for the changes that are coming.
Desire
Intense want or longing.
reaching through the room like sunlight
Your desire can be felt strongly, like sunlight.
irresistable to you
Your desire is impossible to resist.
Who we are, and who we could be
Reflecting on who we are currently and who we could become in the future.
Who you are, and who you could be (with me)
Reflecting on who you could be if you were with me.
Everyone wants to be known
Everyone desires to be understood and seen for who they truly are.
Everyone needs to be wanted
Everyone has a fundamental human need to feel desired and wanted by others.
We met, you kissed me that one time
We met and shared a meaningful moment.
then had to leave you behind
After that moment, we had to go our separate ways.
I had to fly back here and deal with all my stuff
I had to go back to my life and handle my own personal issues.
Tell her all your secrets that you told me
Open up to your wife and share with her the same things you shared with me.
So you can get back intimacy
Sharing your secrets can bring you closer and increase intimacy between you and your wife.
You need to be truly loved in the light of being known
You need to feel loved for who you truly are, even with your flaws and imperfections.
You need to be washed clean in the light of disclosure, hon
Being completely open and honest can bring a sense of relief and purification.
I can see earthquakes coming to these hills
I can sense significant change or upheaval on the horizon.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cheyenne Juarez
Tegan's face when she pulls down the newspaper and Sara's every time she's rejected are all so priceless.
Emory H
LOVE IT!!! 😊😊 That part with Tegan behind the newspaper was hilarious. 😂 Tegan and Sara, you two are the queens of awesomeness! 😍😄
L
marriage equality was always about having the right to choose whether you wanted to get married or not - choosing not to seems like just as liberating to me. love the sound and message behind this one, just wish more people would understand what it's saying.
arts
the chorus of this song is a masterpiece
Amanda Cordeiro
Wtf? Your username haha 😂😂👌🏼
Trans Prince Peyton
@jenny schecter This is one of the very, and I mean very, few times I agree with Jenny!
arts
Just let me rest in peace thanks
Dol Fijn
I came out bisexual literally 2 months ago. I am madly in love with a female colleague. I come from a christian home. No one knows. This makes me cry.
Levi Walker
TD O How is everything going 3 months later?
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How's things a year later? I feel you, I've been there
❤️