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
There's Still Time
Tegan and Sara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do I cause new heartbreak to write a new broken song
Do I push it down or let it run me right in to the ground
I, I feel like, I wouldn't like me, if I met me
Well I can't stop talking for fear of listening to unwelcome sound
And you haven't called me in weeks
And honestly it's bringing me down
I feel like, I wouldn't like me, if I met me
I feel like, you wouldn't like me, if you met me
And don't you worry there's still time
Don't you worry there's still time
There's nothing to live for when I'm sleeping alone
And I wash the windows outside in hopes that the glare will, bring you around
I, I feel like, I wouldn't like me, if I met me
I, I feel like, you wouldn't like me, if you met me
So don't you worry there's still time
Don't you worry there's still time
Don't you worry there's still time
Don't you worry there's still time
Sunshine is days away, I won't be saved
I know all the words
I can't say that I'll love you forever
Sunshine is days away, I won't be saved
I know all the words
I can't say that I'll love you forever
The song "There's Still Time" by Tegan and Sara is a somber reflection on self-doubt and fear of abandonment. The lyrics describe a constant internal battle of whether to expose one's vulnerable emotions or to suppress them to avoid further heartbreak. The opening verse "There's a war inside of me, do I cause new heartbreak to write a new broken song" highlights the struggle of artists to create art out of their personal pain, but also hints at the cycle of trauma that comes with it. The refrain "I feel like, I wouldn't like me, if I met me" is a poignant admission of low self-esteem and anxiety about one's own personality flaws. The second verse explores the disappointment of unrequited love, as the singer obsesses over a past lover not calling her back, and feeling helpless in her loneliness. The repetition of "Don't you worry there's still time" could be interpreted as a self-soothing mantra, a hopeful reminder that it's never too late to improve oneself and find love.
The song was released in 2009 as part of Tegan and Sara's sixth studio album "Sainthood". The album marked a departure from the folk-pop style of their previous work, and incorporated more rock and electronic elements. "There's Still Time" is one of the quieter and more introspective tracks on the album, but still encompasses the same themes of longing and heartbreak that are present in many of the other songs. The album was generally well-received by critics, with many praising the duo's songwriting and harmonies, and went on to chart in several countries including the US, Canada, and Australia.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a war inside of me
I'm struggling internally and can't decide whether to create something new or let my emotions consume me.
Do I cause new heartbreak to write a new broken song
Should I intentionally hurt myself in order to create art that resonates with others?
Do I push it down or let it run me right in to the ground
Should I suppress my emotions or let them overwhelm me?
I, I feel like, I wouldn't like me, if I met me
I have a negative view of myself and worry that others would feel the same way.
Well I can't stop talking for fear of listening to unwelcome sound
I keep talking in order to avoid being alone with my thoughts and fears.
And you haven't called me in weeks
I feel abandoned and alone because someone important to me hasn't reached out.
And honestly it's bringing me down
This feeling of being alone and unimportant is really affecting my mood and mental health.
And don't you worry there's still time
Despite everything I'm going through, there's still time for things to get better.
There's nothing to live for when I'm sleeping alone
Without someone else in my life, I feel like there's nothing to look forward to or live for.
And I wash the windows outside in hopes that the glare will, bring you around
I'm trying to make myself and my surroundings more appealing in order to win someone's affection or attention.
I, I feel like, you wouldn't like me, if you met me
I don't think I would be able to live up to your expectations or that you would like me if we met.
So don't you worry there's still time
Again, despite everything, there's still time to change things and improve my situation.
Sunshine is days away, I won't be saved
I'm hoping for a change in my circumstances, but I know it's not a guarantee and I may still feel unhappy.
I know all the words
I understand my situation and my own feelings very well.
I can't say that I'll love you forever
I can't make any promises or guarantees about the future, even when it comes to love.
Contributed by Scarlett H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.