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
Turnpike Ghost
Tegan and Sara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the stars in my eyes
And the blood from the heart of a pen
With my hood pulled up
In the light of the night
I was smoke in the bed
Like a ghost white light
On the turnpike
You didn't lift my world off me
But you said to let it go
So I did, now I see
That my friends are gonna leave me
If they don't believe that they can save me
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
Like a bolt of lightning
Your stoplight moves on
And you wake up crying
What's going on
What's going on
I'm waking up tired
No god has appeared
I never ever really
Felt real faith in your fear
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
I'm so sorry for the things I said
For the light of me died
When a part of her did
Like a dream, it's a fear
And it won't carry out
I'm living easy
Nightmare plant a seed
In the garden of doubt
You didn't lift my world off me
But you said to let it go
So I did, now I see
That my friends are gonna leave me
If they don't believe that they can save me
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
Like a bolt of lightning
Your stoplight moves on
And you wake up crying
What's going on
What's going on
I'm waking up tired
No god has appeared
And I never ever really
Felt real faith in your fear
Let me wash it away
Let me wash it away
You never ever really
Felt real faith in your fear
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
In Tegan and Sara's song Turnpike Ghost, the singer longs to go back to a time when they were more carefree and creative. They describe this time as having "stars in [their] eyes," and being filled with inspiration that flowed from "the heart of a pen." The singer recalls being "smoke in the bed" and "ghost white light on the turnpike," which suggests a feeling of freedom and recklessness.
The tone of the song shifts in the chorus, as the singer reflects on a relationship that has ended. The other person did not fix all their problems, but they did encourage the singer to let go of some things that were holding them back. However, there is still a sense of loss as the singer fears that they will be abandoned by their friends if they cannot be saved.
The song ends with a plea to let go of fear and doubt, and to live life more fully. The repetition of the line "you don't have to live like that" reinforces this message.
Overall, the song seems to be about grappling with the disappointment and confusion that can accompany major life changes like the end of a relationship or the loss of a sense of purpose. There is a longing to reconnect with the energy of the past, but also a recognition that change is inevitable and that it is important to let go of self-destructive patterns and beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to live like I did back then
With the stars in my eyes
And the blood from the heart of a pen
With my hood pulled up
In the light of the night
I was smoke in the bed
Like a ghost white light
On the turnpike
The singer longs to live as they did in the past, with wide-eyed wonder and creative inspiration, wrapped in a sense of anonymity and mystery. It was a time of possibility and freedom.
You didn't lift my world off me
But you said to let it go
So I did, now I see
That my friends are gonna leave me
If they don't believe that they can save me
Someone gave the singer advice that helped them let go of something burdensome, but the singer is realizing that their friends will only support them if they feel like they can help solve the problem.
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
A plea to someone to stop living in a dysfunctional or unhappy way, repeated for emphasis.
Like a bolt of lightning
Your stoplight moves on
And you wake up crying
What's going on
What's going on
Something has shaken the artist deeply, causing panic and disorientation. They are left wondering what it was all about.
I'm waking up tired
No god has appeared
I never ever really
Felt real faith in your fear
Despite some expectation or hope, there has been no miraculous intervention or divine sign to help the artist. They have never truly believed in the fearful thing that someone else does.
I'm so sorry for the things I said
For the light of me died
When a part of her did
Like a dream, it's a fear
And it won't carry out
I'm living easy
Nightmare plant a seed
In the garden of doubt
The singer expresses regret for hurting someone else with their words. They describe a situation where fear has become an obstacle to success, but they refuse to let it control them. The fear remains, however, and threatens to grow and overcome them.
Let me wash it away
Let me wash it away
You never ever really
Felt real faith in your fear
The singer wants to be rid of their fear and doubts, and asks for help doing so. They repeat the plea for emphasis. They know that someone else's fear is not based in true faith, but rather holds them back from living fully.
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
You don't have to live like that
The final repetition of the earlier plea is a reminder that someone can choose to live however they wish, with no obligation to continue a harmful or limiting pattern.
Writer(s): Jack Antonoff
Contributed by Micah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
averynonym
God, Tegan's voice cracks make this so wonderful <3
Delta1978Theta
Wish they would release an album on all the covers they did.
Jenni
I love Tegan's voice here. It so deep and rough
I V A N
sin lugar a dudas Tegan y Sara son geniales!!!!!!!!!!!!
pkan4eva
Tegan sounds great here! Steel Train is a band to watch for.
I J
My thanks to Steel Train for the AMAZING lyrics and to Tegan and Sara for their FANTASTIC interpretation. This is the song of my life. And thanks to Ted. :) <3
kemplerbrave
I love it. I always love T&S's harmonies. :)
Olivia Bedell
i love how there are ZERO dislikes! I love tegan and sara<3
anthony chucheong
"Whats going on, whats going on!" love tegans voice on that line.
ciara dell
I wish they'd go back to this style, so brilliant<3