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
Wake Up Exhausted
Tegan and Sara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's back to sleep to re-dream me
We're alone and we're happy
But there you are angry with me
Are you alright? I can stand up straight
Are you alright, can you get me off your mind?
So let go and move on
We're strangers, we're not friends
I hate this and I hate them
This city's exhausted and it's wound up
Soon to be a place that's just filled up
And I find out that you're angry
And you're sorry you ever met me
Are you alright? I can stand up straight
Are you alright, can you get me off your mind?
I am alright, I can stand up straight
Are you alright, can you get me off your mind?
I wake up exhausted, it's not mornin'
It's back to sleep to re-dream me
We're alone and we're happy
But there you are angry with me
Are you alright? I can stand up straight
I am alright, I can you get you off my mind
I am alright, I can stand up straight
Are you alright, can you get me off your mind?
Can you get me off your mind?
Can you get me off your mind?
Can you get me off your mind?
Can you get me off your mind?
The lyrics of Tegan and Sara's song Wake Up Exhausted tell a story of a troubled relationship and the emotional exhaustion that accompanies it. The first verse describes the feeling of waking up tired and wanting to go back to sleep to escape reality. However, even in the dream world, there are issues with the partner being angry. The chorus then asks if both parties are okay and if they are able to move on from the past.
The second verse reveals that the main character hated the city before the partner arrived, and now that they are no longer together, everything in the city is a reminder of the past relationship. The city is described as being exhausted and filled up with painful memories. The verse ends with the revelation that the partner is angry and regrets ever meeting the main character. The chorus repeats, with each party asking if the other is okay and if they can get each other off their minds.
Overall, the song seems to be about a tumultuous relationship that has caused both parties a great deal of pain and exhaustion. The constant back and forth between the characters, and their inability to move on from the relationship, is what causes the emotional exhaustion described in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up exhausted, it's not mornin'
I feel tired even though it's not morning yet
It's back to sleep to re-dream me
I go back to sleep to dream a different reality
We're alone and we're happy
We are content in our solitude
But there you are angry with me
Despite our happiness, you are upset with me
Are you alright? I can stand up straight
I ask if you're okay and offer my support
Are you alright, can you get me off your mind?
I ask if you're okay and if you're still thinking about me
I hated this city before you came here
I disliked this place until you entered my life
So let go and move on
We should release the past and move forward
We're strangers, we're not friends
We don't have a strong connection or relationship
I hate this and I hate them
I feel negative emotions towards this city and its inhabitants
This city's exhausted and it's wound up
The city is drained and tense
Soon to be a place that's just filled up
The city is becoming overpopulated
And I find out that you're angry
I learn that you are upset
And you're sorry you ever met me
You regret ever crossing paths with me
I am alright, I can stand up straight
I am doing okay and can stay strong
Can you get me off your mind?
Can you stop thinking about me?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sara Quin, Tegan Quin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind