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
You Went Away
Tegan and Sara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Touched by saints, still powerless
Scared and lost, cursed like novelty
Crushed and cracked, I'm powerless
Ay, yeah, yeah, ay, yeah, yeah
Ay, yeah, yeah, ay, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah, you go away, go away and I don't mind
Bye, bye, bye, I still want you
Bye, bye, bye, I still need you
Instamatic, embraced by millions
A slow reaction hits my blood
If I get famous, inflamed by gravity
Pretend to notice, kiss my stills
Ay, yeah, yeah, ay, yeah, yeah
Ay, yeah, yeah, ay, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah, you go away, go away and I don't mind (and I don't mind)
Yeah, you go away, go away, well, I'll be fine (well, I'll be fine)
Oh yeah, you go away, go away and I don't mind (and I don't mind)
Yeah, you go away, go away, well, I'll be fine (well, I'll be fine)
Bye, bye, bye, I still want you
Bye, bye, bye, I still need you
It's your mind that matters most
It's your mind that makes you mine
It's your mind that makes you mine
It's your mind that makes you mine
Go away, go away, I don't mind
Go away, go away, I'll be fine
Bye, bye, bye, I know I'll miss you
The lyrics to Tegan and Sara's "You Went Away" paint a picture of someone who is complicated, yet still powerless in certain instances. The first verse speaks to the individual's upbringing and the influences of icons and saints, yet despite this, they are still scared and lost in some ways. This can be seen in the line "Crushed and cracked, I'm powerless." The second verse speaks to the notion of fame and the impact it can have on someone. The line "If I get famous, inflamed by gravity" highlights the pressure that comes with success and the need to maintain an image or persona. The final lines of the verse "Pretend to notice, kiss my stills" suggest that despite the influence and attention, there may be a lack of genuine connection with others.
The chorus of the song, which repeats throughout, speaks to the idea of separation and moving on. The lines "Oh yeah, you go away, go away and I don't mind/Yeah, you go away, go away, well, I'll be fine" convey a sense of strength and resilience in the face of loss. However, the lines "Bye, bye, bye, I still want you/Bye, bye, bye, I still need you" suggest a conflicting desire for the person who has left to return.
Overall, "You Went Away" portrays the complex emotions of someone who has experienced both the highs and lows of life, and must confront the reality of separation and loss while still holding onto the hope of reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm complicated, I was raised by icons
I am a complex person as I was brought up by individuals who were considered role models by many
Touched by saints, still powerless
I have come across morally superior people but that hasn't empowered me
Scared and lost, cursed like novelty
I am afraid and confused, feeling like I am a curse on someone, like I am a new thing that nobody knows how to handle
Crushed and cracked, I'm powerless
I have been broken emotionally and mentally and I am unable to control my situation
Instamatic, embraced by millions
I am an instant success, receiving the love of millions of people
A slow reaction hits my blood
But my emotional response to this attention is delayed and not instant
If I get famous, inflamed by gravity
If my fame increases, it will be like a force pulling me towards it, making it difficult to escape
Pretend to notice, kiss my stills
People pretend to pay attention to me and praise still images of me but they don't actually care
It's your mind that matters most
What's most important is your inner thoughts and feelings
It's your mind that makes you mine
What connects us is our thoughts and ideas rather than physical presence
Go away, go away, I don't mind
You can leave if you want to, I won't care
Go away, go away, I'll be fine
I will be okay even if you're not around
Bye, bye, bye, I still want you
Even though I know you're leaving, I still have feelings for you
Bye, bye, bye, I still need you
I'm saying goodbye but a part of me still depends on you and cares about you
Oh yeah, you go away, go away and I don't mind
You leaving won't have an affect on me emotionally
Yeah, you go away, go away, well, I'll be fine
I will be alright if you decide to leave me
Oh yeah, you go away, go away and I don't mind
Your departure won't change how I feel
Yeah, you go away, go away, well, I'll be fine
I'll be okay even if you're not with me
Bye, bye, bye, I know I'll miss you
I'm aware that I will feel your absence once you're gone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sara Keirsten Quin, Tegan Rain Quin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind