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
burn your life down
Tegan and Sara Lyrics
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It's not me, or how I would be
But it's a different situation
A different situation
You lay awake in the night
Just staring at the ceiling above
Pulling pieces of it out is such a waste of time
That nothing is lost in the end
When you burn, burn, burn your life down
Get me to the door
Out of bed
On the track
I'm not sure
Starting over
It's a different situation
A different situation
You wake up in the night
And refuse to be afraid of the now
Unfolding pieces of it faster
Don't you waste your time
You've been planning to remember this
So nothing will be lost in the end
Then you burn, burn, burn your life down
Then you burn, burn, burn your life down
I drive around the block
And I'm not looking to my right
I feel the glass against my cheek
And I can't see you in the light
I break my heart around it
Break my heart around it
I drive around the block
And I'm not looking to my right
I feel the glass against my cheek
And I can't see you in the light
I break my heart around this
Break my heart around this pole
The song "Burn Your Life Down" by Tegan and Sara is a beautiful ballad that speaks to the struggles of moving past difficult situations and starting over. The lyrics are reflective, and the song kind of works on different levels to explore different themes of rebirth and reinvention. The song's main theme is about taking control of one's life and choosing to start over. The lyrics call out to those who feel stuck in a rut, seeking a new perspective or a way out.
The first verse seems to be about feeling trapped and wanting to change things. The singer is asking someone else who may have a different approach or perspective to share their wisdom. It's a moment of vulnerability that shows a willingness to try things differently. The second verse seems to be more about the personal struggle to move forward, creating a kind of inner conflict, represented in the image of the singer struggling against oneself. The line "Pulling pieces of it out is such a waste of time / You keep fighting to remember" suggests an attempt to move forward by releasing old grudges or memories, but finding it difficult to let go completely.
The chorus, "When you burn, burn, burn your life down," is a powerful expression of catharsis. It’s a hope that by shedding old skins, one can begin again, and ultimately, find a better way to exist. This deletion or burning is a necessary step for growth, although painful - it provides a new open space for something new. It is rebirth, but the event comes at a cost of losing things you once held dear. The repetition of Burning down your life is like a mantra to burn away the things that held you back.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me that you know another way to get it done
Can you suggest any other method to achieve the desired outcome?
It's not me, or how I would be
The situation is not ideal or how I would prefer it to be.
But it's a different situation
However, it is a unique circumstance that requires taking a different approach.
A different situation
The changing scenario presents new challenges that must be dealt with differently.
You lay awake in the night
You have insomnia and can't sleep at night.
Just staring at the ceiling above
You keep staring at the roof without any particular thought.
Pulling pieces of it out is such a waste of time
Thinking too much about it is unproductive and does not help solve the issue.
You keep on fighting to remember
You struggle to retain your memories and make them last.
That nothing is lost in the end
In the end, everything is alright and you have nothing to worry about.
When you burn, burn, burn your life down
You have to start over and give up everything to rise again from the ashes.
Get me to the door
Please help me leave this place.
Out of bed
I need to wake up and start my day.
On the track
I need to get back on my path and pursue my goals.
I'm not sure
I am uncertain about the next steps I need to take.
Starting over
It's time to wipe the slate clean and begin anew.
You wake up in the night
You suddenly awaken from sleep at night.
And refuse to be afraid of the now
You decide to confront the present situation head-on without fear.
Unfolding pieces of it faster
You try to make sense of the situation while it unfolds more rapidly.
Don't you waste your time
There's no point in procrastinating or being tentative; act now.
You've been planning to remember this
You are determined to commit this experience to memory and hold onto it.
So nothing will be lost in the end
You want to preserve the memories of this experience forever.
Then you burn, burn, burn your life down
The only way to move on is to start fresh and let everything else go up in flames.
I drive around the block
I spend time driving aimlessly around the neighborhood.
And I'm not looking to my right
I deliberately avoid looking towards my right-hand side.
I feel the glass against my cheek
I have pressed my cheek against the window glass of the car.
And I can't see you in the light
In the bright lights, I can't make out your silhouette and see you anymore.
I break my heart around it
It's incredibly heart-wrenching and emotional for me.
Break my heart around it
I physically feel the pain of a broken heart in the situation.
I drive around the block
I try to distract myself by driving around with no clear destination.
And I'm not looking to my right
I'm avoiding looking towards the right side where the pain and hurt originate.
I feel the glass against my cheek
I use the cold glass of the window as a coping mechanism to ground myself.
And I can't see you in the light
I am temporarily blinded by the overwhelming emotions of the situation.
I break my heart around this
The heartache and pain of the circumstance are too much to handle and overwhelm me.
Break my heart around this pole
I use anything around me, such as a pole, to channel the pain and frustration.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sara Keirsten Quin, Tegan Rain Quin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind