Music is an intricate part of my life; it is woven into my daily routine like a personal soundtrack. One specific band that I have come to love in the past few years is a duo by the name of Tegan and Sara. These identical twin sisters from Canada have gathered somewhat of a cult following, yet recent popularity and a release of their latest CD has brought them closer to the mainstream music world. An interesting fact about the sisters is that they both are lesbians, but what is even more interesting is that they choose not to incorporate that piece of information into their songs. Regardless of who or what the song is about, their lyrics are free of names, labels (he/she), even the mentioning of significant others. Their choice of wording for these songs succeeds in portraying raw emotion, which allows the listener to relate to their lyrics through anger, sadness and even joy. Overall, I love Tegan and Sara for their unique voices, the way the dress, their quirky humor during shows, and so much more, but what originally drew me to them was their amazing lyrics.
Tegan and Sara have released six different albums since 1999, their first titled Under Feet Like Ours. One of my favorite songs from that album is called "When I Get Up," and while it originally sounds like a corny love song, upon furthering listening one will soon realize that it describes the singer's infatuation with another individual. "I don't need air/ I don't need to breathe/ And I don't need rest/ I don't have time to sleep/ Cause I've got you and you've got me/ And that's all we need." This trite and overly sentimental ode to love describes an innocence that is somewhat lost in other Tegan and Sara albums. While the song is extremely entertaining and pleasing to the ear, the lyrics are somewhat immature, much like the subject matter itself.
The duo's next album, This Business of Art, was released just one year later. The lyrics from its most popular song, "My Number," portray a startling contrast to the lyrics found on the group's previous work. In a slow and heavy tone with the bass guitar pumping in the background, Tegan sings the following: "So watch your head and then watch the ground/ It's a silly time to learn to swim when you start to drown/ It's a silly time to learn to swim on the way down." The wording in this specific song describe yet another relationship, yet one that ended in disappointment. The singer's voice - deep and drawn - further emphasizes the lyrical content and possible emotions felt as it was being written.
The pair's third effort came in 2002 with the release of If It Was You. One of the tracks, "City Girl," actually details a break up and the emotions that accompanied it. The lyrics describe feelings of desperation: "I cried so hard that you pushed me further away/ Screamed so loud you called the police on me/ I got so city girl on you, I get so sad that sad gets to be/ So scared that all my feelings they up and leave me." In the audio version of the song one can actually hear the hurt and pain in the singer's voice, it's almost like she has given up and is on the verge of tears. This combination of lyrics and music completely draws the listener in because of its sincerity and the openness that Tegan and Sara have with their songwriting.
In 2004, Tegan and Sara debuted So Jealous, giving an immediate boost to their popularity and widening their fan-base. The first single off of this album was titled "Take Me Anywhere," and it quickly became a personal favorite. I believe that this song perfectly describes feelings accompanied with longing, which is actually one of the words used throughout the song's lyrics. Sara sings the following intro: "Bright just like the stars above me/ Proud just like my mother planned it/ Short on all the things I don't want/ I'm full of love and longing." Again, this song describes a relationship in which the writer yearns for the love and acknowledgement of another. The refrain emphasizes these emotions saying, "Take me by the hand and tell me/ You would take me anywhere."
Tegan and Sara's fifth album, The Con, was an even bigger hit than their last. Many of the songs were written by Tegan, who opening confessed to the group's fans that much of the lyrics began to pour out after dealing with a recent break-up. One of these songs, "Call It Off," emits a feeling of miserable and non-stop remorse. Tegan sings: "Maybe I would have been something you'd be good at/ Maybe you would have been something I'd be good at/ But now we'll never know." In the background, Sara echoes the following: "Call, break it off/ Call, break my own heart." Out of their six albums, multiple EPs, and countless singles, this is - in my opinion - one of the most raw and open expressions of emotion that the sisters have ever produced.
Their most recent album, Sainthood, was released in 2009. I found it to be a very different type of music than their other albums, yet the lyrics were just as riveting. Sara wrote and sang many of the songs on Sainthood, including "Northshore," an ode to a recent ex-girlfriend. The tone of the entire piece, including both music and lyrics, radiates anger. When I hear this song I immediately think of someone who simply cannot comprehend the idea of breaking-up with someone they love, with the following words screaming through their mind: "Don't feel, don't tear/ Don't kiss, don't care/ Don't touch/ Don't want me, don't want me, don't want me." I imagine that after losing her significant other these words continually clouded her mind until she was able to put them down on paper.
The lyrics exemplified in these short excerpts are only a touch of what Tegan and Sara has to offer their audience by way of lyrics. By combining a catchy tune and a melodic voices, the duo easily catch the hearts - and the emotions - of their listeners.
Tegan and Sara have a total of six albums, each with cover art different and more intriguing than the next. In viewing these album covers, one will see the effect that growth and popularity had upon the duo and how that translated into their work. While simplicity is a common theme in all of their album work, it is continually developing and changing throughout their ongoing career. Along with simplicity I noticed another theme - darkness, which will be explained in the following paragraphs.
Their first album, Under Feet Like Ours, was released in 1999 and depicts childhood photos of the sisters. The identical twins are laying arm-in-arm on a hammock, their long hair in pigtails, broad smiles plastered on their faces. The front photo has Tegan and Sara written across the top in white script, while the back has the names and order of the songs in the same font and color. One can tell from this first album that the cover work is slightly immature; it doesn't show any great amount of detail, nor does it have what would be referred to as a "professional touch." While the front cover does show two happy children, the coloring itself is dark - black and white - and the background is relatively bare. There are no bright colors to emphasize the children's mood, only contrast between their emotions and the album work itself.
Their second album, This Business of Art, came out just one year later. The cover work for this album shows more of an artistic edge from the sisters, while at the same time delving into their more dark and sinister emotions. The photograph shows the twins on an empty road, one looking to the ground, the other staring at the sky. The colors used in the cover art are dark browns and blacks, and the image itself is blurry, and unclear. The back shows a similar image of an empty road with the song titles centered in the middle of the photograph. I personally believe that this is their darkest album work because it shows them alone on an empty road, their faces hardly visible, and - yet again - no use of color, only black and white.
Their third album, If It Was You, brought a new type of album art into the mix. The front cover is a clear headshot of the two sisters; the back consists of an unidentified object. The font of both the front and back is actually scribbled handwriting, and the list of songs on the latter is written vertically instead of horizontally. This is the first time that viewers are able to see a clear view of the singers' faces, as well as their personal clothing and hair styles. The sisters are not smiling; instead they have shocked looks on their faces. Yet again, they are both wearing black and white, and very little color is brought into the album work itself.
Their fourth album, titled So Jealous, introduces - their now longstanding album and merchandise artist - Emy Storey, also known as E.E. Storey. Emy succeeded in bringing a professional edge to their album art while at the same time continuing the duo's theme of simplicity. The cover work for So Jealous consists of a pile of red hearts in the center with white lettering above stating the group's name and the album title. For the first time the back instead of the front shows a headshot of the twins, while the song names are in small white font above the photograph. Besides the red pile of hearts on the front cover, the entire album consists of black and white photos/type; to bring a bright color into their cover art is a new element of art the sisters have not truly delved into.
The group's fifth release, The Con, really threw them into the mainstream spotlight. Again designed by Emy Storey, the cover work consisted of outdated paper/parchment similar to an old novel from the 1800s; there is dirt covering the edges of the "paper" and even a pile in the center of the front cover. While the work remains simple, it definitely takes on more detail than previous albums. Once again, the cover work on this album is far from warm and fuzzy; it lacks a photograph of the sisters, and mainly consists of drab colors. Interestingly enough, Tegan has stated that this album was written as a result of a very hard break up that she went through, which could explain the plain yet dark cover art.
The sister's most recent album, Sainthood, which was released in 2009, again uses a combination of photography and artwork. The front of the cover work shows a photograph of the two sisters, one of whom is poking their head through a body cutout of herself. Both of the sisters are wearing a sort of costume, their hair is done, and they are wearing makeup. The back photograph consists of someone - the person cannot be seen - holding the body cutout, the song titles can be found on the cutout itself. Once again, the sisters stick with a theme of simplicity - headshots, black and white coloring - while simultaneously combining art and photography to produce interesting and eye-catching cover work. I found that this was the first album that brought notice to the sister's faces: They wore bright red lipstick. While somewhat dark in color, it was also the first album that appears to be less sinister than the rest, due in large part to the lipstick.
In viewing all six albums, it is easy to witness the artistic growth that the sisters have developed since they released their first CD in 1999. Ten years later Tegan and Sara continue to wow people with their album art because they stick to a winning formula: Simplicity. For someone that is not familiar with their music, the group's album art can give you a glimpse of what is to come. Like the music and the duo themselves, the album work is simple yet at the same time sinister. Tegan and Sara would not be compared to Lady Gaga or even Brittany Spears; the sister's have projected themselves as dedicated singers and emotional lyricists, not glitz and glam.
Tegan and Sara represent a type of style that does not simply change along with the fashion of the times, but aims to define who they are as people and musicians. The identical twin sisters are able to set themselves apart from each other - as well as the rest of the music industry - through their choice of clothing, tattoos, piercings, and even footwear. Their transition from young, aspiring singers and songwriters to mainstream rock stars reflects this transition and the effect that popularity has had upon their sense of style. What strikes me about the famous duo is their consistency with originality: They succeed in being fashion forward while at the same time steering clear of garb that could allow fans and critics alike to easily place them into stereotypes.
They began their career as fresh-faced twenty-somethings from Canada, virtually unknown outside of their hometown of Calgary, Alberta. When the twin sisters hit the music scene with their first album, pictures show blonde streaks in their long, dark brown hair, tight fitting t-shirts, loose fitting jeans, and a tattoo here-or-there. Their style was a slightly feminine punk-rock/gothic look, taking on a darker edge with less emphasis on fashion and more focus on their music. When this album was first released in 1999, the sisters had not yet formed a complete band, gathered an extensive following, or entered into the world of mainstream music.
In the ten years since their debut, a lot has changed about the sisters' style and overall look. As their music has progressed, so has their sense of individuality, producing a fashion all their own. Tegan and Sara no longer color their hair, but have popularized a style that - although inconsistent with mainstream culture - is seen as unique and fashionable at the same time. Their hair, cropped in the back and long in the front, has inspired many look-alike fans, as has their style of dress. Their tight fitting jeans and flowing shirts are somewhat opposite or their original look from the 1990s. Their once sparse body art now covers much of their arms, while piercings are less visible than they once were. The girls' look is a polished form of rock and roll fashion; no longer punk or gothic, yet not exactly mainstream.
The sisters have even taken a step into the fashion world - literally - with their own style of MacBeth Footwear. Keeping up with their sense of individuality, each sister designed her own high top sneaker - Tegan's in black, Sara's in white - with their separate imagery and initials on the side. The sneakers have been popular, especially among fans, who can be seen wearing the musician's work to Tegan and Sara concerts.
One specific difference that should be noted is that the girls have taken on a more natural look, wearing less makeup than they did during their early years. In the same instance, the sisters have not fallen into the typical "lesbian rock star" category, many times referring to women with short, spiky hair, boyish outfits, and little-to-no feminine attributes, such as make up. Their look is more-so low maintenance, while maintaining their original edginess. Their style - combined with their music - allows for a diverse following, instead of narrowing their fan base, making their entrance into mainstream music as smooth and natural as the look they portray.
It is evident that Tegan and Sara have come a long way since playing small gigs in pubs around their native Alberta, Canada. In the past ten years alone the identical twin sisters have succeeded in making a name for themselves throughout the mainstream music world. From their very first album until their most recent concert, Tegan and Sara have grown and developed, both lyrically and vocally. Moreover, their latest CD incorporated a band consisting of three other musicians who now travel with them on tour. Besides making music, touring, and selling records, the sisters have added yet another notch on to their belts: Fashion icons.
In the past decade the sister's fan base has grown exponentially; they have followers not only in their native Canada but also in the neighboring United States and foreign countries throughout Europe, including Australia and New Zealand. The demand for live shows has become so high after the release of their latest album in 2009 that the duo has continually been adding shows on to their original tour list. These concerts have become popular not just for the music, but also for the presence that the sisters bring to the stage. Their use of witty banter between themselves and amongst audience members brings a laid back, fun feeling to shows, and acts as a second form of entertainment in between the music.
I attended my very first Tegan and Sara concert this past February and after following their music for so long I ended up falling in love with their live performance. Besides playing a countless number of hits from their numerous albums, Tegan and Sara continually talk and joke, even tell stories about their music, love lives, and family. After reading the lyrics and listening to the music on their records, I found that I could really connect with them emotionally, which led me to truly embrace their music. After attending their live show in Tampa, I found that seeing them in person allowed me to understand them better as people: How they talk, act, and relate to their fans and each other. Seeing Tegan and Sara live made me appreciate them and their music even more than I had before, and I look forward to following both in the years to come.