Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara (/ˈtiːɡən, ˈsɛərə/) is a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters, Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980).[2][3] Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentalists.[4][5][6][7][8]
Tegan and Sara
Tegan Rain Quin
Sara Keirsten Quin
September 19, 1980
1995–Present
- Tegan Quin
- Sara Quin
The duo has released ten studio albums and earned a Grammy nomination in 2012 for their video album Get Along.[9] Their most recent album, Crybaby, was released on October 21, 2022.[10] Their memoir, High School, was released on September 24, 2019, and in the fall of 2022, the TV series based on the memoir was released on Amazon Freevee.[11]
Influences[edit]
Tegan and Sara have credited Green Day, Nirvana, and Hole for "truly start[ing] to cement our desire to write and make our music".[46] During their teenage years, the duo was influenced by Hayden,[14] The Smashing Pumpkins, Violent Femmes, Dinosaur Jr., and Teenage Fanclub.[47] Other artists who have influenced Tegan and Sara include Depeche Mode,[48][49] Rihanna,[50][51] Taylor Swift,[52] Madonna, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Mike Elizondo,[53] Pink, Lily Allen,[54] Erasure, Ace of Base,[55] Tom Petty, Britney Spears, Katy Perry,[56] Ani DiFranco, the New Pornographers, Cyndi Lauper, Sinéad O'Connor, Against Me! and Bruce Springsteen.[46]
Personal lives[edit]
Both twins are openly gay, and both are married.[57][58][2] In August 2022, Sara welcomed her first child, a son.[59][60]
At 19, both Quins moved from their hometown of Calgary to Vancouver. In 2003, Sara moved to Montreal.[61] Tegan lived in Vancouver, B.C. and Los Angeles for many years, while Sara lived in Montreal and New York City. As of 2019,[62] Tegan and Sara had moved back to Vancouver, BC.[63]
Tegan and Sara are active politically and socially engaged. They advocate for LGBTQ equality, music education, literacy, and cancer research.[64]
The sisters are cousins to musician Jen Twynn Payne, drummer and lead vocalist for the Vancouver-based band The Courtneys.[61]
Activism and involvement in the LGBT community[edit]
In 2012, they appeared on the cover of Under the Radar magazine's "Protest" issue. Both were photographed holding a sign: "The rights of the minority should never be subject to the whim of the majority."[65] Also, they actively supported Quebec students protesting against the provincial government in Canada. In the U.S., both were vocal during California's Prop 8 debates.[66]
In 2013, the band partnered with Coolhaus, their "favourite ice cream sandwich truck",[67] to create an ice cream sandwich in favour of same-sex marriage. The sandwich featured "double chocolate" cookies and salted caramel ice cream and was named "Til Death Do Us Part".[67][68] The duo partnered with Revel & Riot to create a T-shirt that would fund Revel & Riot's mission for LGBTQ rights. The "Animals" T-shirt features Tegan and Sara, a turtle, fox, koala, penguin and a dragonfly, all labelled with their Latin names. The text at the bottom reads, "Gay behaviour is found in over 1500 species. LGBTQ equality now." All sale proceeds go to benefit the work of Revel & Riot.[69]
Due to the expansion of their audience, Tegan and Sara have gained a higher profile in the LGBTQ community. They were awarded Outstanding Music Artist at the GLAAD Media Awards, beating out high-profile musicians, including Lady Gaga and Elton John.[70] In June 2014, Tegan and Sara joined WorldPride to perform in the closing ceremonies at Yonge–Dundas Square in downtown Toronto.[71]
On November 10, 2016, rather than boycotting North Carolina for HB2, Tegan and Sara performed at The Orange Peel and donated their proceeds to Equality North Carolina to fight the legislation.[72] This inspired the band Matt and Kim to match their donation with merchandise proceeds.[73]
In December 2016, in the wake of the United States presidential election, the sisters founded the Tegan and Sara Foundation to advocate for "economic justice, health and representation for LGBTQ girls and women".[2] They have since partnered with Kiehl's to release Ultra Facial cleansers with limited-edition packaging to raise funds for the foundation.[74] Profits from The Con X: Covers and a portion of ticket prices from The Con's 10th-anniversary tour went to the Tegan and Sara Foundation. At the end of The Con's 10th-anniversary tour in 2017, they stated their plan to take two years off from touring to focus on the Tegan and Sara Foundation and to make a new record.[75]
