Having released one of the best albums of 2008 with 'The Con', Canadian twins Tegan and Sara have followed it up with one of the best albums of 2009, 'Sainthood'. Described as exploring "secular themes of devotion, delusion, and exemplary behavior in the pursuit of love and relationships" and "obsession with romantic ideals", it blends singalongs, smart lyrics, electronic influences and rock guitars and should give the duo the wider audience they so richly deserve. Tegan Quin talked to Harry Guerin about the album.
Harry Guerin: Tell me about how 'Sainthood' came together.
Tegan Quin: When we got out of the studio from 'The Con' we almost started writing immediately and started touring off 'The Con'. 'The Con' had sort of been an 'anti-studio record': we'd gone to Chris' [Walla, producer and Death Cab for Cutie bassist] house and just recorded in his basement and added drums and bass later on. It was sort of like our attempt at regaining some control over that process.
When we started talking about recording 'Sainthood' a lot of the songs were coming out more like rock songs. We sat down with Chris and started strategising about how to make the record. It was like, 'I think we should do a rock record.' And a couple of months later that's what we were doing.
We definitely approached it ['Sainthood'] more traditionally: Jason McGerr [Death Cab for Cutie drummer] and Chris Walla played drums and bass and then Sara and I and Ted Gowans our guitar player… the five of us just set up in a room together at the studio and played for a month. We tried to basically look at the record as a live record almost - not to add any extra overdubs unless they were completely necessary. I think it's a great record because the songs are arranged so much better and came out so much clearer because there's not so much clutter on this record.
HG: And while you were preparing for the record you and Sara went to New Orleans and wrote together for the first time.
TQ: Sara had been talking with a friend about how to make a great record and this friend suggested that you couldn't make a good record if were comfortable. And Sara said, 'Oh, and what would be something that would make you uncomfortable?' And the girl was like, 'Well, what makes you uncomfortable?' And Sara said, 'I imagine making a record with Tegan and writing with her [would be] very uncomfortable'. So Sara and I decided to take the challenge and we would go and try to write songs together.
It was really fascinating and ended up inspiring us and we ended up co-writing a lot when we got home. We started collaborating more than anything. It's such a funny world: the difference between writing and co-writing and collaborating is so different for different people. For us, we'd never even just sat in a room and worked on a song together let alone written one. So that was really inspiring and exciting.
It's definitely given me a lot of things to look forward to for the future records by Tegan and Sara - that we're actually going to be able to collaborate with one another successfully. Overall, it was really good. It was kind of boring watching someone labour over a guitar part for two hours... I was like, 'Wow, we should be doing the songs as synths!'
HG: When you go back to writing songs individually, how do you think the New Orleans experience will influence you both?
TG: Since our writing trip we've definitely both written a lot and I can't speak for Sara but I can say for me that watching the patience with which she approached guitars and melodies and lyrics... I'm definitely inclined to be a little more patient, which in turn has sort of meant I've been writing less, but I feel that when I do write I'm contributing more substantial parts and ideas.
I definitely think there was a lot that we learned being in the studio together and I hope that even more of that comes out in our music. I love Sara's songs and I love the gaps and the way which she approaches lyrics and melodies as such. I hope that some of that rubs off on me.
HG: From a listener's point of view, the great thing about your records is that it never sounds like one person is dominating.
TQ: Totally. Well, that's sort of the magic of Tegan and Sara. We take very different songs from, y'know, mind spaces and we come together and we turn it into Tegan and Sara. I think our best records have been the ones where we've been able to do that most successfully. And that's why I think 'Sainthood' will end up being our most successful record so far because we did that on every song.
HG: And in terms of the lyrics on the album, you don't pull any punches.
TQ: [Laughs] Yeah, we definitely didn't hold much back.
HG: And often the best music comes from that.
TQ: I think Sara and I realised really early on in our career that one of the most interesting things about us as people was that we were so open and so engaging. And over the years I've realised that there is a line and that there are things that aren't appropriate for sharing with people I don't know and for [our]music. But there are so many ways for me to explore how I feel about my life and translate it into music and then share it with the world.
Ultimately, I just stand up there on stage every night and it's not fame or fortune or any of those other things that motivates me, it's just the looks on people's faces as they hear the songs. It's so obvious to me that they really are connecting to the songs. It's the songs, it's the music, it's some common meeting place that we're all hanging out in for a couple of hours.
HG: Listening to the songs on this album, it strikes me that you could make a fortune writing songs for other people.
TQ: [Laughs] That's something we've thought about! It's just finding the time to do it.
HG: I reckon they'd be queuing up.
TQ: I appreciate your praise!
HG: I'm fascinated by the fact that you've never done much soundtrack work. Was that because of a stance or lack of time?
TQ: It's a combo. We've done a lot of placements, a lot of TV. Definitely on my mind the last year or so is why we aren't doing more soundtracks. I think it's just because we've been so busy and it's not something we've actually gone out and tried to acquire. I definitely think moving forward we want to tour a little less and it's definitely something we're interested in doing. I hope we get to do more stuff like that. I think that it would be a really big challenge for our band to have to write about something other than ourselves!
HG: Would you ever think about doing a solo album in the future?
TQ: I definitely think Sara and I are going to engage in solo activities separately [other projects], like we sing in other bands separately. Sara's been A&R'ing [artistic development] for a band in New York. I'm not sure that I have any interest in putting a record out solo and going out and touring. I love being in a band with Sara. I have a writing project on the side with this guy Hunter Burgan [AFI bassist] and we write great songs together and I am definitely interested in continuing to do that. But the actual touring and supporting a record alone, I have NO interest in doing!
'Sainthood' is out now on Vapor/Sire Records
