Tegan and Sara releases new album “Heartthrob”

By Margaret Hartley

Packed with punchy beats and a sing-along anthem, Tegan and Sara’s seventh album “Heartthrob” proves once again that these girls know how to rock. The Canadian duo consists of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin. Some modern artists similar to Tegan and Sara’s sound include Icona Pop, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Metric.

“Heartthrob” was released on Jan. 29th and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, the highest album achievement for the band. The first single “Closer” from the album was released four months prior. The upbeat sound and electro-pop elements are the product of producer Greg Kurstin who has done a lot of work with pop artist Kesha. The song has a very simple concept for listeners to grasp; it’s about getting more intimate with someone.

“So let’s make things physical, I won’t treat you like you’re oh so typical,” Tegan sings.

The song is about getting closer to someone without knowing them on a deeper level. All of the new songs off their seventh album show their growth from depressed teen tunes. The girls are done with complaining about lost love and feeling self-pity and have moved on to channel the memories with an optimistic spirit.

“Heartthrob” also includes many sounds that are reminiscent of the ‘80s. The band cites Cyndi Lauper and Pat Benetar as influences. The artists share the same punchy yet soft and nasal vocals.

The girls have been writing songs and playing the guitar since they were fifteen. The two Canadians formed their band in 1995 in Calgary, Alberta. They used their school’s recording studio to record their first two demo albums and in 1998 they won their town’s garage band competition. They used the studio time from the competition to record their very first professional demo. They had three separate demos: “Yellow tape, Red tape, and Orange tape.” Their first album “Under Feet Like Ours” came out in 1999 and the girls released it independently. For their first album their name was Sara and Tegan.

Wanting to stand out against other “Sara” musicians, the girls changed their name for future albums to Tegan and Sara. They also felt that this name was easier to pronounce.

In 2002 the girls were signed to Neil Young’s Vapor Records label. Later that year they released their second album, “This Business of Art” under the label.

The duo has already began touring for the “Heartthrob” album, but will be making no stops in San Diego. The closest they will get is at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA on April 12 and April 19.