[This Artist Spotlight is originally hosted at ReDigi’s blog.] First picking up guitars and writing earnest expressions of emotions at only fifteen, over more than a decade identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin have developed a distinct and dynamic signature sound amid the often overwrought indie pop scene. After a few successful demos, the duo made their official debut in 1999 with the independent release Under Feet Like Ours (billed as “Sara and Tegan”). The following year, rock icon Neil Young‘s manager signed the Canadian sisters to his Los Angeles label, Vapor Records.
Tegan and Sara released This Business of Art with Vapor and supported it it on tour with Young, as well as new wave and pop-punk pioneers The Pretenders. They followed it up with If It Was You in 2002, and two years later So Jealous was met with increased success, boosted in part by a cover of their single “Walking With a Ghost,” by The White Stripes. Continuing to grow steadily throughout critically-acclaimed releases such as The Con (’07) and Sainthood (’09), Tegan and Sara began recording their seventh studio album, Heartthrob, in the spring of 2012.
Half of Heartthrob’s tracks were helmed by Grammy-nominated producer Greg Kurstin, whose songwriting and production credits include acts like Pink, Kelly Clarkson, and The Shins. The accomplished musician has also performed and recorded alongside dozens of artists including Beck and Foster the People, as well as being half of the group indie synthpop group The Bird and the Bee. His genre-bending alternative influences are evident on the album’s seductive first single “Closer,” which hit the airwaves in the fall, while the album dropped early in 2013.
Casandra Armour 