Tegan and Sara are one of the larger indie bands that also happen to be queer. They have had a large amount of success and that is something that is hard for any band, let alone one that is headed up by two twin women who are not heterosexual. They have a large fan base that includes just about every walk of life and a lot of GLBT’s. Their latest album Sainthood is their sixth album and it has lived up to every prior LP they have produced before. Featuring hits like Alligator and Hell it has quickly turned into a lot of fan’s favorite so far. This album was co written by both Tegan and Sara, while most other records have been written by the two separately. The title of the album was inspired by a Leonard Cohen lyric, an artist both girls admire musically. The record also includes co-written songs from Tegan’s side project with Hunter Burgan, bassist for AFI. Sainthood is well described as romantic ideals and raw. It also showcases a bit of diversity through Cohen’s influence and song lyrics used in Came So Far For Beauty. It is a must have, and like most Tegan and Sara records you can never really get sick of listening to the tracks. Every song takes you to that place and time and you remember where you were and what you were doing through their records and songs. They continue to grow and work hard to bring us the best musically and personally. Never turning down a fan for an autograph and always having a down to earth energy sets them apart. We were fortunate enough to have Sara tell us what she thinks, along with her views on where we are at as a community.

GLT: What is your favorite song from Sainthood?

SARA: Well that’s a tough one; I don’t look at the songs in just one way. I think, is it cohesive? Is it all around what we like and want it to be? So I look at it as one giant mass in that way. When it comes to playing live I really like Alligator and Hell because they are so well received by the fans at shows.

GLT: How have you both remained so down to earth, and what challenges have you faced trying to do that?

SARA: We try. I think we project a lot of what we are feeling to our fans. When you are suddenly famous there is that cliché of wanting privacy. It is a balance, but we communicate with our fans and let them know who we are and that we need to be able to have our lives. I think it comes naturally for a lot of bands.

GLT: Is it ever odd to be on stage and think my fans love my music so much, they jump on stage or do odd things? Does it bother you?

SARA: Well my earliest memories are of punk shows and in that scene that is very common. So I am used to it and I remember going to see bands that I was obsessed with, so I understand. What makes it a little different is that you do not see fans going so wild in the indie scene. When I went to see Leonard Cohen or Madonna I was really excited and I just don’t think we are that much different than most bands, nor our fans in that regard.

GLT: When you were growing up did you identify as gay?

SARA: I didn’t. I knew that I liked girls in retrospect but it was after high school that I came out. There was like a swing in the 90’s where being gay was considered to be ok and I attended protests and was involved. However as teenager I was trying to figure myself out and I still am.

GLT: How much of your music is unintentionally or intentionally political?

SARA: I do not think our music is political at all. We are political people however, and feel very strongly about certain things. Our songs are about love and emotions that we have seen or been through.

GLT: Would you consider yourself an activist and do you feel young people should take a bigger role in achieving human rights?

SARA: I do. Yeah, absolutely! I mean every generation looks at themselves and thinks they are different or contribute more than the one after them. It is a mixture and you know some people used to tell me that what I listened to was crap and then later on they are listening to the same thing. I think the problem is that Canada and America shove so much junk down our throats. It’s like pizza pops and the fucking Jersey Shore and that is only one type of culture. It becomes hard to blame people who are not paying attention and who are not seeking out alternatives that they might not know about. When we are on tour in America it can all start to look the same after a while and if you do not seek out the cool hidden things you would never know they were there.

GLT: What do you think about Prop 8 being ruled unconstitutional in California and what it will mean for the rest of the country?

SARA: I mean this is the move we wanted. We were really happy and following it every step of the way, hoping for this to be the outcome. I hope that they can take it further. I couldn’t be happier about it and I hope it will set a precedent throughout America and the rest of the world. This is more than just a gay and lesbian right, this is about human rights.

GLT: How do gays and lesbians’ having the right to marry affect your life?

SARA: Well of course in Canada we have the right to marry. However it is a human rights issue. We do the same things as everyone else. We pay taxes, we have kids and families, we go to work and we are good citizens. Marriage, regardless of my own thoughts on it, should be available to everyone. When someone says I can do this but you can’t, it is saying that I am less than you and that is not right. I am who I am and I should have the same rights as everyone else, so that is how it affects me.

GLT: If you had a girlfriend right now, would you marry her?

SARA: I have no idea. I mean I never thought I wanted to get married or thought that I would get married. Maybe that is because I knew I didn’t want to marry a man, so I could not picture it. More important to me is that the fact that I have a choice and I really value that.

GLT: Looking back at how far the two of you have come and the measure of success you have seen, do you ever miss how it used to be?

SARA: No, I don’t feel that we are super huge. We played for 600 people a few nights ago. I still feel like I struggle every day. Music is still a blue collar thing. I have a small place in Montreal and I still have to pay bills and I don’t miss being broke and lonely. I don’t miss being stuck playing for 100 drunken people for fewer than 100 bucks. It was a step by step thing to get where we are at. So no! (laugh)

Sara, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with The Gay & Lesbian Times and we wish you both all the success and smiles in all your future endeavors. Again, thank you for your amazing talent and sharing that with us all!

SARA: Oh right! I almost forgot. I heard that two of the raddest girls in town got engaged this weekend. All the luck, happiness and congratulations to Jessie Mcilwain and Vanessa Castillo from Tegan and Sara! l