You don’t have to know me well to know that my favourite
band of all time is the extremely talented Canadian duo, Tegan and Sara. For 13
year these brilliant sisters have been writing, playing and performing their
music for a growing audience. Their unique voices and extreme talent combined
with more than a decade of hard work have led to the production of seven
amazing records.
In April 2012 the sisters began working on a new album.
Immediately, they knew they wanted to “shake it up”. They were set on trying
something different. “We have a huge back catalogue of guitar driven music,”
says Tegan, “and the idea of just making another guitar driven record seemed
boring.” Sara says they wanted to take a big step; they didn’t want to make
another record that sounds like something people expect from them.
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| Heartthrob coming January 29 |
The outcome of this- an album called Heartthrob- is the most commercial album of their career. When they
chose the producers for this album, T&S wanted somebody with more of a pop
touch. This deliberate transformation into the world of pop music has caused
some controversy among T&S fans. Emotions are high and the reaction to the
new album is heated. The word sellout has been thrown around a number of times
by angry fans. In response to a recent Rolling Stone article about the new
album one person wrote, “Actually yea, admitting that you want to change what
you’re doing for more money is the definition of sell-out.” Another disgruntled
reader said, “The first four albums were and will always be great… However, I’m
going to enter the state of mind as if they stopped touring and making music
then. Essentially, that is what they’ve done.”
It doesn’t take much to see there are some unhappy T&S
fans out there. However, another reader of the same article said, “This is a
really good interview. They’re being open about what they’re trying to do and
you have to respect them for that.” This made me think about the band’s
transformation from a public relations perspective. Sure, they admitted they
wanted a pop touch to the new album, but Tegan also clearly stated, “I wanted a
pop touch but I wanted credible.” Neither of them wanted to lose their “bite”
with this new album, they simply wanted to try something new. After everything
they’ve accomplished, why does anyone have the right to question their decision
to grow into a different market or capture a new audience? Are T&S giving
us any reason to think we shouldn’t trust their judgment? As a long-term fan, I
must admit, they’ve done nothing but impress me up to date- if they’re honest
and open about the transformation, they’ll continue to be credible artists who
deserve respect.
Sara says they’ve learned to put their fans into two
different categories. They’ve titled them the General Fan and the Intense
Fan.
General Fan: This
is somebody who attends a Tegan and Sara concert approximately one in every
three times they come to a city. They might be into a couple of their songs but
they haven’t purchased every record.
Intense Fan: This
is the person who knows everything there is to know about the band. They own
every album and every DVD; they keep up with the Tegan and Sara website,
Twitter and Facebook activity; they’re the first to buy tickets.
She explains it is the Intense Fan she worries about. “I
worry [they] won’t like anything we do ever again because they are so committed
and devoted to what we’ve already done.” She continues, “It’s very challenging
to ask them to like something new.” The fact that they’re acknowledging the
difficulty T&S fans may have with their new image demonstrates compassion
for their audience. Although it may be difficult to adjust, we as fans need to
consider this and give the new album a chance before abandoning ship. As a Rolling Stone reader said, “What is life without change? This interview makes me
respect them even more. Here’s to an awesome new stage!”
As long as the duo continues to conduct great interviews and
remain honest with their audience, they should be celebrated. Tegan explained,
“Sara and I started writing when we were 15. We’re 32 now. I’m not gonna be
interested if Sara came up to me and was like, ‘let’s make a record; it’s gonna
sound like The Con’ I’d be like,
‘Well we already have The Con.’” She
said, “I have to keep it fresh... I want to see our music go to new places. I
don’t want the same stuff, you know?” A dream to try something new after 13
years of hard work combined with a promise not to lose sight of who they are is
pretty remarkable. From a PR perspective, I think T&S are doing a great
job. Heartthrob will be released in
Canada on January 29. Let’s wait until then to decide if we love their new
sound. It is my guess that true Intense Fans will stick around to support and applaud
their growth. After all, they deserve it.
Check out their new song Closer here.
