Musicians Tegan Quin, left, and Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara pose after performing at the 98.7FM Penthouse Party at The Historic Hollywood Tower in Hollywood, Dec. 12, 2012.
Identical twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin make up the Canadian indie rock band known by the sensible, if unimaginative, name Tegan and Sara. Born in 1980 in Calgary, Alberta, the sisters began writing songs and playing guitar at age 15, according to the band’s website. The sisters are both openly gay, and although they don’t describe their music as overtly political, they consider themselves social and political activists. The duo released their first studio album, Under Feet Like Ours, in 1999, and have released five more since then. Their seventh, Heartthrob, will be released in late January, 2013. The first album debuted under the name Sara and Tegan, but the sisters decided to switch the order shortly thereafter. Why, you might ask? They once explained to SPIN that there were already so many Sarahs in Canadian music: McLachlan, Harmer, Slean, etc. They thought they’d get more attention if they put Tegan’s name first.