Written by Annar Veröld.
 |
| Photo by Lindsey Byrnes |
Tegan and Sara debuted their latest project, Get Along, at the South Lamar Alamo Drafthouse Cinema earlier this month. The Canadian duo were present for a Q&A as their current project pulls from 12 years of compilations to create Tegan And Sara’s new album, Get Along. A collection of three short documentaries,– States, India, and For the Most Part— Get Along is a collection of live recordings of tracks that span from the indie duo’s debut album, Under Feet Like Ours, to their latest album, Sainthood. With a brand new record deal with Warner Records, Get Along is a reflection of the band closing up an era. After the screening of the documentary, Tegan and Sara stood in front of the big screen, beneath a spotlight to discuss the film. Tegan in a fashionable blouse, Sara in black skinny jeans; the 31-year-old identical twins were more distinguishable than ever.
“We have a whole new batch of songs in a completely new perspective,” said Tegan Quin at the debut Screening of Get Along. “When we were putting together this DVD, it was sort of a goodbye to 2001-2010 time period.”
The documentaries Get Along suddenly becomes this crystal clear mirror of reflections of the past; embracing it with a closely stitched blanket in which they placed their most adored tracks, their most memorable experiences from the last 12 years in the most beautiful ways they could figure how: a CD of tracks featured in Get Along; Live acoustic performances, stories of the past– told in a flawlessly filmed collection. Tegan and Sara are ready to move on with their music and in their lives– embracing being 30 and different people from their late teens and early twenties.
“I think there is definitely something about motion in the title and motion in the documentaries. I hope that translated—that we are moving forward and that we’re done looking back and are now looking forward,” said Tegan.
States opens with Tegan and Sara singing “Like O, Like H“ in a studio. As the track continues, the video shifts into their performance in a theater in front of an audience. Tegan and Sara are then featured speaking as the backdrop audio where they reflect on Tegan and Sara’s first years performing, their first trip to the United States and their first tour where they supported Neil Young. Throughout States, the musicians revisit their childhood and describe and survey their relationships with their fans. Personal stories echo in the backdrop throughout the entire film– during their shows, rehearsals, and travel time.
The second documentary, India, provides an opportunity for the audience to witness the band’s experience during their first time traveling in India. Most of the documentary is filmed while they are in transit and captures the band’s exploration of the Indian culture– following them from boats, to bizarres, shows– and voicing their personal opinions of the society, slums, and experience with Indian culture.
The third film, For The Most Part, is simply an intimate showcase that Tegan and Sara put on at The Warehouse Studios in Vancouver, BC for their closest friends and family (and a few lucky fans). In front of a brick wall; beneath gentle, golden lighting; 400, close knit seats, located in front of a small– audience leveled stage, Tegan And Sara performed the 15 tracks from 6 different albums/EPs– including The Con, So Jealous, and their latest album Sainthood— which are featured in Get Along. For The Most Part faded in and out of studio rehearsals to a background performance on a rooftop of their “Hell”. Tegan And Sara play through 12 years of material, complementing the mellow setting with an intimate distribution in 70 minutes.
Ultimately, Get Along showcases the experiences of the band. The true embodiment of the work flawlessly captured the closing of a chapter and beginning of a new one. Through the documentaries, one sees he development of talented girls into two definitive identities. Perhaps this is something that could only truly be captured by video through a span of time. But by the end of the collection, there is a Tegan and a Sara. They both have distinguishable faces, voices, mannerisms and styles. The viewer is immersed in the twins’ lives during the span of these three documentaries. From the sharp video that captures their silence, what their eyes lock to and the intimacy they have with their music, the fan or newly-introduced can see how both women obsess with different parts of what they create, eventually displaying why the two are so cohesive. It’s their differences that drive them to create this coherent masterpiece known as Tegan and Sara.
Watch Tegan and Sara perform “Alligator” from Get Along below.
