Article written by Brad Simm

Photos by Zoltan Varadi

SARA & TEGAN...a little S&T in your tank

Quite frankly, two little freshies in their regular streetwear cuddling acoustic guitars on stage isn't all that exciting of an idea. The cozy, au natural look and feel that goes on at acoustic jams around the world in publand is more than just a tad boring - it's nauseating in the worst kind of way. Folkies love to play out their cliched pagan ceremonies as they bask in an aura of warmth and goodwill that they mean to spread around the room. Flag-waving, happy-face, “have-a-good-day” troubadours, the spirit loves ya and so do the mountain sheep - it's all too much to stomach, and all too predictable to swallow. Even though this wasn't an open stage on a Saturday afternoon (it was Saturday night in a crowded bar at the final round in a music contest), the moment these two gals started to settle in for their performance, that uncomfortable folkie sickness started to come on. I ordered another pint of medicine to kill the pain.

But the gods were on my side that night. At the end of the girl's first song, I was relieved that I wouldn't have to rely on some cheap jug(s) of swill to get me through. Not a chance. The youngsters under the spotlight turned all that was old, worn and offensive into a fresh, dazzling, new thing. I saw the future of folk, and it was Sara & Tegan.

What a goofy thing to say. Yeah, I know. Just another piece of hype generated by some stupid because he feels the need to do a little flag waving himself... well, whatever, but listen for a moment.

Last year there was a tremendous outpouring of chick rock (for want of a better term). Leading the pack in folkdom was Sarah McLachlan with her Lilith Fair. Even though most of the characters in that travelling show were fairly tame, Sarah, as the First Lady, was in damn fine form and reigns supreme at her art. Still, she's been honing it for a solid decade, and while she continues to get better and better, McLachlan's ethereal folkways, which defines her signature style, has long been established. She's a household name, she's the Sinatra of folk.

On the side stage, just out of the super limelight, stands Ani diFranco whose smart talkin’, gritty, folk-punk attitude has made her the biggest of Sister Soldiers. But Ani, like Sarah, has been working on all that for ten years as well. Her call to arms, we know well.

I'm not saying that by the time an artist reaches 30 and finds success that they then become stale and predictable, not at all. McLachlan and diFranco are light years away from dying a slow death on the folk circuit. At the same time they're not really breaking any new ground - they do what they do well, and while it's still compelling and strong, it's pretty familar by now.

So who are the new faces in folk? Is it all that No Depression countryfied old school stuff? Is it the smorgasbord of pop artistry, Beck, just because he plays unelectric guitar? I'd vote all out for Liz Phair, but then that first album packed full of songwriting brilliance is way more pop 'n' rock than folk would ever allow... 

In the course of just four songs, Sara & Tegan had shaken off the ghosts of the acoustic jam club and breathed new life into a dying breed. Sara and Tegan Quin are twin sisters - 17 years of age, high school students at Cresent Heights. They are the Garage Warz champs for 1998, although they've only played to a handful of friends with one party under their belt before their public debut at the Garage Warz playoffs. They confess to be “bedroom artists”' without any real stage experience to speak of. Yet, they're fully capable and fully aware of what it takes.

(My apologies to the reader. When transcribing the interview from tape, I lost track of whose voice belonged to Tegan and whose belonged to Sara. The following quotes representing the artist belong, therefore, to the collective twinship of S&T.)

S&T... “We probably would have never, ever, ever, ever of taken that opportunity [Garage Warz] because we were, as you said, bedroom artists. But after the party, which went really well, we were so pumped because these people accepted us. And we were like 'Yeah we're going to do it!' So I went (to the University) and took the whole 'letter from your mom' really seriously. We were really nerdy, but totally headstrong... It's neat to have this much stuff happen, 'cause after playing just two times and then 40 minutes later it's been anarchy for the last two weeks.”

The big fuss is largely over how these two hold down the tension in their songs and then release and let it gush out. From soft semi-spoken vocals and guitars gently strumming they build it up to a torrid, sweeping rush of urgency. An impressive show of dynamics crafted with both a touch of agony and optimism. One wonders what lies under the surface.

“I don't think what we listen to now reflects what we do now because we grew up with everything that you could possibly imagine. But I think that our biggest influences were Tracy Chapman, Sinead O'Connor and (pause) Bruce Springsteen.”

Bruce Springsteen!?

“Oh yeah, we're big Springsteen fans. Especially the early stuff with the piano. The first album I think is the best one by far. I think he's awesome. He's a really good vocalist. I think we pick up on people that have interesting voices. Like he doesn't have a perfect voice, but I think he's a folk singer at heart and tells these stories... 

“And that's like us too, though, I think. Because we don't have perfect voices. People have said 'You should take voice lessons,’ but I think that's another part of our act, that raspiness is another part of our roughness. We're not perfect. We get up there, and we're try-hards.

“No we're wannabees!

“Yeah, wannabees. Sorry.”

In The Gauntlet's review of Garage Warz, the writers who covered final night were totally unimpressed with Sara & Tegan lambasting them as “Ani diFranco wannabees.” In addition they were bewildered how the line up of judges for the competition were so overwhelmed by the twins' performance. By their own submission, The Gauntlet just didn't get it.

“I'm annoyed. Okay, let's talk about that for a second. Just because we play acoustic guitars and have strong opinions doesn't mean we want to be like Ani diFranco... We used to play electric guitars and people used to compare us to everything from Ani diFranco to The Cranberries. But other than the fact that we're girls with guitars…”

“And you have facial piercings and your kind of spunky,” I add.

“Yeah, yeah so there's that and we're girls with guitars and that where it kinda ends 'cause she's got all these years on us. But the fact that they even compared us to her makes me happy. I aspire to be that strong of a woman. To compare us to her as an artist or as a person, that's great. But we're only 17 years old and we just picked up guitars two years ago so, really, it's kind of insulting to her. Because she's phenomenal - she's 30 and it's not just what she's done with her music, it's about her business and what she's done with her life!”

I mention that Ani and Bruce Springsteen are both from New Jersey.

“Wow, that's good to know.” They giggle a bit. 

Do you have a favourite Springsteen song?

“Oh yeah! 'Lost In The Flood!' I love it. Do you want me to sing it? I can,” she says proudly and launches into the first verse at the coffee shop half full of customers without a ounce of reservation:

The ragamuffin gunner is returning home, like a hungry runaway

He walks through town all alone

He must be from the fort, he hears the high school girls say... 

Which then collapses into big hysterical giggles.

“There, just to prove to you that I really am a fan... Every year, for the last ten years we've driven out to Vancouver. My mom's boyfriend, who loves Bruce Springsteen, his name is Bruce too, and we'd listen to that and U2, Tracy Chapman and Led Zeppelin. He had a incredible stereo when he moved in with us in grade 6. We used to run the ten blocks home from school at lunchtime and mark all the settings before turning it to Supertramp. And then turn back to the setting before heading back to school. Oooh! The Logical Song, we loved that! And Billy Idol! And Chris deBurg.

“Yeah, Chris deBurg! Another voice in the storytelling sort of thing. And I think that's what we got out the music we grew up to and the music we listen to now, including Ani diFranco, who we just started listening to about a year ago, is the storytelling and a strong voice that comes through.”

Sara & Tegan have copped their raspy but flowing vocal lines from the likes of Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, Chris deBurg and Supertramp by synthesizing the entire lot together. It's a curious mix - being weaned on mainstream giants and turning it into a rough and ready form of acoustic punk. In addition to Ani diFranco, they've also taken a few cues from P.J. Harvey and Bif Naked by employing these simple, quiet haunting melodies in their performances that then explode into full force bursts of emotive power. It's fiery stuff and they're in total command.

“All those women are up there and doing their thing and they don't rely on what's behind them. It's just them and they're out front. Like I said, we used to play electric guitar and we were really nerdy trying to do all this band stuff which we kinda got lost in…”

The name of the band was called Plunk, perfect for a pair of 15 year olds just starting out on their instruments. Even now the sisters fully admit their playing is rudimentary at best. But that what's so captivating about it - the direct minimalist approach pulled off with absolute conviction. Somewhat unrefined, it's not a perfect vision because all the parts have not been filled in. Unpredictable and still challenging, they're diamonds in the rough.

The future unfolding.

 

Brad Simm