San Francisco VIP Q&A

Music, Warm Up's, What are our biggest accomplishments, just a light post about EVERYTHING!

11/16 San Francisco Q&A Submissions

Thanks to everyone who submitted these questions. And as always, feel free to leave more below in the comments and we’ll tackle some more this year!

-Tegan

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AJ asks: What's been the best vocal warmup exercises you've done?

I – for the first time – worked with a vocal coach in preparation for touring this past summer/fall.  People don’t realize that singing is quite athletic.  Although Sara and I both talk non-stop and sing a lot at home, I think Sara and I both realized we had to “get into shape” for our tour this fall.  So, I got in touch with a few teachers and did some lessons.  The first one was too formal.  Very LA and works with massive artists. She was blowing through scales over Zoom on the piano and I was totally lost.  I tried another woman here in Vancouver.  I went into her actual studio.  It was super awkward for me.  Lying on a stranger's floor, breathing deeply and learning about my body while singing scales and being watched. I admit it took a lot not to quit right away.  Sadly, she moved away for a job so I’m back to square one. I plan on doing lessons between now and spring, to stay in shape. It’s so easy to injure yourself if you don’t warm up or aren’t in show shape.  So, I will find someone new in January.  I’ve never been very good at organized physical activity or appointments. But I know I need to keep up my singing and keep working those muscles or I’m going to be fucked come spring when we head back out again.  Also, fun fact, apparently we should all be warming up our vocal cords and our faces/tongues every morning! Regardless of if we sing or not! WHO KNEW!?

I warm up singing into a straw!

I have been using these two warms ups all year. 

Kelly Hudock asks: What song on Crybaby has the most meaning for you each and why?

I love Under My Control so much. VERY excited to bring that one to life on stage for next spring/summer/fall touring! Sara had included it in a batch of songs, and I had overlooked it. So, when it popped up in my iTunes it was as a shock.  I’m very proud of Crybaby and I hope people give it the time it deserves and dig into the middle and end of the album! That’s where deep, meaningful, adventurous songs often live!

Kelly Hudock also asks: What are you most proud to have accomplished so far in life?

I am just so grateful we managed to turn music into a career.  Twenty-five years. That’s how long we’ve been doing this professionally.  I don’t think anyone thought we could pull it off, including us.  It’s just incredible to me that this is what we get to do with our lives.  I love that we get to be creative and write and perform all over the world, and that we have had the privilege of so much travel and adventure.  Starting the Tegan and Sara Foundation also sticks out when I think about legacy. I am so humbled by the work, and how much everyone who sits on the board and works for TSF does.  It just means so much to me that we can help our community, that we can give back in some small way.  I am really proud we have been able to work through our issues and stay in a band together to make stuff. Truly!

Ann Sampang asks: What is your favorite things that your partners do for you?

Honestly, Sofia does such a good job of helping me manage my life.  She is very thoughtful and organized and stays on top of huge parts of our personal life like the care of our dog and the care of our home.  She arranges a lot and manages our calendar to set up appointments to take the dog to the vet and get her shots or take Georgia to the pick-up point every day for her pack walk!  (Georgia joined a pack and goes for three hours of off-leash adventure walks with a dozen dogs every single day it’s incredible and she has matured so much, and the bonus is she’s exhausted when she gets back and sleeps half the afternoon away!)

Too tired to play!

I have so much help on the business side of my life with our managers and agents, but Sofia works to clear time and space for me to be creative at home by taking care of stuff that is actually both our responsibility. And she never complains.  My all-time favourite thing that Sofia does is when I go away actually.  She comes up with weird random projects to do around the house but doesn’t tell me. So, when I get home, I’m always shocked by whatever it is she’s done.  Once she completely reorganized our closet.  Built shelves and bought bins and went through the entire space and labelled everything. It was wild. This past tour while I was away, she had a designer come in and measure our space to help us create storage solutions for our front entry way and under the stairs etc.  We’ve lived here in our apartment for seven years, which is a loft, and there is NO storage, which is a pain.  And I just love that she organized that while I was away. It’s something I’ve been putting off for years!

Ann Sampang asks: Do you see yourselves doing cameo roles on High School?

I do not imagine we will EVER be on High School, no! We are trying to remain very true to the time. So, I think it would take viewers out of the experience to have us appear.  I do kind of feel sad I missed out on being in the Green Day Concert moment. I could have been an extra! LOL! Maybe next season I can sneak into a scene!

Eri asks: Tegan what is something you have actively worked on to be better about yourself that you are most proud of?

I think the big thing this past year was actively trying not to dread or be anxious about upcoming things. I wrote about this earlier this year.  And it’s working.  I really have been worrying less and trying to stay in the moment more.  I described it as staying in the “what is” rather than getting caught up in the “what if.”  I’m proud of myself for working on that, I guess.  I really have been feeling less anxious which is exciting.

Mackenzie (Kenzie) McLaughlin asks: Who were your favorite bands to listen to when you were growing up? What bands or musical groups/artists influenced you most?

We made a playlist (two actually) of stuff we listened to in High School that I’ll leave below. But you got me thinking about what I grew up listening to. So, my goal for the next few weeks will be to compile music we listened to before high school! Stay tuned for that! First playlist called High School is by me! The second, Class of 98 is Sara’s!