Twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin are riding a rollercoaster that keeps going up and up.
The Canadian musicians, 27, just released their fifth studio album, The Con, which is a 14-track mix of intricate guitars, keyboard arrangements and heartache-filled lyrics.
Although its 2004 album, So Jealous, brought the duo much international acclaim, this release has spurred unprecedented attention for them, including recent promotional spots on MTV, Sara said.
“”We are really excited about the response,”” she said.
The promo commercials, featuring the sisters and their band playing live shows in Toronto, were played during programs on the network all last week.
“”We had seen what (MTV) did with Minus the Bear and Chromeo,”” she said. “”It’s an interesting thing, because we haven’t seen (the spots) yet; we’ve been in Canada.””
The Quins got their start at 15, when they picked up guitars and joined a high school punk rock band.
“”We toured with Neil Young, Rufus Wainwright and Bryan Adams,”” Sara said of their early opportunities, which kept getting better.
After extensive touring and festival performances, like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., Tegan and Sara took the time to write and demo extensively in 2005. Enlisted to help produce The Con was Chris Walla from Death Cab for Cutie.
“”Chris is the perfect person to balance off of,”” Sara said. “”He might say, ‘This chorus doesn’t work here,’ or, ‘This goes on the B-list.’ “”
Despite being twins, Tegan and Sara write music and lyrics separately, as the two have different writing styles.
“”It’s better for me to be alone,”” Sara said. “”It’s an intimate, solitary experience.””
Now that The Con is receiving airtime internationally, the band will be on the road until mid-December.
The Quins keep their live show interesting by playing the album in reverse order, and Sara said she especially enjoys the sequence between songs “”Nineteen”” and “”Burn Your Life Down.””
“”I always get excited to play my own songs live,”” she said.
Both sisters play their own instruments. Sara said playing the new album live has been challenging yet rewarding.
When the band kicks off “”Walking with a Ghost”” from So Jealous, Sara finds some parts difficult, even after performing it for a number of years.
“”It is hard for me to play the chord structure,”” she said, adding that she then feels pushed to perform better.
Tegan and Sara play tonight with Northern State at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are $25. Call 740-1000 or visit www.rialtotheatre.com for more information.
