Dying to Know isn’t just the name of one of the songs on Love You to Death, the latest album from pop
duo Tegan and Sara. It’s a feeling many of their fans have had over the years following the twins’ career
from an indie/alternative sound to what many have called a mainstream pop crossover. Many fans have
had the pleasure (or displeasure) of breakups being almost “sound tracked” by the duo. For nearly twenty
years, diehard fans and new audiences alike have been “dying to know” all about their writing process,
their image and their creative genius. After all, their brand of “smart-pop” isn’t cookie-cutter, generated
by music industry executives, or the stuff of reality competitions. The twins have been working hard on
their music and brand identity since day one. Their songs are personal reflections on the good, the bad,
and the ugly when it comes to relationships. Their career is a balancing act between being creative musicians and having control over their brand as business people. Love You to Death isn’t just a cute turn of
phrase or a play on the common expression. As an album it exemplifies and reflects on relationships, but
not just love. Tegan mentions casually that it was actually the name of a song Sara wrote that never made
the album, but the idea was so strong for the two of them for a number of reasons.
“we’re not entitled to a
career, we have to work
for it. We don’t think we
deserve this.”