Tegan and Sara – Synthpop + EDM Reinvention

If "indie synthpop" can be considered a genre, then Tegan and Sara are its current queens. The twin sisters had established themselves as a successful alt-leaning pop act until their most recent effort, ‘Hearththrob,’ which is straight-up synthpop designed to appeal to the masses.

"We did have to make a conscious effort to make our record sonically more smooth and pleasing," said Tegan. "We have a huge back catalog of guitar-driven music, and the idea of just making another guitar-driven record seemed boring."

The duo brought in several big-name producers, who steered the songs in a more commercial direction. Sara added, "This was a deliberate choice. We didn't want to take a small step. We wanted to take a big step… We said to ourselves, 'OK, we can't make another record that sounds like what people expect from Tegan and Sara.'"

Hearing the synthy goodness in tracks like ‘Goodbye, Goodbye,’ ‘Drove Me Wild,’ and the lead single ‘Closer,’ it’s easy to believe they made the right decision. 'Heartthrob' debuted at No. 3 in the U.S., giving the Canadians by far their best sales week ever. “I think it's a fun accomplishment after seven albums to have a song played on the radio,” Sara said.

Watch the Tegan and Sara 'Closer' Video