Canadian Duo, Tegan and Sara PREV / 2 of 4 / NEXT ting? Is it getting excruciating? Anywhere in between? TEGAN: It is definitely exciting but there have been so many great moments on the other records we have made that we have to sort of take it for what it is and what it may end up being. We could blow up and sell a million records or we could continue to sell modestly and grow our career another step or two. It is hard to say at this point. I have always tried to be realistic. There is a real 'success' and a 'push' vibe with this record but we are trying to see this as part of the career we have been building and not a new thing. We are building a long story and we think we have a long way to go. TWEED: One thing that comes up nearly across the board is your, to quote the New York Times, "salty stage banter." Now, while I'm willing to believe that's something of a function of journalists piggy-backing on previous press, how much is "performance" a part of your live show? Many folk/Indie acts try to keep the focus squarely on the music while you seem interested in cultivating an on-stage presence as well. Was that a conscious decision or are you guys just really "salty"? TEGAN: I think we are artists who want to be remembered for our music and try to keep it focused on music but we are dynamic people and love the attention and love to talk and tell stories. We come from a long line of family who love to talk and tell tall-tales and it is fun to break-up the night with stories and quips. I also think it helped in the beginning to fill time when we had little material--and it breaks the nervous energy on stage for us so it is a big part of what we do now live. I think we are very salty. TWEED: I read your "Playlist" piece in the New York Times and enjoyed it a lot, especially about Arcade Fire, who I just absolutely love. What other contemporaries of yours are you listening to? Have any guilty pleasures? TEGAN: The Stills, Nellie McKay, Lindy, Cat Power, K-OS, Kimya Dawson. No guilty pleasures. Music is music. I like to think everything I listen to has impacted me one way or another and I really don't care if people think it is cool or not. TWEED: One of the things I really appreciate about Tegan and Sara is the fact that, while you're passionate and outspoken within the gay community, your music is never didactic or preachy. Instead, there are songs about love, which is what everyone does, strives for, longs for. There is specificity about your personas, and within it, there is a universal tone to the music. How much do you consider your role as gay entertainers? You're very open and honest about it but is it something you're concerned about being too much a definition of the band? Does part of you want to distance yourself from it, strictly from a "band" point of view? TEGAN: This is a tough question. We try and stand up and be proud while not pigeonholing ourselves and, at the same time, we are protective of what we do in our personal time and lives. I think we both feel, as time goes on--and now especially with gay culture exploding in the media and so much talk about the rights of homosexuals--that we m PREV / 2 of 4 / NEXT