Music

Road to Polaris: Tegan and Sara on their hit single "Closer"

by Sam Sutherland

Tegan & Sara’s stylistic detour could have been a risk after over a decade of slogging it out in the trenches of the Canadian folk scene and later as a respectable indie rock group. Heartthrob leaps into the world of mainstream pop with arms wide open, powered by the monster radio hit “Closer.” Produced primarily in Los Angeles with Greg Kurstin, a frequent collaborator with artists like Kelly Clarkson, Pink, and Ke$ha, Heartthrob has catapulted the Calgary-born twins to a new level of fame and recognition without alienating their core fanbase or their intimate songwriting appeal – it is that rare pop artifact that doesn’t sacrifice soul for audience. It helps that the Quin sisters have been upfront about their ambitions – what’s so heartening is that Heartthrob feel ambitious without feeling hollow.