SINGAPORE — Canadian musicians Tegan and Sara may have switched to minimalism for their latest album, Love You To Death (which was released earlier this month), but Tegan Quin, one-half of the duo formed with her twin sister Sara, said that doesn’t mean the shows for the new album will be toned-down affairs.

“Generally, we try to put on a pretty high energy show,” said Tegan, who returns to Singapore with Sara for a show on July 29 at the Star Theatre. “We try to change up the way the songs sound on the record. We’ve got some interesting production and a new band, and people also love it when Sara and I talk to each other, depending on the audience. We like to tell stories and make it a special experience. You can see five shows and they’ll all feel different from the one before.”

“The ultimate goal is that we want to give the audience the best experience that they can get ... So we work really hard to make sure that they get a great show.”

The idea to change things — from the sounds on the albums to the live shows — is something that was intentional, even if it was just to keep the two of them entertained, said Tegan.

“I think that goes for every part of our career. We try to bring a new spirit to everything we do — from making a record to doing a show, our clothes, our hair, the stories we tell. We want to make it a unique experience, always. It seems to work for the audience (too).”

She continued: “I respect bands who have a really well-thought-out show — they have the same programme every night and I totally get that — but I think Sara and I pride ourselves in being able to do whatever we want. We’re performers, entertainers and writers ... so we can do whatever we want!”

According to Tegan, the duo started work on Love You To Death more than a year ago, working with Greg Kurstin as producer (who previously worked with Tegan and Sara on their previous album, Heartthrob). While she said the album was still quite a pop affair, “it has an edge and sadness that the last record didn’t have”.

“We talk about relationships, the struggles we’ve had as siblings ... I think all of our work is about our experiences. We’re not talking about the actual incidents but the anxiety, sadness, happiness, joy, anger, frustrations that comes from those experiences,” elaborated Tegan, who added that Love You To Death was thematically similar to their 2007 album, The Con.

“On The Con, we talked about the anxiety of losing someone you love — death, breakup and the frustrations that come out of our relationships. I think people who love The Con will love this record.”

The success that Tegan and Sara have garnered over the years — they have been doing this for 21 years — is not lost on Tegan, but she said that there is a certain “ridiculousness” about it.

“There is no doubt that there is something that’s powerful and epic about being on stage, but sometimes, like, when you’re walking on the street and someone says, ‘I love you’ and asks for your photo ... and all the other people around don’t have a clue who I am and they’re looking like ‘Who is this person?’ and you’re like ‘Oh my God, this is so embarrassing’,” she said.

Tegan is also surprised by what some fans do in order to see their shows. “There were three girls who were first in line for our last show in Los Angeles and they slept overnight in the queue. I mean, there was no need for them to do that. They could have come in the morning — no one else was there in the morning ... well, maybe two other people would have been in front of them. Sometimes people do these passionate things. We have a lot of fans who travel all over the world ... they’ve seen more than 100 Tegan and Sara shows. It’s amazing but it’s absurd at the same time.”

Still, Tegan said that she’s very proud of the musical history she has created with her sister, and how much the pair has accomplished. The musician said it all boils down to two key factors: Patience and not wanting to be anything else but Tegan and Sara.

“The biggest lesson that we’ve learnt is to be patient. That sounds silly but in our industry there’s a temptation and desire to just go out and do everything because if you say no, you’re going to lose all the opportunities. I don’t think that’s true.

“We had to be patient and take our time to learn our instruments, our craft and our audience and understand the business to become Tegan and Sara. I think it paid off. The best part about being Tegan and Sara right now is being Tegan and Sara. We never really lost our way. I’m glad about that.” Christopher Toh

Love You To Death is out now. Tickets for Tegan and Sara’s concert on July 29 at The Star Theatre are available from Sistic.