CREDIT: TEGANANDSARA.COM
Canadian music duo and sister act Tegan and Sara.

EDMONTON (CUP) - “I'm not embarrassed about pop music. I fucking love pop music.”

Sara Quin isn't afraid to say it, but apparently a lot of other people are. One half of Canadian twin duo Tegan and Sara, Quin is referring to those who've turned their noses up at the group's recent dive into the world of pop music on Heartthrob, their seventh studio album.

While much of the reaction from critics and listeners has been positive so far, there are still skeptics who doubt the twins' decision to merge into the mainstream music scene after being the indie darlings of Canada for so long.

“To me, the idea that pop music is vapid and shallow — I just think that's such bullshit,” Quin exclaimed. “I grew up in the '80s and '90s where pop music meant everything. It meant U2, it meant Björk, it meant Madonna, it meant Depeche Mode. It was what sold out stadiums and arenas. That's what I cut my teeth on and that's the world that I wished I could be a part of.

“I don't want to spend the rest of my life and career thinking, ‘Well, I was totally relegated to the fringe because it was cooler or because I was ‘gay' or whatever. I want to be able to set my goal as high as anybody and not feel like somehow that is reductive to my art.”

But for some, it goes deeper than just a fear of what new sounds and musical styles will bring. Pointing to what she sees as a distinct display of sexism within the industry, Quin felt that being involved in pop music is only part of the problem for some people, and that being a woman tends to be the common factor amongst those who are criticized.

While she and sister Tegan haven't experienced a lot of blatant sexism throughout their years playing together, she knows it's been present on a subconscious level in a way that can't be denied.

“I was actually just reading a really interesting statement that the artist Grimes wrote on her website about liking Mariah Carey and about how no serious man who likes music has ever responded when she said that ... without dismay or without laughing at her,” Quin relayed.

“I just thought to myself, it's totally true. There's a real elitism and snobbery around mainstream music, and to me, it's not a fluke that a lot of the stuff that people turn their nose up at in the pop world is women. People like Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Ke$ha, Kylie Minogue, Pink — all of these women are absolutely astounding; they're like forces of nature. They are so skillful, their vocals are amazing and they just put it all out on the line.

“I don't understand why that has less value than, like, Grizzly Bear or the Dirty Projectors. I just don't understand it.”

And while skeptics question the power and seriousness of pop, that doesn't mean their doubts are justified. As a member of a band that catered to a dedicated indie rock audience for years, Quin knows the security that a niche market and audience can bring. Pop stars, on the other hand, are at the mercy of the masses, and the competitive genre brings with it more risk.

Thankfully for Tegan and Sara, their risk on Heartthrob appears to be paying off. Their single “Closer” has been rising up the charts for weeks now, and a change in sound after all these years comes as a breath of fresh air. But as Quin knows all too well, sometimes it's impossible to make everyone happy, no matter what you do.

“We've always struggled with anything that even seems marginally purposeful,” Quin acknowledged. “Even from the beginning, where as far as I'm concerned, our records sound totally obscure and indie rock, people would say, ‘Ugh, this is so manufactured — it's like a major label's dream come true.' And I would be like, ‘Are you fucking kidding me? We sold 40,000 copies of that thing. We are not a marketing dream come true.' Most of the time the marketing people are like, ‘What the fuck are we going to do with you two?'” But now, with their new direction firm in hand and feeling confident in the decision, Tegan and Sara have left what others think behind them. And while some will always remain cynical of pop music, the band has done their best to put their heads down and power through, paying little mind to the criticism that will likely always follow them.

“I just thought to myself, ‘We're just going to have to prove this in the long run,'” said Quin. “So we've been working our asses off and trying to just make music and connect with people, and also challenge ourselves and not be afraid that if we try to be more mainstream or more accessible that that means we're playing their game and that's a bad thing.

“Of course we're playing their game. If I wear a fucking paper bag over my head and make unlistenable music, I'm still playing a game — it's just for someone else.”