**EXCLUSIVE** Conversation with an Artist: The Tegan and Sara Blog Interview with Tegan and Sara's Webmaster and Art Director Emily Storey

It is truly an honor that the Tegan and Sara blog were able to do the first official interview with Emily "Emy" Storey of EE Storey Design. All of us fans know her well as she serves many important functions in the Tegan and Sara world. Each day when we visit the Tegan and Sara official website we see her incredible web design. Each time we pull out "So Jealous" to be played for the millionth time we see her brilliant art that accompanies it so well. Most personally though, each time we see Tegan and Sara play Emy is at the gig selling merchandise, talking with the fans, and of course setting up her awesome light brite! Below is the interview, make sure to check out her very cool EE Storey Design webpage here at http://www.eestoreydesign.com/

Let's start at the beginning. Tell us about your childhood. Where did you grow up? What was your family like?
getting personal... hmmm... well, i grew up in a small rural town, kinderhook, NY, USA. it's in columbia county, a really beautiful area. lots of rivers, waterfalls, farms... i grew up with my mom, dad and brother, my family is great. i attended a small school, there were about 120 people in my graduating class. i worked on farms and in high school drew the chalkboard signs at the local grocery store. like if there was a sale on salmon fillets i got to illustrate it. fascinating. i was an extremely busy young person; an over-achiever if you will.

Were you artistic when you were young? If so, how did you first begin expressing your abilities?
yes i was artistic. i drew in sketchbooks and watched those public television shows where they teach you how to draw cartoons and landscapes. my dad was a great artist and he worked as a graphic designer when i was a kid so i was always around old school graphic design stuff like letraset, paper samples, inks and stuff. i was really inspired by my dad's creativity. he especially liked building things, he could make just about anything.

How and when did you first start to show an interest in computers?
we had a computer around the house when i was pretty young, an APPLE of course --the first real graphic design work i did on the computer was my high school yearbook. that's definitely an ee storey design classic. collectible.

Did you go to University for graphic design or did you learn on your own?
i went to concordia university in montreal. i studied design there. though i found that my non-design, fine arts classes like drawing and sculpture shaped my style a lot more than my design classes.

How did you first become involved with Tegan and Sara? Had you known them before you worked on the website?
i met sara in montreal in february 2003, met tegan shortly after and i did the tegan and sara site and so jealous art in summer 2004. working on art with them was great because i could basically work for a few hours, call sara into the room and have her give input right away. for anyone who works with clients, that's pretty cool to be able to do because then you can avoid wasting time working on an idea that isn't good. a lot of the so jealous stuff i designed with her looking over my shoulder. this would probably make some people nervous. also, i was teaching her how to use photoshop at the time so it was a learning experience for her. i think that's why she paid such close attention.

Was your first version of Tegan and Sara's website created in September 2002?
oh i didn't do that design, i don't even know what it looked like! i'm sure it was beautiful. i've only been the art director since so jealous.
How did you make the transition from Tegan and Sara's web designer to being art director and handling merchandise responsibilities?
it was just sort of a natural transition, first i designed the so jealous artwork, then i did the website and i quickly realized that we were going to need lots of other designs. i wasn't totally prepared for all the work-- at the time none of us really new exactly how many tshirt designs we'd need or how many posters or whatever-- it turned out that i just had to keep producing this never ending stream of ideas. i started selling merchandise as a way to travel with the band and make money at the same time. so yeah, i took all the merch responsibilities partly because i'm a control freak and partly because there was no one else to do it! the T&S org is a relatively small collection of incredibly productive amazing people and everyone has lots of responsibilities. and yes, the merchandise is a huge responsibility!

Many people might take for granted the job of the "Merch Slinger" but as somebody who has had to do it I can vouch for how incredibly grueling, tedious, and harder it is than it might look, especially during the post-show rush. Which tours did you do this job on? Do you get to sneak away from the table and watch their set? How many Tegan and Sara concerts would you estimate you have seen (or been in the
building at)?
selling merch can be grueling and even when it's fun it feels a bit insane. tegan and sara fans are amazing though and so i rarely had to deal with horrible people. also i totally loved setting everything up and tending to details such as the lite brite, the displays and such. it was really cool too, as the person who created the designs, to see people get excited about shirts and such. in terms of tours, i was on every tour with them, selling merch, except for the australia tours, japan, unlimited sunshine and florida!!!!! poor me. i didn't usually have to sneak away from the table to watch the shows, i always tried to have my set-up inside the venue. dear god i have no idea how many shows i've seen. so many. loved all of them.




If you could share with us some of the most memorable stories that have happened at the table. From interesting fans to logistical nightmares, we would love to hear all of your favorites.
oh god, i don't know. i tired to block out all my merch memories. actually i was just visiting tegan in vancouver and she set up my bed in her storage room which was full of instruments, boxes and THE MERCH TUBS. needless to say--- nightmares. but my craziest most out of control merch night ever was in edmonton,alberta, i think it was in february 2005--at red's in the west edmonton mall. anyway, red's is like the shittiest venue and i there were about 1200 people there. it's basically a giant sports venue or something, a multi level restaurant with giant screens. we sold over 400 tshirts; kids were stealing; by the end of the night there was a mob at the merch table; someone dropped a cup full of beer on my head from the balcony above; craig, sara and i almost got into a fist fight with the manager and i cried. that's all the memories i can handle for now.

As someone with a front-row seat to this band, what did the monumental record that is "So Jealous" mean to you in terms of Tegan and Sara's evolution and how did it artistically affect you. Please ruminate on how all the "So Jealous" related art came about as well.
how did it artistically affect me? hmmm.....i mean, so jealous was great for my art, being the art director was an amazing opportunity, i think i really progressed as an artist/designer from the beginning of the record to the end, just the sheer volume of work does that to a person i think!.....in terms of t/s evolution, it was incredible, i mean i got to see them at every stage, from writing demos to rehearsals, to recording, mixing, touring---they are such sound artists, really inspirational.... i'm glad that the record ended up being such a success because they totally deserve that recognition. they work so hard, care so much and are so creative!

I think one of the greatest compliments an artist can receive is that they are an auteur, that is one who imbues a work of art with her or his distinctive, recognizable style. Artists as diverse as David Lynch, Neil Young, and Wes Anderson all can be called an auteur. Anyone familiar with your style of art would certainly classify you as an auteur, what is the distinct and recognizable aspects of your art that you see as making you fall into this category?
so i'm reading this question thinking "auteur, how complimentary!" as soon as i see the names David Lynch, Neil Young, and Wes Anderson i want to run away from this question. david lynch and wes anderson are like two of my favourite artists/filmmakers/visionaries ever! and neil... i would not put myself in the same sentence. i'm not sure that i would call myself an auteur either--i mean, i do have some distinctive elements and interests--a style, yes -- but i'm really not THAT original. maybe in a few more years i would reconsider this title! actually, sometimes i think that my "style" really comes out because of the content of my work-- the message/client tends to really inspire me and perhaps it's the fact that i pick interesting projects that makes me seem distinctive. but i do try to be smart about my design. i like things to be creative and entertaining. i also like illustration, coloring, hand drawn lettering, that kind of thing.

What are you contributing to Tegan and Sara's DVD "It's Not Funny, Don't Do It"? Any word on the release date?
trick question! the dvd is called "it's not fun, don't do it". oh my god, i'm so good at tegan and sara trivia. i designed all the art, menus, organized a lot of the stuff, took a lot of the pictures in the photo section.....it will be released this summer.

How did the idea for Tegan and Sara's DC Shoes come about? What is the status on the project? Can you give us any ideas to what the design will be like? Is a "Boys" version and/or size of the shoe going to be made?
well, DC asked us if we wanted to make a shoe so that's how it started and the shoe itself was inspired by sara's vintage red yellow and black shoes which have been immortalized in many a merch design.... the DC shoes are CRAZY they are so cool and totally weird. there won't be a boys version unfortunately-- that was sort of beyond our control.

Finally, What should we expect in the future from TeganandSara.com?
dear god, obscene glory.

New Information on Tegan and Sara's Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

Thanks to Scott for sending this in:
I wanted to let you know about a new Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
(www.sweetrelief.org) fundraiser, launching on April 28th and running till
July 28th, that will allow fans to purchase TEGAN & SARA'S rare b-side of
LOVE TYPE THING as a limited editon mp3 quality RINGTONE (called REALTONE).
This campaign is one of the first which will allow cell phone users to
donate directly to the organization while recieving this limited edition
REALTONE. Fans can also purchase the REALTONE through Sweet Relief's
website. Additionally, fans can stream LOVE TYPE THING for a limited time
through Sweet Relief's My Space page:
www.myspace.com/sweetreliefmusiciansfund.

Tegan DJ'ing in NYC on Sunday!!

Thanks to Jodi for sending in this flier about Tegan doing DJ work at Piano's Upstairs Lounge in NYC on April 30th.

Tegan and Sara Continue to do Great Work for Charity

Endsessions CD - featuring a live T&S track

A live recording of "Walking with a Ghost" has been included on 'EndSessions, Vol. 4', released by Seattle Alternative radio station 1077 THE END.

The CD also features live songs from Gorillaz, Queens of the Stone Age, Oasis, The Strokes, and Death Cab For Cutie.

$10,000 from the CD sales will be donated to The Vera Project, a music-arts center run by and for youth.

For more info CLICK HERE

Trivia question, anybody know which show the live "So Jealous" is from?

Tegan and Sara Go out on the Associated Press Wire!

I can't tell you how happy it makes me see that Tegan and Sara get recognized in such a mainstream article. I am so proud of our girls!! Right now thousands are reading about them! They sure are in great company!

Magic Numbers lead influx of bands keeping it in the gene pool
AUSTIN, Tex. (AP) - For an increasing number of bands, music is a family affair.
Many current acts are either partly or entirely composed of brothers, sisters, wives and husbands. The White Stripes have been all four. The British seem to specialize in bands of brothers. A few of their exports: Radiohead (Jonny and Colin Greenwood), Oasis (Liam and Noel Gallagher), the Futureheads (David and Barry Hyde) and Field Music (Peter and David Brewis).
Brothers and sisters are touring together as well. Fiery Furnaces is a duo of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, who even brought their grandmother, Olga Sarantos, in on their 2005 album, Rehearsing My Choir.
Twin sisters? How about Tegan and Sara. Half of the Swedish rock band Sahara Hotnights is also made up of sisters (Jennie and Johanna Asplund). Husbands and wives, too, are carrying their relationships into the workplace. Among them: Arcade Fire (Win Butler and Regine Chassagne), Viva Voce (Kevin and Anita Robinson), Mates of State (Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel) and Sonic Youth (Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon).It is not an entirely new development, of course. A few obvious predecessors include the Jackson Five, the Allman Brothers Band (Duane and Gregg), Van Halen (Eddie and Alex), the Kinks (Ray and Dave Davies) and, um, Hanson. "Recently I think the trend has been a lot more prevalent," says Doug Brod, executive editor of Spin magazine. "It has a lot to do with people growing up under the same roof. You tend to have similar influences and fewer creative differences." Though not to the extent of the Partridge Family, the identity of many of these current bands is inseparable from their family ties. Tegan and Sara are renown for their sisterly on-stage banter. The quirky, experimental pop of the Fiery Furnaces seems as though it could only be the product of a shared childhood playroom.
"A lot of these bands also obviously try to capitalize on (their relations)," Brod says. "With Oasis, it was all about the Gallagher brothers. For good or bad, it made for great copy." Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes took a different route by hiding their former marriage, and instead claimed to be brother and sister - which resulted in a provocative (and slightly deranged) sense of mystery.But perhaps the poster family band is the Magic Numbers. The British quartet is made up of not one, but two pairs of siblings. Smiling, they proudly claim to be the first such rock group ever. "We used to joke that we'd be like the White Stripes times two," says Angela Gannon, who plays the melodica and sings backup for the band. Her brother, Sean, plays drums. The Magic Numbers are led by singer and guitarist Romeo Stodart, a bearded 28-year-old whose genial nature is shared by his bandmates. His 22-year-old sister, Michele, plays bass. Their 2005 self-titled debut has won raves for its fun-loving, swooning melodies and shifting, lovelorn harmonies. Comparisons to the radiant '60s pop of the Mamas & the Papas have been rife; Mojo magazine also called them the best new band of last year. The Stodarts grew up, Romeo says, "surrounded by music." They were raised in Trinidad, where their mother once sang opera on a TV talent show. The family moved to New York when Romeo was in his early teens, and a few years later moved to London. Romeo soon became friends with Sean Gannon, 29; the two played in bands together for ten years before the Magic Numbers. Romeo says with a gulp, "You almost have to swallow those ten years." "It was a nightmare," he says. "We never had the right lineup, we never had the right people." In the end, the solution was right in front of them - or, more precisely, upstairs. Michele was steadily practicing her bass playing, and Romeo and Sean had played with Angela, 21, a few times before. So the two friends, out of other options, invited their sisters to join them. "For the first six months, I just kind of told myself that we were just filing in for the real band members," Michele says. "It was a little like that," responds Romeo, prompting a burst of laughter. Angela remembers going with Michele to their older brothers' concerts when they were 13-year-old fans. "They'd be down in front," says Romeo. Before playing their first show together, Angela says, "Me and Michele were down in the (bathroom) and we were like, 'We used to watch these guys!' Now we're playing with them!" The Magic Numbers turned out a good fit, and were signed almost immediately. Touring with siblings, they say, includes the inevitable fights, but their intimate frankness means less tension. The average band can suffer from anger that boils below the surface. "And then three years down the line, you'll be doing Some Kind of Monster, like Metallica," jokes Romeo, alluding to the documentary that chronicles the heavy-metal band's infighting and subsequent therapy.
Romeo says he feels more comfortable revealing new songs to the band, which can be a sensitive moment for any songwriter. Life on the road, also, can be a little less arduous."You miss home," he says, "so you have a part of your home with you."
After the yelping chaos of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's 2003 debut, Fever To Tell, their follow-up is a dumbed-down version of a great band.
Although it's good, it's nothing as special as they were. In places it sounds like Canadian duo Tegan and Sara - and while there's nothing wrong with that, you want the YYY's to be far more feisty.
There's a case for saying they've moved on and developed their sound - and the New York trio have certainly advanced more than most bands will ever dream of. But Show Your Bones is too grown up and refined.
It needs more bite to the lovely, lush textures. There are moments of lushness, such as the squally sirens of Phenomena, and the sonic spasms that frame Karen O's seriously sexy vocals on Cheated Hearts. Then there's the bland and silly stuff like Honeybear and flaky opener Gold Lion.With a look and style like theirs and some tunes to match, don't be surprised if the YYY's become pop music's most unlikely stars. This is an accomplished record and will be more appealing than Fever... , yet you long for more of the fiery and carefree rock'n'roll of old.
http://www.phantasm.com/hpages/Coscarelli_bio.html

Tegan and Sara Ringtones for a Great Cause!!

MTV reports that "The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is launching a new program in which cell-phone users can make $4.99 donations by texting the word "heal" to 50555. Donors will then have access to limited-edition ring tones by Pearl Jam (their memorable cover of Victoria Williams' "Crazy Mary"), OK Go, Tegan and Sara and others. ... "

All of this is going down on a April 25th. I got $100 bucks that the ringtones going to be WALKING WITH A GHOST. I would PAY $100 if the ringtone was WE DIDN'T DO IT. Glad to see that Tegan and Sara as always are doing good things for the world. They are so goodhearted no wonder such amazing music comes from their souls.

I am feeling a little less angry about the Juno's. At least UCLA lost to Florida in the NCAA championships. Not to mention Tom DeLay is resigning. Wow!

Sucks: Tegan and Sara not Awarded Juno Award goes to Broken Social Scene, UGH!

This just plain sucks. The Juno for best Alternative album didn't go to Tegan and Sara. They decided to go with Broken Social Scene's Arts & Crafts instead of "So Jealous". I agree with Playlouder's review of it "Like The Polyphonic Spree stripped of all their faux compound dwelling arse wittery, this is an unambiguous shot of serotonin straight to your head and heart." The Juno Awards missed a HUGE opportunity to reward "So Jealous" for what it is, one of the DEFINING albums of this decade AND of Canada. Now don’t get me wrong I am biased, I do run "The Tegan and Sara Blog" but come on! I mean So Jealous was a PERFECT album. I call it Tegan and Sara's "Rubber Soul". The production was PERFECT, the songs were INCREDIBLE, and the instrumentation was GREAT. At it's heart this album was an album about LOVE. What kind of LOVE? That is up to interpretation. All I know is it still gives me chills today. So I say a sincere FUCK YOU to anybody who voted against Tegan and Sara and I hope the next album is Tegan and Sara's "Revolver". Oh and by the way Neil Young has never won a Grammy, so these awards are pretty ridiculous!