Song Premiere: Tegan and Sara Grow ‘Closer’

On their new track “Closer,” the indie-rock twins Tegan and Sara play with elements of dance-pop, merging synths with fleeting electronic blips and an inviting chorus that declares, “I want you close/ I won’t treat you like you’re typical.” In the song, the duo sought to capture something undefined about young love.

“Although I do imagine that this would be an okay song to make out to, all I intended was to write something sweet that reminded the listener of a time before sex, complicated relationships, drama and heartbreak,” Tegan Quin tells Rolling Stone. “In short, I was writing about my youth ”“ a time when we got closer by linking arms and walking down our school hallway, or talked all night on the telephone about every thought or experience we’d ever had. It wasn’t necessarily even about hooking up or admitting your feelings back then. In fact, that rarely happened. It was the anticipation of something maybe happening that was truly exciting and satisfying. We were perpetually getting closer, yet we rarely got physical with one another, if ever.”

She adds, “These relationships existed in a state of sexual and physical ambiguity. Is there anything more romantic than that?”

“Closer” is from Tegan and Sara’s currently-untitled next album, set for release in January 2013. The pair is preparing to hit the road before that; they will open for the Black Keys in October, then for the Killers in November and December. For more dates, visit their website.

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