Tegan and Sara Talk 'So Jealous' 10th Anniversary: Hear Exclusive Demo of 'Downtown'

The duo's Tegan Quin talks about the group's breakthrough release and recording plans for 2015.

Fresh off of a lengthy run in support of their 2013 pop opus Heartthrob, Tegan and Sara are looking back at their breakthrough album, 2004’s So Jealous, with a 10th anniversary edition (dubbed So Jealous X) due out Dec. 23 on Warner Bros. Records. Listen to the demo version of “Downtown,” one of nine rough versions of So Jealous songs included in the package, premiering exclusively on Billboard.com:



Led by the chirpy, instantly memorable “Walking with a Ghost,” So Jealous gave the Canadian sister duo a huge new audience upon its September 2004 release, and remains the group’s best-selling album to date with 236,000 units sold, according to Nielsen Music.

“For us, So Jealous was our fourth record, but for us, it felt like the first cohesive, strong Tegan and Sara record,” Tegan Quin tells Billboard. “Obviously it was a really important record in our history — we had our radio hit, and we had our first really big tour … It was truly the record where we discovered our sound and ourselves, and were able to really establish ourselves in the industry. So it felt like it deserved to be honored in a big way.”



So Jealous X boasts the original album and a 22-track bonus audio CD that includes covers from the White Stripes, Bianca Russelburg and the Cancer Bats; nine demos of released songs; five previously unreleased B-side demos; and five remixes from producers like Matoma and FM Attack. The deluxe edition also comes with a 110-page hardcover book that was compiled while Tegan and Sara were on tour supporting Heartthrob, which was released in January 2013.

“There were so many photos, stories and elements to the record that it felt worthy of a reboot,” says Quin. “The book starts pre-So Jealous, and talks about our transformation into a band that felt more like a band. Initially we said we wanted to have a remix done of every single song, but the budget didn’t allow for that, so we did five and they turned out amazing. It’s so cool to hear these songs reimagined in 2014.”

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Tegan and Sara wrapped up 2014 by opening for Katy Perry on her PRISMATIC tour and performing a West Coast headlining run this fall. The album cycle for the critically acclaimed Heartthrob was tiring, but Tegan is already looking forward to the next one.

“We are absolutely gonna write and record a record next year,” says Quin. “With [Heartthrob], I’m proud of all of the things we achieved, I’m proud we got a song on pop radio, and I’m stoked that we got to travel all over the world. I couldn’t be happier, so as much as I’m tired, I’m anxious and excited. I feel like I want to do it all again.”