Lilith Fair cutups bringing their act to Likwid Lounge

by Sandra Sperounes

Sara Quin is a self-confessed big mouth.

Last month, the 18-year-old Calgary girl with a guitar made quite the impression at the last-ever Lilith Fair with her wicked sense of humour. During the pre-show press conference at Commonwealth Stadium, she lightened the mood by cracking a few jokes.

“We'll see what happens — maybe we'll call each other up and have sleepovers in the future,” Sara quipped snidely about her new Lilith pals. She and her twin sister, Tegan, had only joined the Fair that day and didn't even get a chance to meet Sarah McLachlan.

A month after Lilith, Sara reflects on her press conference debut. “Me and Tegan have the biggest mouths. We love to talk,” she says. “I guess I was a little obnoxious.”

It's just too bad Sara's comedic performance was restricted to members of the media. But with any luck, her wit will shine through tonight when she performs with Tegan at the New City Likwid Lounge (10161 112th St). The acoustic sister act is opening for Andy Stochansky, former drummer for Ani DiFranco.

They may be identical twins, but Sara and Tegan have their differences. Tegan's voice is grittier. Sara has blond hair. Tegan is more aggressive, but then again she is eight minutes older. She's also more talented, according to Sara.

“Tegan writes a song a day. I'm having writer's block. I wrote my last song six months ago and I have not written another song since,” Sara confesses. “I was saying this morning, 'Did I use to write songs?’”

Sara says the pair never had plans to be rock stars, but a look at their childhood hints otherwise. They both took piano lessons, moved on to the guitar, then started hauling their instruments to parties in 1995. Last year, they played their first real gig. This year, they released Under Feet Like Ours, an album full of defiant, but delicate, acoustic pop tunes.

True to the spin of independent musicians, the Quin twins recorded the album in the living and dining rooms of their home.

“It was so comfortable. It didn't really feel like we were recording, it felt like we were just having a really good time. That's why the album sounds so good to me,” says Sara. “We weren't in some stuffy studio, away from everybody.

“If I wanted to, I could go downstairs and cuddle with my cat or my friends would drop by.”

Now, the duo are spending more time on the road.

They just returned from a gig in Winnipeg and next month, they'll be heading for a two-week tour of Ontario.

“I don't mind being small-time,” says Sara. "But in a year from now, if I'm still playing for $200 at a sports bar in Grande Prairie, I would seriously consider my options.”