This Album Changed My Life: Tegan and Sara – The Con (2007)

In 2008 the band I was in was coming to an end and I was questioning whether or not I would continue making music. When I heard Tegan and Sara's album The Con it walloped me over the brow.

The lyrics resonated for me. When Tegan sings “everyone I love, get back from me now” or when Sara tries to understand why people have a problem with her sexuality, “I look into the mirror/ for evil that just does not exist”, you can really hear their emotions. The feelings of loss I heard on the record helped me realise that the acute pain of letting go of my band was very much like a break-up.

Electronic indie-pop wasn't a genre I had considered much before. I was curious about how Tegan and Sara breathed new life into their music and ended up with this really fresh sounding electro-pop. The album was produced by Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) who apparently was responsible for the addition of all these new synth and electronic sounds.

I hadn't been stirred by an album so quickly in a long time and I immediately fell in love with making music again and found my sound. That has stayed with me and I try to seek a piano hook in everything I do now with Pursued by Dogs. Even though it's 11 years old, The Con isn't out of place with the female pop/indie/electronic vibe happening now. Check out Back in My Head – a finer electro-pop tune you'll never hear. – In conversation with Niall Byrne