In case you've been puzzling over why "Sainthood" is a trending topic on Twitter today, no, the Interwebs have not been co-opted by some Da Vinci Code-esque conspiracy.

Rather, it's the work of Tegan and Sara (or at least their very ardent throngs of followers). The duo's sixth album, Sainthood, hit stores today.

But days before those 13 new pop-rock tracks were becoming the freshest additions to your iTunes library, Sara Quin (she of the Tegan & Sara Quins) told us that she's already considering a new side project ... with her twin sister. May we suggest the name Sara and Tegan, or is that too obvious?

But first, let's back up a little. As Sara explained during an interview in Toronto a few days before the album release, shortly after wrapping the obligatory touring/promotion surrounding the duo's last record, The Con (2007), she and Tegan decided to do something they'd never dared in their 29 years: write together.

"I suggested this writing trip to New Orleans where we would just sit in a room and write together which we'd never done," she said -- the italics on that statement not doing her justice.

The result? "It was uncomfortable," says Sara. "It was like doing something in front of a mirror that you've never seen before and you're like 'Oh god, is that really how that happens?' But I really enjoyed the experience and it was super weird to watch how Tegan writes a song," she says.

Only one song from the duo's great songwriting experiment made the final tracklisting on Sainthood (that would be "Paperback Head"). However, Sara would like to clarify the situation:

"It wasn't bad, we wrote a lot of terrific material."

"First of all, we had just an electric guitar and a drum kit, so it was very raw, bare bones," she says, describing their output. Not quite Tegan and Sara do the White Stripes, but she says: "it's kind of in that vein of it's super stripped down and there's something much darker about that."

"I was actually listening to some of it last night and I would love to put it out as an EP and I would love to start a side project with Tegan," she says laughing -- though still totally serious. "I just feel like it would be fun, and I feel like there's so much we do in Tegan and Sara that's great, but it would be fun. It would be this different energy. It was such a specific sound and such a specific thing."

Tegan and Sara's Sainthood is in stores now.

Check back to Dose.ca for more from our interview with Tegan and Sara.

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