Metric: Rock is alive and well after all

MANILA, Philippines - Tonight marks the first time the popular Canadian indie pop/rock group responsible for indie radio hits Gimme Sympathy, the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World-featured Black Sheep, Help I’m Alive, Gold Guns Girls, Sick Muse and Breathing Underwater will bring its synth-driven, eclectic and catchy sound to our shores.

Metric, comprised of James Shaw (lead and rhythm guitars, synthesizers), Joshua Winstead (bass, synthesizers), Joules Scott-Key (drums, percussions) and enigmatic frontwoman Emily Haines (lead vocals, synthesizers, guitar), has five albums that have all earned critical acclaim and impressive sales in Canada. Ironically, the band made its biggest mark when it released its fourth album Fantasies independently. The members got to play in some of the world’s biggest band festivals and appeared on American TV shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, VH1 Divas, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Late Show with David Letterman, among many others. Metric was handpicked once by The Rolling Stones to open for them when they played in Canada.

Metric will finally make its way to Manila in support of the band’s current album Synthetica, which includes its most popular song in the country Breathing Underwater.

Below is excerpt.

Your new album Synthetica has a “real vs. fake” debate going on. What was the inspiration for this? Was the juxtaposition something that you set out to do intentionally or was it something that just came out naturally?

“It was something that we realized was in the work while we were making it. It wasn’t a preconceived idea. It was a realization that we were actually amid that question within our lives. The world has become increasingly confusing to tell what is actually happening. Are you actually friends with your friends on Facebook? Doesn’t reality television not seem like not reality at all? In how many contexts do you use the word organic and how many of them are accurate?”

How do you relate the incredible success your band and others in the same genre over the past few years to the current popularity of rock music? Do you think rock music will have a place in pop culture or are bands like Metric making it more accessible? 

“To be honest, I was under the impression that rock was out. There is such an influx of all kinds of music due to technology and rampant media of all kinds that rock music, with its guitars and big old amps and roadies etc. seeming almost like a luxury item for the few that got in at the end. It’s just so much easier to make electronic music and it sounds like the world we live in. I do agree that there is a huge influx of generally good bands and musicians out there, though. With the Internet and the general populous being the ultimate judge there is room for lots of great art to seep into culture. The days of the few and far between gatekeepers are waning.”  

There’s a built-in mirror included with the album packaging for Synthetica. Was this something you planned with your album artist in advance? If not, what was your reaction when you first saw it?

“It was definitely the plan. The whole artwork is based around reflection. Seems it’s a popular topic these days.” 

Overall, how much does graphic art and fashion influence your music?

“A fair amount, I suppose. For me personally, I don’t exactly go to galleries every week, but what’s happening visually in the world seems to make its way into my world somehow. The Synthetica artwork was highly inspired by the group of artists called Superstudio. They worked in Italy in the ’60s. We were taken by their idea of what the future would look like.” 

Your band’s primary weapon of choice during live performances is a Pro-One. How difficult is it to maintain and what is it about a Pro-One that makes it your synth of choice?

“Well, we have many Pro-Ones. We have many Mono synths in the studio but for some reason the Pro-One just sounds like Metric. It was actually the very first instrument Emily bought and we still have that first one. It’s aggressive, like a guitar. It’s also moody and has temper tantrums, hence the few sitting on the side of every Metric stage.” 

Metric decided to go independent when you released Fantasies. What brought about your decision to leave the traditional music industry behind and are you happy with the decision you made? 

“We couldn’t be happier. We don’t make good employees. We realized back in 2007 that we had enough fans to support Aus even if we didn’t make any new ones. We just had to keep that relationship alive and healthy and not let anyone determine how that relationship between us and our fans be played out. We have no one to blame for our failures and no one to thank for our successes. It’s a very stress-free way of setting up your career. It means you work at least twice as hard but it always feels like the right work.” 

Metric has been together for more than a decade, which is almost unheard of these days. How does a band manage to stick together through all of the challenges faced by the band?  

“We were lucky enough to find people — the four of us — that somehow grew in the same general direction at the same general pace. It’s not something you can totally control. We actually still very much love hanging out together. It’s pretty cool.” 

We can’t wait to see how your first show in Manila at SM Aura plays out. On the fun side of things, what are the most played songs on your iPod right now?

“The entire new boards of Canada album titled Tomorrow’s Harvest. It is the new soundtrack to our imminent future. It’s as though a craft came down and took those two Scottish brothers into deep space for the last seven years. Now they’re back and they’ll tell you what they found out, through sonics.”

(Metric Live in Manila is presented by PULP Live World. For tickets, call 470-2222, or log on to http://www.smtickets.com. Tickets are priced at P3,500 for VIP/Floor and P2,650 for Balcony. For details, check out www.pulpmagazinelive.com and www.pulpliveworld.com or call the PULP HQ at 727-4957.)