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Feb.13,2005 -Feb.20,2005 |
The Metric system is in!
Modern rockers combine catchy riffs and smart lyrics
By Kerry Doole
Originally Published: 2005-01-23
Call it a cross-border custody battle. For very good reason, many North American cities are trying to claim hotly-tipped modern rockers Metric as their own. This most nomadic band comprises two Canadians (guitarist James Shaw and singer/lyricist Emily Haines) and two Americans (drummer Joules Scott-Key and bassist Josh Winstead).
After forming as an electro-pop duo (Shaw and Haines) in Toronto, Metric has based itself in Montreal, Brooklyn, London, England and Los Angeles.
"They all want us," laughs the charismatic Haines during her recent Tandem interview. "It's actually a nice feeling to go back to those cities, because they all see us as something of a local band. I'm referring to New York, L.A., Toronto and Montreal. People are proud, they see us as representing them. People find it hard to grab that you could represent both countries. It feels like a last taboo, but I like having that perspective."
The road has been the Metric home for almost two years, as the group has toured heavily in support of its brilliant debut album, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?. "Being nomadic has been necessary," Emily explains. "Being out there working and not being able to afford an apartment at the same time means an elaborate web of sublets and borrowed apartments."
This rootlessness has a creative upside, though. "Part of the desire for Metric is to remove ourselves from some form of comfort that we acknowledged we had early on in Toronto. We valued that but also realized that if we wanted to be a world-class act, we needed to get out there more. In terms of writing, I like being out of my element. Maybe I've taken that too far, because it feels like I no longer have an element! Regardless, I think the pursuit was a good one."
One lofty goal for Metric is to act as something of a representative of their generation. "We want to get a good sense of where people are at, the social climate for people our age across Canada and the U.S. It's not the best news to report, unfortunately!"
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