Metric has left a big mark on the music industry since its formation in 1998. Featuring Emily Haines, James Shaw, Joshua Winstead, and Joules Scott-Key, they were originally known as Mainstream, but that didn’t last long. By the time 1999 came, they changed their name to Metric.
They’ve kept consistent over the years with their signature synth-pop sound. It works for them, and as they say, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
They released a few EPs until their official debut album, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? in 2004. It’s a solid first album, and a bit less produced than their later work. They built on it well with Live It Out in 2005. A very consistent album with few skippable songs.
Their third album, Grow Up and Blow Away was supposed to be released in 2001 but was delayed due to issues with their record label. It was officially released in 2007 and is a solid effort.
Their big break came with Fantasies in 2009. “Help I’m Alive,” “Gold Guns Girls” and “Gimme Sympathy” all charted and were big hits. This was where I first heard Metric, and I liked them a lot. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a sucker for strong female vocals and Emily Hanes has a beautiful voice.
The song “Black Sheep” was featured in Scott Pilgrim vs The World in 2010. They also won Group of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year for Fantasies at the 2010 JUNO Awards.
By the time Synthetica was released in 2012, Metric had become one of the biggest bans in Canada. “Breathing Underwater” and “Youth Without Youth” were chart-toppers. The latter was the first song in history to debut on the Canadian Alternative Rock Charts at #1.
They released Pagans in Vegas in 2015 and Art of Doubt in 2018. Both are good as usual. Art of Doubt in particular was an album I liked a lot. “Now or Never Now,” “Dressed to Suppress,” and “Art of Doubt” are some of my favorite Metric songs. “Lost Kitten” is a good pick off Pagans in Vegas.
Their last album, Formentera came out in 2022 and was yet another huge success. “All Comes Crashing” and “False Dichotomy” are awesome and are frequently heard on Evolution. Tune in to 107.9 to hear the newest Metric hits.
You can’t deny the mark that Metric has left on the music industry, and they’re still making awesome music. They don’t have any shows scheduled in BC, as they just played in Vancouver at the Orpheum Theatre last summer. Keep your eyes peeled for their next appearance!