Metric has such a fantastic catalogue of albums. I asked frontwoman Emily Haines to reveal the secret to making such consistently strong material: “It’s terrifying to me that we don’t really know what we are doing. Everything we do from a sonic standpoint, to a visual, to lyrical themes…it all comes down to this feeling. All I know is that when I feel it I know it, and if I don’t, it will never see the light of day”. No wonder their oeuvre shows no sign of compromise. Or as Emily calls it, “anti-fragile”.

Listen back to the first four albums by Metric and you hear the sound of a band finding its range. Debut Old World Underground Where Are You Now (2003) was a mix of indie rock and bedroom pop. Sophomore album Live It Out (2005) leaned more heavily into indie guitar rock, while 3rd album Grow Up And Blow Away (2007) was in fact a re-worked and embellished early record belatedly released as polished pop-rock (and great it is too). 

Then BOOM! The band’s fourth album Fantasies (2009) found the target bang on. A perfect melding of everything that had gone before but with confident songwriting and production, it contained a raft of catchy pop-rock bangers with big choruses. 

But here is the best part - timing. Fantasies was released on the MMI label - Metric Music International. In other words, self-released and wholly owned by the band, not a record label. Back in 2009 this was a trailblazing move which paid off handsomely. After many years of struggle and some false starts, Metric went platinum in Canada with Fantasies, which got good radio support and sold well. And that was that - the Rubicon to longevity was crossed in the best possible way, with a classic, and wholly independent album. 

From there Metric has become one of those bands that have paved the way for independence, along with Aimee Mann, Chance The Rapper and the other self-releasing copyright owning pioneers. Their follow-up album Synthetica (2012) as it turns out, is a favourite of the band’s front woman and main co-writer Emily Haines. Even though it didn’t reach the commercial heights that Fantasies did, it was a mature and ambitious record, setting the tone for Metric’s accomplished and reliably strong catalogue. 

It brings us to the band’s recent projects Formentera (2022) and this year’s sibling album Formentera II, neither of which miss a beat - not a weak track among the combined 18 songs. If consistency is what you’re after, Metric should be your new favourite band. 

It was refreshing to hear that there was no particular logic to the selection and scheduling of both the Formentara albums - no grand design - just the sound of the band hitting their stride enough for a double album (even if it is released in two seperate packages). 

“We had made a body of work and knew we had a double album. When we rejoined civilization after our Doomscroller tour, we thought this was the most fun way to release it. I’ve always envied the surprise release. So we announced on the one year anniversary of Formentera, there is a second album”. 

This magnum opus came with other influences too, including the “impossible-made-possible” stylings of British filmmaker Terry Gilliam, in particular his 1985 cult masterpiece Brazil. Once you understand the connection between Formentera and Gilliam, you are reminded of a deep artistic sensibility behind Metric that sets this band apart. 

When I ask about the modern influences on Formentera, Emily talks of the post-pandemic need for escape and sanctuary, but also as music that is useful - music as therapy and guardian to the hard times we live through. 

“I’m obsessed with the idea of usefulness. [Our music as] a salve for mental health, or even helping people in physical pain”. 

This is no exaggeration by the way. Metric’s song Monster Hospital (from the second album) in what Emily describes as “a perverse application”, has helped one of the band’s fans go through numerous surgical procedures despite being allergic to anaesthesia. 

This staunchly indie band of proven longevity has taken things a little further than just making consistently good albums and then taking those records on tour. I suggest what has been accomplished is a “quiet legend”; the sum of longevity, a fantastic back catalogue and a loyal fan base. Obviously, this includes a lot of immensely proud Canadians but also a wider community of Metric insiders from around the rest of the world. But while quiet legend may be a formula for sustaining a career, would a bona fide hit be nice? 

“We’ve had radio success that has done a lot, but we’ve never had that other level of success. I do think a massive hit would translate, deeply, because it wouldn’t be a flash in the pan, it would actually consolidate everything we’ve done. It would have to be a good song obviously but if a hit would add a zero at the end of the numbers for our live audiences, I would take it”. 

There is something in the quiet legend concept that Emily hits on - the ability to tour without the massive machinery. Part of the value of building a catalogue without relying on those huge hits is the foundational aspect of that catalogue - enough people will find it if it is consistently good - and there are always new ways to perform it live. But what is Metric’s secret to making such consistently strong material?

“It’s terrifying to me that we don’t really know what we are doing. Everything we do from a sonic standpoint, to a visual, to lyrical themes…it all comes down to this feeling. All I know is that when I feel it I know it, and if I don’t, it will never see the light of day”. 

No wonder Metric’s catalogue is such an entertaining ride. Useful, even.

PS. The above write-up misses a couple of Metric’s albums, including 2018’s Art of Doubt, an immense record that has become a belated favourite of mine. It slaps. Formentera II is available here and the band’s Americas tour begins soon.