Metric Songs List:

Metric

we’re always pushing ourselves to try and create something new that doesn’t sound completely unrecognizable to the people who have always been with us.

A Slow Start

Metric is a Canadian indie rock band, made up of vocalist Emily Haines, guitarist James Shaw, bassist Josh Winstead, and drummer Joules Scott-Key. In 1998, Haines and Shaw found themselves living in a loft with a few other struggling musicians. The two began to collaborate and called their project Metric.  They released an extended play record called Mainstream, which was a collection of demos.

In 2000, they signed a deal with Chrysalis Records and continued to write music.  Stephen Hague, a producer who had been moderately influential with alternative bands in the 1980's helped them compile a group of songs that would eventually be the backbone of their first full length album.  In 2001, they were ready to release Grow Up and Blow Away, but not through Chrysalis.  They had found a new label, Restless Records, who had promoted They Might Be Giants and The Dead Milkman.  The title song was pre-released and was used in a Polaroid commercial, and the band's exposure grew.  Unfortunately, the album was not released until much later (2007) due to changes within the production company.

Picking up Momentum

Old World Underground, Where are you Now? was Metric's first official album, released in 2003.  The album certified Gold in Canada, as of 2005.  Metric released six singles, including Combat Baby, which enjoyed moderate success.  In 2004, Combat Baby was featured at iTunes as a free mp3 download.  Metric earned a Juno award for Best Alternative Album for this effort.

Two years later, in 2005, Metric released Live it Out, which certified twice Platinum in Canada.  The album was nominated for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the Canada Album of the Year and was nominated for another Juno Award.  There were three singles released from this album.  Monster Hospital hit #1 in Canada; Poster of a Girl went to #3; and Handshakes made it to #17.  They were asked to open for the Rolling Stones in New York City when the two bands' tours happened to collide.

Ahead of the Game

In 2007, Metric was finally able to release what should have been their first album.  Grow up and Blow Away.  The title track and Raw Sugar were both releases.  However, they met little fanfare.  Fantasies was Metric's last album, released in 2009, and was immediately short-listed for the 2009 Polaris Music Award for Best Album of the Year.  The album went Platinum, and was the first of Metric's albums to hit the charts in the United States, reaching #76 in the United States and #6 in Canada.

Metric has been touring since Fantasies.  They completed a short Canada performance tour, then joined a concert tour sweeping through the United State, the United Kingdom, and Canada.  They have performed in several charity concerts, including the Canada for Haiti telethon.

Did you know . . .

1. Emily Haines was born in New Delhi.

2. Three Metric singles, Monster Hospital, Police and the Private, and Front Row, have all been used.

3. Metric's single, Help, I'm Alive appears on the video game, NBA2K10.