Metric: A New System

It's been four years since the release of Metric's last album Live It Out finally earned the band their stripes and a reputation as one of the more forward-thinking, and frankly, more talented groups to twist the realms of synth-driven pop and indie rock music together. The resulting fallout saw their popularity scale new heights, bolstered by the band's will to knuckle down to hardcore worldwide touring.

However, as a result of commitments to various other projects - both guitarist James Shaw and vocalist Emily Haines are part of sprawling Canadian collective Broken Social Scene, to name just one - as well as individual desires to escape for a while, the band's follow up took its sweet time to surface. Thankfully though, after what seems to have been a time of important reflection and re-energising, Metric finally materialised somewhat out of the ether to deliver Fantasies earlier this year.

Taking time to talk in the unusually regal surroundings of the dressing room upstairs at Òran Mór - complete with a piano and ornate furniture - Shaw discusses some of the thoughts, changes and inspirations behind their latest album. "I feel like what has changed more than anything else is that we've made a conscious effort to embody the idea of the reconstruction of a new world in a sense,' he explains. In reaction to the appointment of Barack Obama as US President (even though the band are Canadian), as well as other significant global events as of late, Metric have taken inspiration from the accompanying idea of change and rejuvenation when putting Fantasies together. "It seems like there's a renewed sense of hope in a lot of places all of a sudden," says Shaw, suitably enthused. "There are a lot of old structures beginning to crumble and fall, and a lot of new structures are now required, so I feel like the record we made is attempting to be a part of the dreaming stage of a new idea. It's the idea that anything that's ever come to fruition has started with a fantasy."

This new effort sees Metric embracing the synth-led direction of previous albums, but offers a surprising new depth to the songwriting, seemingly bolstered by the band's - and in particular, singer Emily Haines's - personal excursions. Prior to the writing and recording of Fantasies, Haines travelled to Argentina, returning wide-eyed, inspired, and with a head full of ideas. One of the most significant tracks on the record is the song Help, I'm Alive, an autobiographical track based on that very trip. After being leaked prematurely, not only did the track usher in a new wave of popularity for the band thanks to an unexpected wealth of radio play, but it also earned the quartet their first ever Canadian number one as well as a spot in the US Top 40, much to their own surprise. "It took on a complete life of it's own," says Shaw. "I mean, we never really would've considered putting that out as a single until we started hearing all these radio stations play it in countries as far-reaching as Australia, Germany and Ireland. Then, we thought, maybe this is a rare opportunity to release, as a single, the song we all kinda loved the most but never thought was viable on those terms."

With this recent foray into a more intense spotlight, it would seem that any previous doubts - or indeed, gasps for air - have now been quelled by a newly revitalised attitude and a bright, collective energy, as Shaw explains: "All four of us took the time to work out a lot of our own personal shit about taking this on as a career and I think we're all in a really healthy place to be doing it. For the first few years - from touring Old World Underground going right into touring Live It Out - without really stopping, there were definitely moments when it felt like if we ever stopped pushing the ball up the hill it would just roll all the way back down again. Right now it doesn't feel like we have to push at all.'

It would seem then that this shift in momentum may very well assist in sustaining the longevity of Metric. "We've never really been in this to get out," offers Shaw. "The idea has always been, 'How can we build this so we can do it for the rest of our lives?' There's nothing else we want to do more than this, Sonic Youth style!"