Toronto indie rockers Metric are coming to Victoria as part of their 39-city Doomscroller Tour, promoting their newest album, Formentera. For guitarist Jimmy Shaw, the tour is part of a process where the music starts to have a life of its own.
“I think something happens when you start sort of embodying the music night in night out that it just sort of starts to take over,” says Shaw. “We were always conscious of the fact that when you write a song that has sort of proclamation-type lyrics you kind of have to be a little bit careful about what those things are, because you end up yelling them into the universe every single night.”
Shaw says that Formentera embraces the freedom of letting go of the façade of having control.
“Control is something that humans sort of like to think that we have; it brings us a false sense of comfort, but it is false, and we don’t actually have control,” he says. “When you get to the other side of it, it’s incredibly freeing, so I’m kind of excited to start embodying music that is about letting go and being free, and I think we’re going to find, partway through this tour, that we feel that way.”
Shaw says that the band’s approach to the sociopolitical elements of their music has evolved over time.
“I think earlier in our career it was more visceral and more, ‘I think this is wrong and this is right, and we need to fight against this,’” he says. “And I think there’s still a little bit of that stuff, but I think it comes from a more mature standpoint where you sort of realize how it’s affecting your life and what it’s doing to people around you… as opposed to just sort of rage against it.”
Along with navigating control, Shaw attributes Metric’s longevity to its ability to adapt to changes and a lack of being faced with a hard comedown after a flash of fame.
“I think that one of the things that helps us move and change is the four of us have a very good way of helping each other sort of assimilate into new realities and futures and changing landscapes. I don’t think any of us ever really got stuck, and I’m not sure there’s ever really been a Metric glory years,” he says. “It’s like, if you never go all the way up, you never have to come all the way down, and coming down hurts and is not fun for people. And it’s when you start to panic and start kicking and screaming.”
Metric hopes to help listeners understand and come to terms with their surroundings.
“[Vocalist Emily Haines] has a very unique lens on the world, and I think people find it inspiring, and it helps them through tough things, and it makes hurdles that are in front of people just a bit smaller than they would be without her,” says Shaw. “We want to be helpful, and to try to help [people] interpret the world around them, as confusing as it is, and it does seem to be at the height of confusion these days.”
Shaw hopes that people will connect with the band’s albums, even if they can’t attend—or choose to not attend—the tour this time around.
“I think the world is so weird. And I totally understand why, more than ever, people would either wanna not buy tickets or all they want is to buy tickets… I understand both sides, and I totally get it,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of healing to be done and… a lot of new, energetic, positive memories to be made. But if I don’t see you there, I get it, and I love you anyway.”
Metric
7pm August 11 and 7pm August 12
$48.25 and up, Royal Theatre
rmts.bc.ca