Metric Demand Eternal Love on Glossy Synth-Pop Single ‘The Shade’
Toronto mainstays Metric continue to refine their euphoric synth-pop aesthetic with new single “The Shade.” The band’s first new song since 2012’s Synthetica finds singer Emily Haines listing her life’s demands over glossy synthesizers and massive drums. “With eternal love, stars above,” she belts in the chorus, “All there is and ever was / I want it all.”
“The Shade” was written and recorded at the Beastie Boys’ Oscilloscope Studios in New York City and at Metric‘s own Giant Studios in Toronto. The quartet’s new LP will be out in September, and more details – including a June 2nd pre-order – are forthcoming.
In December, Haines posted the unfinished new piano ballad “The Fatal Gift” on the band’s website. “It doesn’t really sound at all like anything else we’re doing and stands alone,” she wrote. “It’s unfinished, but I like it enough the way it is to play it for you now.”
In the same statement, Haines discussed the band’s progress on their next album – admitting she was surprised how quickly they’d re-entered the studio.
“Last year at this time, we were staggering home from our last leg of touring Synthetica, and we were beyond ready for a hard won year off,” she wrote. “‘This time, it will be a REAL year off!,’ we proclaimed, swearing we would not go straight into making another album as soon as we had unpacked our bags. And yet, here I am, writing this letter to you from the studio, fully immersed in fresh music and somewhat amazed that we’ve managed to keep on loving what we do for this long.”
Two months later, the band announced a run of opening dates for Imagine Dragons’ summer tour, which will serve as a primer for Metric’s own headlining 2015 jaunt featuring new songs.
Metric – along with other Canadian bands like Tegan and Sara, Fucked Up and members of Broken Social Scene – recently contributed music and avatars to a new arcade-style indie music game called LOUD on Planet X.