ACL Interview: Metric

Almost a decade has passed since Metric released its debut disc, but the Montreal quartet crests another creative peak with fifth disc Synthetica. It's a dark, brooding album, and a great reminder of how fantastically intense Metric can get. "I'm not synthetica," asserts Emily Haines on the title track. What does that mean?

"The theme of that word happened by accident," explains the frontwoman. "We found ourselves looking at what's artificial and what's real. We were inspired by radical architecture we found in images of Sixties' Italy, but the album definitely looks at what it means to be a human being in 2012."

Far from artificial, Metric self-released its last two albums.

"The conventional model didn't really work for us. It always felt like we were battling it, so we took a gamble. Self-releasing means self-financing. There's no line of credit; that's all there is. It was a bold move, but we felt like it was the more positive move."

"It goes back to the purpose of the music," adds Haines. "Make records and play concerts, and if people want to listen to records live, they can go to shows."

Metric's also found time to contribute music to several movies, most recently composing the score for Cosmopolis with Howard Shore, which Haines called a "great experience." She hinted at more to come, noting, "I have a feeling that part of our lives will keep developing."

On tour all fall, she's got her Austin priorities down.

"Uchi is my favorite sushi restaurant in the whole world," Haines gushes. "I really love Austin."