Metric not shy about basking in peer praise

Emily Haines & co. feel it really is an honour just being nominated

For most musicians, chasing awards isn’t motivation for getting into the business.

Yet according to Metric’s Emily Haines, receiving recognition isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it’s kept in the proper context.

“I always think it’s funny when people pretend that they don’t care,” said Haines in a recent telephone interview from Los Angeles where the band was preparing for its appearances at the Coachella Music Festival. “There’s a distinction — your life isn’t about the pursuit of these things but there’s no question that it’s a real act of dedication that we’re engaged in the Metric camp.

“It really genuinely gives us such a boost to take our nose from the grindstone and say, ‘Thank you, that’s cool.’ It’s really helps us to keep going.”

Haines and her bandmates — James Shaw, Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key — are nominated for five Junos this year: group of the year; alternative album of the year (Synthetica); Juno fan choice; producer of the year; and, recording package of the year.

Metric, which won Junos in 2010 for group of the year and alternative album of the year (Fantasies), has come a long way since forming in Toronto in 1998. It spent years finding its way as an indie group, playing clubs, bars and small venues.

Building on the critical acclaim received from its debut album Old World Underground, Metric continued to grow, selling more albums and earning regular airplay on Canadian radio.

While it began to garner attention and develop a larger fan base, Metric held to its roots as an indie band, a decision it took some shots for over the years. Haines was told in 2000 by an industry person that Metric would never make it because it was too indie for the mainstream and too mainstream for the underground.

That backhanded compliment has stuck with Haines through the years.

“It’s been a great running joke for us,” said Haines. “In fact, instead of being a curse it turned out to be an absolute blessing. We’ve been able to inhabit our own path, our own reality. Increasingly I find it to be the polarized world of manufactured pop versus so-called authentic indie.

Whatever musical direction Metric decides to go, the band won’t be going with rock star expectations.

“As much as people have seen some highs for this band in recent years, everybody knows we’re a born underdog and that’s something that will ever change,” said Haines.

“It’s so great to have moments when people tell us about how our music has connected with them so it’s safe to say we aren’t worried about catching awards flu.”