Shaw, left says when Haines, second from left, brought the song that would become a hit to the band, it was much tamer.
Measuring success in Metric units
A decade in, Canadian band taste commercial triumph
Hey, didn't I hear that song on the CW?
Shaw on ‘Help I’m Alive’ being used in different places: When it comes to commercial commercials I’m kind of skeptical. It’s like, if it’s something like chocolate, I’m like, “Why wouldn’t I endorse chocolate?” There’s a whole bunch of other stuff that I probably wouldn’t endorse. When it comes to television shows I try not to let my own taste get involved. First of all, I don’t really watch television so if it was my kind of show it would probably only be like on the Discovery Channel. In which case that wouldn’t be very effective for us. It’s kind of like, people really seem to like “Grey’s Anatomy” and shows where the doctors are people that fall in love with each other and are sexier than actual doctors are. People are really into that stuff. And I don’t want to tell them I don’t think that’s cool. Whatever you guys want, man. If you like to watch TV, are into “Gossip Girl,” whatever, cool. And the kids who watch that stuff, love music. I’d like them to like our music as well as other stuff.
When Metric first went to record “Help I’m Alive,” one of the more inescapable alterna-hits of the past few months, they were off the mark.
“When she says ‘I tremble’ it was actually said with a really tremble-y voice,” says guitarist Jimmy Shaw of the song his bandmate Emily Haines brought to the band after more than a year apart. “I remember having a revelation one day and I was like ‘no, we got it all wrong. It has to be balls out, like a proclamation to the world like I’m trembling at you, not like I’m scared of you.’”
The change proved effective, and whenever Haines proudly delivers that opening “they’re gonna eat me alive,” the crowd erupts, as Shaw recently experienced Down Under.
“We’d never been to Australia or released a record there until this one and we went down and played like 55 minute set, stuff that’s been our staples for years,” he says. “Then we’d kick it up [into “Help I’m Alive”] and the place would bust open. It was like, ‘Oh OK, I guess that’s what happens when you have a hit single.’ It’s a new thing for us.”
Metric
Friday, 8 p.m.
The House of Blues
15 Lansdowne St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Kenmore
$20, 888-693-BLUE www.hob.com
Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Electric Factory
421 N. 7th Street
$20-$22, 610-784-5400 www.electricfactory.info
