Metric
Courtesy of Sacks & Co.
Welcome to #TBT Mixtape, Billboard‘s series that showcases artists’ very own throwback-themed playlists exclusive to Billboard‘s Spotify account. The curated set features the artists’ favorite tracks from their youth and childhood.
This week’s spin comes from Metric. The Canadian indie rockers feted their 20th anniversary as a band last year with the release of their seventh LP Art Of Doubt, released via MMI/Crystal Math Music and helmed by producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen (M83, Beck, Nine Inch Nails) at their very own Giant Studio in Toronto.
In support of the release, the band — comprised of Emily Haines, Jimmy Shaw, Joshua Winstead, and Joules Scott-Key — is gearing up for a 27-city North American headlining tour, beginning next week (Feb. 11) at House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio, with stops at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Feb 21) and The Palladium in Los Angeles (March 6), before a run of arenas in their native country, including Scotiabank Arena in their hometown (April 26).
Today, the chamelonic outfit is looking back to their early sonic influences with this week’s #TBT Mixtape, featuring cuts from Sonic Youth, Boards of Canada, Outkast, and Cat Power.
“The four of us came from pretty different musical backgrounds. That’s why I think we ended up with a sound that’s not truly one thing or another,” says guitarist Jimmy Shaw. “This throwback selection from all of us shows that diversity is what drove us all separately to dedicate our lives to the insane pursuit of being in a band.”
Give the playlist a spin and also check out some retro snaps of the band from their early years below.