METZ: "We just did what felt good to us" • News • DIY Magazine

There must be something in the water when it comes to Toronto, Canada. Not only have some of the finest musicians come from that part of the world full stop, but the city seems to boast a particular talent for all things noisy. In fact, it was just two years ago that Sub Pop signees METZ blew most other acts out of the water with their debut record, and now they’re applying that same technique to their second full-length offering.

“I really do think it’s an evolution of the first record,” confirms the band’s frontman Alex Edkins, at the tail-end of its creation. “I think people who were into that record will certainly be into this one and if they didn’t like it, well, they’ll probably hate this one. You know, it’s an evolution,” he continues, “I don’t think that we did anything drastic, we just did what felt good to us. I think we’ve improved as musicians and as songwriters, and hopefully that comes across.”

That could come down their extensive touring schedule, which has seen them play riotous shows across the world and, unsurprisingly, some of the energy from those live shows has seeped its way into their forthcoming effort. He agrees, “I mean, when the record came out, we basically toured it for a year and a half straight. It was something like 220 shows in a calendar year. It was kinda silly! I don’t think you really have a choice but to improve as a band and I think you can hear that on this new record.

“We consciously wanted to make a record had that energy but also, at times, was capable of holding back, and having some small amount of restraint. It’s definitely something we consider; when in the studio, you’re definitely tempted to layer things over and over and make this huge sound, but we always want to keep it as something that the three of us can pull off and do justice to when on the stage.”

It’s been thanks to their constantly-shifting scenery and life away from home, too, that Edkins found himself with inspiration for the lyrics. Their second record deals more with the idea of their relationships – old and new, lost and newly discovered – and how they cope in the wake of being away from home. “It’s a pretty personal record,” he offers. “It’s sort of a relationship album, but it’s not a romantic relationship thing. Maybe the ending of a friendship, people’s relationships with society at large and their interactions with media. It’s kind of all over the place, but in a way, I feel that most of the songs deal with our interactions with each other and how we interact these days.”

Taken from the February issue of DIY, out now. METZ’s new album ‘II’ will be released on this Spring via Sub Pop Records.

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