Shelved in 2001 when Restless Records was destroyed beyond repair and purchased by Rykodisc, Metric's unreleased debut Grow Up and Blow Away will finally see the light of day on Last Gang Records June 26. Before that, the 1999 recording, which features Emily Haines and James Shaw as a musical duo, will be available exclusively on iTunes June 12.
Metric are currently at Giant Studios in Toronto working on their follow-up to 2005's Live It Out. The new album will mark the first fully collaborative creative process for the band, as in the past Haines and Shaw wrote most of the songs and later presented them to other members Josh Winstead and Joules Scott-Key. Emily reports that the writing is going in a "much more beat-driven, electronic direction," which is a result of new experimentation within the band, including Josh beginning to write the basslines on a synth, the usage of mostly vintage instruments, and a good amount of intrument-switching between members. Metric will begin recording in June and hope to complete the album by October.
Finally, Haines is also releasing a new EP on July 24, What Is Free To A Good Home? The EP will feature five unreleased tracks off of her 2006 release, Knives Don't Have Your Back.
Grow up and Blow Away tracklisting: