Interview: Metz

Metz have been a regular in pretty much every music site/blog on earth in 2012. We talked to drummer Heyden Menzies.

Your tour schedule seems too long! Did you plan for such a busy schedule? 
It is too long!!  We didn’t plan for it, but it’s a welcomed challenge.
We have always had the idea that we are willing to be busy when it is necessary.  We like being busy.

Your European tour kicks off in Greece. What do you expect from your first ever show in Athens?
We expect a fun time!! I went to Greece when I was a small boy, and I really enjoyed the history of the country, but I’d like to see more of what the art and music scene has to offer now.  We are very excited.

Do you wear earplugs at your shows? Should I get some for myself?
We all try and wear earplugs.  We want to be playing music one way or another for a long time, so we try to be careful about our ears. It is recommended for other people too.

Your debut album was included in quite a few Best-of-2012 lists. Did you see this coming?
We definitely did NOT see it coming.  We worked very hard a record that made us happy.  We didn’t even know if the record would ever be put out by anyone, so it was really a labor of love for us.  The fact that people have been enjoying it so much, is really flattering and amazing for us.

Which albums made your 2012 list?
Beak >>, Red Kross,  The Oh Sees, Dusted, Absolutely Free, Teenanger, Soupcans, Kendrick Lamar, Mrs. Magician…

Using "electronic music" producers like Graham Walsh and Alex Bonefant to record a "rock'n'roll" album. Why did this make sense to you? And how different was the process to what you might have expected?
We wanted to work with people who had different ideas and different approaches to recording music.  We wanted to see how we could push our music in a recorded format, rather than the typical rock’n’roll techniques.  The process was great. Both Graham and Alex were really great to work with and we are very happy with the result.  

It took you quite a while to prepare and finally release your first album. Are there any plans for the next album? Have you had the time to work on new songs?
We haven’t had a lot of time to work on the new album yet, but we have written a few new songs, and already have plans about t.  We are excited.

How does it feel for you to be on a label with such credentials like Subpop? How have those guys helped you in achieving your goals?
It feels great to be on Sub Pop.  They are a great group of people and work very hard for their bands.  They have done a lot for us in terms of getting our music into as many ears as possible.

Name a few Toronto bands we should google.
There are some great Toronto bands right now;
Teenanger
Young Mother
Dusted
S.H.I.T.
Odonis Odonis
Soupcans …

Metz will perform live for the first time in Greece: 25/1 Athens @ 6 Dogs, 26/1 Larissa, Stage