The Metric singer takes time out from recording the band's new album to chat about mentorship and inspiration.
Room for Thought is a mentorship program set up by American Express Canada that pairs people and their great ideas with mentors like Emily Haines, Les Stroud, and Marc and Craig Kielburger. The mentors work with a few selected winners to help bring those ideas to life in the areas of community, travel and adventure and music. The three winners will be exhibited at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts this fall. Emily Haines, who is currently working away on Metric’s upcoming fifth album, took time out of her busy schedule to chat with The Grid.
How did you get involved with the program?
I was really flattered to be asked to serve as the mentor for the music section of the program. I think it’s a really novel concept and is really great to be involved in. They’re looking for submissions of great ideas that could improve the world around us in our community and beyond. I was really excited to hear that Craig Kielburger was involved because I think he is one of the best out there for philanthropic work. Remember that thing he did when he was 12? It was so amazing. I remember my mother pointing that out to me and saying this is truly the future of social justice.
What’s some of the advice you’ll be offering?
My life has taken kind of an unusual path. With Metric we’ve done things our own way and definitely not gone about things in the most traditional manner when it comes to the music business. We own our own studio and we own our own label and we’re really trying to move things forward in that way. There have been times when we’ve encountered resistance and we’ve had the benefit of our own mentors who have guided us and encouraged us to think for ourselves and follow our own path. That’s all I can really do — is impart that as much as possible to people who have a similar vision. In this case, related to how they can make the world around them a better place. It’s like training wheels. A good guide will empower you to make your own way going forward.
Who has played a mentorship role in your life?
So many people. In fact, in equal measure people who have encouraged me and people who have discouraged me. More recently I’ve had pretty intense experiences with musical heroes. People like Howard Shore, who is a film composer I worked with on the Twilight film. He has really taken us under his wing in guiding us toward the whole world of film scoring which is such an interesting world to be part of.
Really the one that always sticks out is from when I was a kid I had this principal who noticed that I was going down a path with bad behaviour. In the seventh grade I was a troublemaker and I would be argumentative. I was sent to the office every day. I think about this all the time — if that guy hadn’t been there, how my life would have been different. Because instead of just punishing me or telling me to shape-up, he saw that what I needed was some direction, some mentorship, frankly. He set me up with an audition with the Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto, which is just an absolutely great school. It’s public and it’s entrance by audition and it’s has great academic programs as well. I got in and the rest is history. I met so many musicians, so many friends of mine from Broken Social Scene and beyond who went to that school, and formed lifelong friendships as well. I love the idea that I can really trace that back to a teacher who took the time to really see me for who I was. And he didn’t treat me like a kid who was destined to be bad. It’s why I always come back to the importance of music education in schools, because I’ve seen firsthand how it has affected my life.
You’ve said in the past that after touring for a while, you feel the need to “connect with humanity.” Is this program a part of that for you?
Yeah. It’s an ambiguous thing. We work really hard. We play music for a living. We love it and we’re grateful. And yet when we come back to our regular lives and our families and friends it’s really important to feel that we’re still connected with the reality that everybody lives in. It’s great when we have opportunities come to us where we can participate in the community, particularly with things based in Toronto where we grew up and the band is really based. Jimmy and I just did an acoustic show at CAMH, and we just put out a remix record called Fantasies Flashbacks and the proceeds are all going to CAMH. It’s just little things. That’s what’s difficult. There’s so much in the world that needs to change. And so many people need help and I think a lot of times you can feel discouraged into doing nothing. This project is sending the message that’s like, ‘Look, you’re not going to fix every problem in the world, but you can do something really cool and have the support of an organization and a mentor to guide you through it.’ I’m into that idea. It’s not perfect, and it’s not going to fix everything, but it’s better than doing nothing.
Why did you choose to work with CAMH?
I live in the west end, and I’ve seen the neighbourhood transform, and I see that they’re really trying to do good things. Addiction shouldn’t make you a social outcast. People need help and everyone is affected. It’s a community that we’re a part of and I really respect what they do.
What can we expect from the upcoming Metric album?
We’re giving it everything we got as usual. So, you can expect that. You can expect a lot of energy and a lot of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s been a great process and it’s been nice to be back in Toronto for a while and off the road. We’re doing a few festivals this summer but keeping a pretty low profile. We’re getting close, we’re really excited.
I hear the songs you guys recorded for the Fantasies album at Bear Creek (a farmhouse studio outside Seattle, Washington) were influenced a lot by the studio space. Where are you recording the upcoming album?
That was one of ten studios we worked at on Fantasies. This time has actually been really focused at Giant Studios in Toronto. It’s nice. I guess because we had a chance to put more energy into our own space. The band is completely obsessed with vintage gear, so we really stockpiled and created the world we want in our own studio. We haven’t had to go elsewhere for much, so it’s been really nice.
Was there an inspiration for this album?
There’s so much. And when it’s still in the works it’s so hard to put into a single phrase. That’s true even when it’s done. It’s still revealing itself, but the thing that drives us is the band has always had a forward trajectory. We’re not a flash in the pan act and we’re really trying to create something lasting, so we put everything in and hope that people love it. Keep true to ourselves. That’s pretty much all you can do, right?
Did you feel any pressure coming into creating this album?
I’ve always felt pressure but I think I’m harder on myself than anybody else. Maybe that’s something I would add to my answer about what advice to give someone. Maybe I would say try not to be too hard on yourself. I feel like it makes for extra work. I’m my worst enemy. Although it’s also good — you beat the other guy to it. The worst thing you said to me, I’ve already said to myself. Maybe that’s a good thing to keep in mind when people are trying to develop a big idea and have the confidence to see it come to light.
