Q+A with METZ
Q+A with Alex from Toronto's METZ who offer up advice to DIY bands
How long have you officially been a band?
Roughly 7 years.
Was there ever a time you all had doubts and wanted to throw in the towel?
There has never been an end goal for us. I don't think we would still be going if we didn't all really love it and have a good time.
I look at it like this: "Make music with your friends. When it stops being fun, quit".
The three of us have been playing music and touring (in bands before METZ) for most of our lives,
so if this band ended I think we would probably all start something new. So far, we don't totally hate each other.
What advice would you give bands who are still very diy?
I certainly can't claim to know more about this than anyone else. We are all just learning as we go.
Don't compromise. Make the music you want to make and don't consider anything/anyone else.
I think most people who grew up listening to punk
or reading zines or going to shows connect with that sentiment in one way or another.
What have you learned on the road to being signed to Sub Pop?
There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do things. Just do what feels good to you. And play shows as much
as possible. Bands like Sonic Youth, Bad Brains, Fugazi all took very different paths. What matters to me
is the music.
What are the major differences between being DIY vs being on a somewhat-major label?
Nowadays I think labels are becoming less and less necessary and I think that
can only be a good thing. People can make music and distribute it across the planet without depending on anyone else's approval.
In our case, the main thing was that by working with a label, there was a possibility that more people were going to hear our music.
Of course there are horror stories of bands being seriously taken advantage of and getting ripped off. Like any industry, there are leeches out there with bad intentions.
So its important to be educated on the agreement you are making.
Luckily, we really like the people we work with and
there is zero influence or pressure on us to change who we are or what we do.
We still run the day-to-day decisions of the band and make the music we want, when we want, and with who we want.
I'm not saying its the right fit for everyone; it seems to be a good fit for us right now.
Is there any food in this would that is better than poutine?
Of course not.
Are there any Canadian punk bands you're cheering for right now?
New Fries, Weaves, S.H.I.T.
Is there anything you would like to see different in the Canadian punk rock scene? Any changes for better or worse?
I can't make that call. The "punk scene" is totally amorphous and unclassifiable. Everyone thinks it is something else. Ideally, its an open-minded supportive community of people
making art.