biographical info
Emily Haines is an artist that defies labeling. Frontwoman for Metric, she is proud to release her debut solo album, Knives Don’t Have Your Back on Last Gang Records. Written and recorded over the past four years in Los Angeles, Montreal, Toronto and New York, the record sites contributions from the likes of Scott Minor from Sparklehorse, Broken Social Scene’s Justin Peroff, Stars’ Evan Cranley and Metric’s Jimmy Shaw. A distinct contrast from Metric’s bold, danceable sound, Knives is an intimate and subtle collection of mellow, piano-driven tunes complimented by soft string and horn arrangements. Toronto based Metric has climbed the ladder the good old-fashioned way. Years of writing, recording and performing have earned them their stripes as a bonafide success story. 2003’s Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? went gold in Canada in December of 2005. Their September 2005 sophomore release, Live It Out, achieved gold status in March of 2006. Earlier this year, Metric held a two-night stint opening for The Rolling Stones at Madison Square Garden, and as well appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. They performed at the prestigious Coachella festival and appeared this summer at both Leeds and Reading. These experiences and successes are the bold, exuberant part of Emily Haines’ artistic persona. Her solo effort, Knives Don’t Have Your Back, and the intimate live performance she’s created, illustrate her more introspective, personal body of work.
Hear her at the Hillside Festival, recorded 7/28/2007 at Guelph Lake Island in Guelph, ON, by CBC Radio 2.