Metric’s new video for the song “Too Bad, So Sad,” from upcoming album Pagans in Vegas. “Both sonically and aesthetically, “Too Bad So Sad” follows kaleidoscopic first listen ‘The Shade.

Last week, Metric launched The Pagan Portal, a free app featuring advance access to new music. The app is available for download on IOS/Apple and Android platforms here and allows fans to unlock streams of songs from the band’s upcoming album well before the music can be heard anywhere else. Users of the app may also receive occasional notifications regarding special announcements and access to perks such as pre-sale tickets, contest opportunities, discounts and more.

Pagans in Vegas will be the first part of a double album from Metric with the second album expected in early 2016. Their time spent writing in 2014—guitarist/producer James Shaw at his studio in Toronto, delving into the CS80 synth and front woman Haines with acoustic instruments in Nicaragua and Spain—yielded an unprecedented amount of material that revealed itself across at least two major musical veins. Realizing they had composed enough music for two very different albums, they decided to let each collection of songs stand on their own. More details on the second release will be announced in due course.
The new album is packed with reverent references to artists who’ve inspired them, from Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure and Underworld, all the way back to Kraftwerk. “The songs that made it onto Pagans in Vegas weren’t written with an overarching concept in mind,” says Shaw, “with this record we were making music for the joy of it…we tried to be as bold as possible. All we want is to feel like all we got didn’t cost us everything, even if we never win.”

Metric—Haines, Shaw, Joules Scott Key and Joshua Winstead—self-released their last two albums on five continents and have gone on to sell millions of records worldwide. In 2009, Metric became the first band in history to have their first ever Top 20 hit at U.S. commercial radio without the backing of a traditional label. Their most recent releases earned multiple Juno Awards including two for Album of the Year, one for Artist of the Year and Producer of the Year for Shaw, who has co-produced the band’s last two albums with Grammy nominated John O’Mahony (Coldplay, Sarah Bareilles).

METRIC TOUR DATES

July 24—The Forum—Los Angeles, CA
July 25—US Airways Center—Phoenix, AZ
July 27—Pepsi Center—Denver, CO
July 28—Energy Solutions Arena—Salt Lake City, UT
July 30—Rogers Arena—Vancouver, BC
July 31—Tacoma Dome—Tacoma, WA
August 1— Taco Bell Arena—Boise, ID
August 8—KC Live—Kansas City, MO
August 15—Riverfest Elora—Elora, ON
September 25-26-27—Life Is Beautiful Festival —Las Vegas, NV

PAGANS IN VEGAS TRACK LISTING

1. Lie Lie Lie
2. Fortunes
3. The Shade
4. Celebrate
5. Cascades
6. For Kicks
7. Too Bad, So Sad
8. Other Side
9. Blind Valentine
10. The Governess
11. The Face Part I
12. The Face Part II

THE SHADE—LIMITED EDITION CASSETTE—TRACK LISTING

1. The Shade
2. Cascades
3. Too Bad, So Sad
4. Office Towers Escalate