Complete List Of Metric Band Members

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Born from the shared musical disdain of two Toronto musicians watching a lackluster performance at the Horseshoe Tavern in 1996, Metric has evolved into one of Canada’s most enduring indie rock exports. The band was formed in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario, initially as a duo called Mainstream before adopting the name Metric.

The Canadian indie rock and new wave band has released ten studio albums, along with numerous extended plays, singles, music videos, and contributions to film soundtracks. The group experienced one early change in its rhythm section, with Jarrett Mason serving as bassist from 2000 to 2002 before Joshua Winstead joined on bass guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals.

Award-winning indie rock band Metric has gained national and international attention for its socially and politically conscious lyrics and upbeat electro-pop, which incorporates elements of rock, new wave, electronica, and grunge. The band has received five Juno Awards, including Alternative Album of the Year honors in 2010 and 2013 and Group of the Year in 2010, along with multiple CASBY Awards and three nominations for the Polaris Music Prize.

In 2023, Metric ranked 41st on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 50 Greatest Canadian Artists of All Time. The group has maintained remarkable stability, with its current lineup unchanged since 2002, spanning more than two decades of creative collaboration and international touring success.

Its releases have continued into the 2020s with Formentera (2022), Formentera II (2023), and Romanticize the Dive (2026). These albums have kept the four longtime members working together while allowing the band’s mix of guitar-driven rock and electronic sounds to evolve.

Emily Haines

Emily Savitri Haines (born January 25, 1974) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the lead singer, keyboardist, and songwriter of the rock band Metric and a member of the musical collective Broken Social Scene. Haines was born in New Delhi, India, to American-born parents and was raised in Fenelon Falls, Ontario.

She grew up as a dual citizen of both Canada and the United States. Her father, poet Paul Haines, was best known for his lyrical collaboration with Carla Bley on the 1971 jazz opera Escalator over the Hill. He often made cassettes of rare and eclectic music for his daughter to hear, providing early exposure to the diverse musical influences that would help shape her artistic development.

Haines met her future Metric co-founder James Shaw in Toronto in 1996, and their creative partnership grew from a shared criticism of a disappointing live performance they witnessed together.

Haines has been with Metric since its inception in 1998, serving as the band’s primary vocalist and contributing keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, tambourine, harmonica, and piano to their recordings. Her contributions have been integral to every Metric studio album, beginning with the material recorded for Grow Up and Blow Away, which was eventually released in 2007.

She subsequently appeared on the band’s 2003 breakthrough, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, and its later albums, including Formentera II and 2026’s Romanticize the Dive. She provided lead vocals and co-writing on signature tracks like “Combat Baby,” “Dead Disco,” “Help I’m Alive,” and “Gimme Sympathy.”

Her distinctive vocal style and stage presence have become synonymous with the band’s identity, while her lyrics often explore themes of technology, relationships, and social commentary.

Outside of Metric, Haines has enjoyed a successful solo career under the name Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton. In 2006, she released the studio album Knives Don’t Have Your Back, followed by the EP What Is Free to a Good Home? in 2007, which was inspired by the death of her father.

On September 15, 2017, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton released the album Choir of the Mind. Her solo work showcases a more intimate, piano-driven approach compared with Metric’s electronic rock sound.

Additionally, she has been a significant contributor to Broken Social Scene, particularly notable for her vocals on “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl” and co-writing credits on the acclaimed album You Forgot It in People.

James Shaw

James Shaw, sometimes credited as Jimmy Shaw, is a founder and lead guitarist of Canadian indie rock band Metric. He is also a member of Broken Social Scene and an award-winning producer. Shaw was born in London, England, and raised in Bellevue, Ontario, Canada.

Shaw’s musical journey began with classical training, including three years at the Juilliard School in New York City studying trumpet and classical composition. However, he grew disillusioned with the rigid structure of classical music education and eventually abandoned his classical pursuits to explore contemporary music.

His meeting with Emily Haines in 1996 proved to be the catalyst for Metric’s formation, as the two began collaborating on songs together.

As Metric’s guitarist and co-founder, Shaw has been present on every album since the band’s formation. He has served not only as lead guitarist but also as a producer on many recordings, contributing keyboards, synthesizers, theremin, and backing vocals.

His guitar work has evolved from the electronic-influenced sounds of the band’s early albums to the more guitar-driven approach of later releases like Art of Doubt. Shaw’s production credits extend beyond performance, as he has produced or co-produced much of Metric’s discography.

In 2013, he won the Juno Award for Producer of the Year for “Youth Without Youth” and “Breathing Underwater” from Metric’s album Synthetica. His technical expertise and creative vision have been instrumental in shaping Metric’s distinctive sound, which blends indie rock with electronic elements.

For Romanticize the Dive in 2026, Shaw reunited with several collaborators associated with Fantasies and Synthetica, continuing his long involvement in the band’s recording and production.

Shaw’s career extends well beyond Metric through his involvement with Broken Social Scene, one of Canada’s most celebrated indie rock collectives. He has contributed trumpet and other instruments to the group over multiple periods, including appearances in the 2000s and from 2016 onward.

Shaw performed with Broken Social Scene on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on March 30, 2017. He has also worked as a producer for other artists, including producing the debut album for Montreal band The Lovely Feathers.

Shaw operated Giant Studios in Toronto, where much of Metric’s work was recorded, giving him an important role in the band’s sound and production process.

Joshua Winstead

Joshua Winstead joined Metric as bassist in late 2002, replacing original bassist Jarrett Mason. His roles have included bass guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals. A native of Texas, Winstead was performing in the local music scene with longtime friend Joules Scott-Key when he became involved with Metric.

Winstead and drummer Scott-Key had been friends for approximately a decade, having met during their time in the Texas music scene. Winstead’s recruitment came through his connection with Scott-Key, and the chemistry between the two rhythm section players proved to be exactly what Metric needed to solidify its sound.

Since joining in 2002, Winstead has appeared on every Metric album beginning with Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? in 2003. His bass playing has been fundamental to tracks like “Combat Baby,” “Monster Hospital,” “Help I’m Alive,” and “Youth Without Youth.”

Beyond bass guitar, he contributes keyboards and backing vocals to the band’s recordings, adding depth to its layered sound. His musical partnership with Scott-Key has provided Metric with a solid rhythmic foundation for more than two decades, allowing Haines and Shaw’s creative vision to flourish.

He remains part of the lineup heard on Formentera, Formentera II, and Romanticize the Dive.

Outside of Metric, Winstead has collaborated with Scott-Key on a side project called Bang Lime, showcasing their musical chemistry beyond their work with the main band. The two musicians used the project to explore a rougher, punk- and blues-influenced side of their playing.

This collaboration demonstrates the strong personal and musical bond between the rhythm section members that has contributed to Metric’s stability and longevity. Winstead’s steady presence and musical versatility have made him an indispensable part of Metric’s evolution from an electronic duo to a full rock band.

Joules Scott-Key

Joules Scott-Key, Metric’s drummer and percussionist since the early 2000s, helped transform the group from a primarily studio-based electronic duo into a live rock band. Haines and Shaw recruited Scott-Key, a native of Flint, Michigan, after returning from London to New York and seeking to build a full band around their electronic compositions.

Scott-Key had attended college in Texas and was performing in the local music scene with his friend Joshua Winstead. The two had known each other for about a decade before meeting Shaw and Haines at their Brooklyn loft and during local performances. Scott-Key joined the band’s early performing lineup as its sound began shifting toward a full rhythm section.

Scott-Key’s drumming has been featured on Metric’s records from Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? onward. The earlier Grow Up and Blow Away material had been recorded primarily by Haines and Shaw in 2000 and 2001, although it was not released until 2007.

His powerful, driving drum style has been essential to Metric’s musical evolution, providing the rhythmic backbone for hits like “Dead Disco,” “Monster Hospital,” “Help I’m Alive,” and “Youth Without Youth.”

His drumming perfectly complements the band’s blend of electronic and rock elements, providing both precision for synthesized components and power for guitar-driven sections. Scott-Key’s contributions extend beyond drumming to percussion and occasional backing vocals.

Like his rhythm section partner Winstead, Scott-Key has maintained creative pursuits outside Metric through their collaborative project Bang Lime. This side project allows both musicians to explore different musical territories while maintaining their primary commitment to the band.

Scott-Key’s reliability and creative input have been crucial to Metric’s consistency, providing a steady rhythmic foundation that has supported its artistic evolution across multiple decades and numerous international tours. He continues in the quartet through Romanticize the Dive and its 2026 concert activity.

Jarrett Mason (Former Member)

Jarrett Mason served as Metric’s original bassist from 2000 to 2002, during the early transition from an electronic duo to a full band. Haines and Shaw recruited Mason alongside drummer Joules Scott-Key after returning to Brooklyn from London in November 2000, seeking to build a live band around their electronic compositions.

Mason joined during a crucial period when the band was developing its sound and working on the material for Grow Up and Blow Away, recorded around 2000 and 2001. That album did not receive its official release until 2007 because of label delays.

Mason’s contributions to Metric were primarily during the formative period when the group developed its sound from electronic demos into full-band arrangements. He was part of the early live lineup as the band built its identity onstage.

Mason left Metric in 2002 and was replaced by Joshua Winstead. His departure came before the release of Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? in 2003, the album that established the band’s first widely recognized studio lineup.

Mason’s time with Metric, though brief, was during a critical period when the band was establishing its identity as a live act and transitioning from its electronic origins to a rock sound. His departure allowed for the recruitment of Winstead, who would prove to be the final piece needed to complete Metric’s enduring lineup.

While limited information is available about Mason’s career after leaving Metric, his contribution to the band’s early development remains an important part of its evolution from a studio project to a touring rock band. The long-delayed release of Grow Up and Blow Away also preserves the story of that early period in the group’s history.