Interview with Mercury Messiah

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

My dad was a session guitarist back in the day so I grew up listening to him and watching him play guitar my whole childhood until I eventually decided to join him and learn how to play the guitar. I then was introduced to the band Rush by my dad which took that obsession to a whole new level. If I wasn’t doing music today I would probably be playing professional hockey as a goalie somewhere in the world. When I was 15-16 years old I got scouted by dozens of D1 prep schools and universities in the States but ultimately decided to concentrate on my music career and stay back home in Montreal. -Mano

I've played drums my entire life pretty much so I can't recall what specifically. Although what decided to make it more serious was my first experience in orchestra. In high school I joined the music program, playing in an orchestra solidified my wish to make it a career. If not for music, I would be an architect. As of now I make 3D space modelling for acoustics and for audio installation so it always interested me. -Alex

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

When I’m not playing music I’m either gaming, playing hockey or hitting the gym. I’m a very competitive person so I need that form of stimulation. It helps me take my mind off of the music for a while so that way my mind is fresh and ready to go. If I abuse my creativity and start treating the band or music as a job/work then it doesn’t become fun anymore. So it’s important to decompress with non music related hobbies you find interesting. -Mano

If I am not playing, I am mixing or producing or being part of live shows as other roles. Being constantly in the music business/scene for sure keeps me inspired and I get bombarded by ideas virtually all the time. -Alex

How long has your band been around?

Well initially the band has been around since 2015 though we only started releasing music under this lineup since 2021. There have been a few iterations of the band simply because the band was initially founded in early high school and lots has changed since high school. -Mano

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are based out of Montreal and I think that enables us to have successful careers because the province of Quebec loves rock and we are blessed to come from and live in a place that appreciates our art form. Being from Montreal doesn’t necessarily influence our style of music but it gives us a form of pride that we wear with honour simply because of all the legendary artists to come from Montreal over the years.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

My dad actually came up with the name, he was writing a movie script called ‘Mercury Messiah’ and when it came down to deciding a band name he offered ‘Mercury Messiah’ to us and we instantly accepted it. Reason being, it just sounded really cool and mystical which also can be said about our music. When we think about the name we immediately think about everyone involved in making these songs and helping our visions come to life. We also think of all of our supporters of the past couple of years so a perfect word to describe what this name and band means to us is family. -Mano

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Opening for the Damn Truth at the legendary El Mocambo in Toronto was amazing because we were both Montreal acts playing on the road which is pretty cool. Not to mention the fact that The Damn Truth are absolute Montreal rock legends so opening up for them was surreal. But most importantly, the lead up to the show was constantly riddled with minor bumps and setbacks from the morning up until the show began, yet the show turned out spectacular and one of our favourite sets ever. So a little lesson to be learned here. No matter what happens just play the show and do what you normally do and magic will happen.

What is your favourite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

We love playing cafe/petit campus, it’s always a good time. It’s cozy but professional and well equipped and practically guaranteed success for us at this point. We’ve played there so many times it feels like we’re playing in our living rooms. And we’d love to play Corona theatre, as a Montreal growing artist all the people we look up to have played there and we’ve seen so many life changing shows at this venue. Also playing at the Bell Centre would be absolutely mental for obvious reasons.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

-Rush

-Spinal Tap

-Mercury Messiah

-Toto 

Would be the greatest show of the century

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Play as many shows as possible, respect yourself, your band mates and please practice your instrument. Play your instrument until pain is induced and then play some more. Go to bed and then repeat. Do that for a couple of years and you’re golden. Have fun while doing it, having fun is the most important part of it all it will sky rocket your progress.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Nothing, there are no cheat codes in life. You need to experience it in its brutal and honest form. It’s the only way to grow. But to answer your question stay away from mediums.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Sahara and Mercury Messiah, sonically, musically and spiritually those two songs are Mercury Messiah at its very core. It is our greatest work and it is everything Mercury Messiah is and is capable of. And to think those songs were written at 16 and 17 years old is absolutely mind blowing -Mano

Hammer. Tonally, aesthetically and the lyrics really reflect what MM is about. -Alex

Which songs are your favourite to play and which get requested the most?

Sahara and Sahara. When we play that song live I feel like someone injected me with every substance known to man and I’m feeling all of its effects simultaneously. Playing that song is a journey, you feel like you leave earth for about seven minutes. And when the the song ends you feel like you just came back from a 12 journey. So based off everything I just said I feel about 3000 years old right now because the amount of times we played that song live on stage or in a smaller setting is incredible and every time we play it, it feels like the first time. It’s a timeless piece. -Mano

Sahara has to be both, such a great narrative of a song with a rollercoaster emotions. -Alex

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

No idea I have no real process. It just happens at the most random of times. Usually as of late it’s when I’m driving or doing something that is boring me I will play music or make melodies in my head. I will then sing those melodies on voice notes on my phone and translate them on guitar once I get home. I’m constantly noodling away on the guitar and every now and then I’ll play something that gives me goosebumps taller than Mount Everest so then I record it. Once I have an initial idea I start slowly filling up the pieces to the musical puzzle. Lyrics come last for me majority of the time and I approach it more as a story than anything else. Sometimes I’ll write lyrics first but that’s a rarity. Not so much a process but more of a spontaneous outburst of creativity stemmed from boredom. -Mano

Mano writes the songs and I make sure them happen the way he sees it. -Alex

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Love yourself, love everyone around you and do the right thing always, even if no one can see you. In other words, don’t be a douche no one likes a douche. Respect all and treat others the way you want to be treated. We’re storytellers at the end of the day so sometimes we’re cryptic in our storytelling so that way we can leave some room for individual interpretation.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Of course, we just use simple logic do deal with any differences and it’s never hostile just simple, kind disagreements that are instantly resolved.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Our new EP ‘Blast Off’ comes out in late February so be on the lookout for that. And we just plan on playing as many live shows as possible and sharing our music to as many ears as we can.

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

Follow us on all social platforms at @mercurymessiah. We’re on all of them so go ahead and follow us on all of them for all things Mercury Messiah.