Montreal’s Mercury Messiah Unleashes Raw Emotion in Latest Single “Stay”
Mercury Messiah, the dynamic rock duo from Montreal, Quebec is returning to entertain audiences once again with “Stay,” their newly released single that will be featured on their upcoming EP Blast Off,
Mercury Messiah is comprised of co-founder, lead guitarist, and singer Emmanuel (Mano) Diles and classically and jazz-trained musician Alex Brunel. Stay takes a satirical look at a dark time in Mano’s life as it explores a man’s last dance with a woman, essentially a metaphor for the dance we know as life.
With this new single, the band adopted a more subdued tone, breaking away from their trademark hard rock vibe and demonstrating their ability to explore new sounds while keeping their style of progressive, metal, and hard rock. “Don’t get it twisted though, despite dialing things down to 10 from 11, Mercury Messiah is still a hard rock band at its core” Diles exclaims.
Mano and Alex Brunel (drums, piano, and composer), describe the making of Stay,
“Our new song and EP is very special because this time around, we recorded, composed, mixed, and produced everything by ourselves in our home studios and felt that we were more in control of our creative process.”
The Blast Off EP which is set to be released in early 2024, was mostly written by Mano and dates back nearly 10 years to when he wrote the songs between the ages of 14 to 17 from 2014 to 2017. However, because the group gave priority to songs from their first EP, the recording process took longer than expected.
After the success of their debut EP, Starbound, in 2022, the band decided at the last minute to divide their musical work into two separate EPs, even though it was originally meant to be a full-length album. However, they were still able to hone their sound and go further into the creative process thanks to this separation.
A blend of rock genres has defined Mercury Messiah’s journey, honouring their influences from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Their music, influenced by iconic bands like Led Zeppelin, Rush, and The Beatles, has garnered attention for its diverse range and innovative approach. The group refuses to put themselves in a creative box, with their ability to make music spanning a variety of musical genres, including jazz, blues, reggae, psychedelic rock, flamenco, progressive rock, metal, pop rock, hard rock, instrumental fusion, and more.
Care to introduce yourself?
Mano & Alex: We are a rock band based in Montreal, Canada. We have been creating music for almost a decade but only recently decided to share our passion with the world. Our band was established in 2015 when we were still in high school, and we’ve been making music ever since. Over the years, we’ve gone through several lineup changes. Our band consists of co-founder Mano Diles, a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, and Alex Brunel, our drummer and producer.
Tell us about the process of recording “Stay.”
Mano: “Stay” was an exciting song to record because a good chunk of the song was written in my head. The first thing written for that song was the saxophone melodies, accompanied by the guitar, vocals, and lyrics. I was driving one day and making saxophone noises with my mouth, which started the writing process. It was not easy to puzzle everything together until we entered the studio. We could finally visualize the song from start to finish and then eventually complete the song’s skeleton. The song took many forms over the course of a year, and the only thing that remained consistent was the choruses. We like to experiment in the studio, and I’m an insane perfectionist, which is not the most practical thing when completing a song. So we took our time with this one. I’m a massive fan of 80’s rock, so I wanted to write a song that felt nostalgic while feeling new and fresh at the same time. I believe we managed to achieve that with “Stay.”
Alex: Mercury Messiah’s music is always made the same not because we mean to but simply because the music decides for us. Mano has the inspiration, the idea. Then our knowledge and skills collide to create the best version of the song that we can. Mano and I never argue because it is not about our preferences or taste, but only about what the song needs. “Stay” was created, and then the ideas were developed piece by piece until the song said stop enough, this is my final form.
What’s it like being a musician in Montreal?
Mano & Alex: Being a musician in Montreal sure has its perks. We have an excellent and supportive underground rock scene here in Montreal. There’s nothing better than having your local artists support each other while all having the common goal in mind: making beautiful-sounding art and hoping it reaches as many people as possible.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
Mano: For me, Rush is the band that changed my life forever. They are my favourite band, and it doesn’t even come close. The first time I heard “2112,” I was 14 years old, and I thought to myself as I sat on my couch with my headphones on, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Listening to Rush was almost like an out-of-body experience for me. Everything in the universe made sense after discovering their work and obsessively listening to them until nearly ten years later. I had a clear understanding and awakening as to what I needed to do in my life: make music. They are the soundtrack to my life and are why I decided to make a band and write my music. No artist has even come close to blowing me away like listening to Rush did all those years ago. I took my guitar obsession to a new level; after that, I began playing guitar and writing my songs for a bare minimum of five hours daily for about five years.
Alex: Carl Mayotte is a jazz fusion artist from Quebec City and he makes this music with such honour and creates it to the highest level. A genre that has been created and rightfully dominated by American musicians. My discovery and collaborations with this artist showed me that no matter where you are from or your cultural upbringing, art is free and you can do whatever you want as long as you spend the time to perfect your craft. If you are truly passionate and in love you can do anything.
You’ve been making music for a bit of time now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
Mano: The most important thing I can share with someone first starting out is to write, write, and write even more. Start a band or join a band with people you like or people you’ll eventually learn to appreciate. It’s important to understand that songwriting is a skill like playing your instrument. There’s a trial and error period for all artists when they start writing for the first time. In my experience as a guitarist who’s been playing guitar and writing songs since 2013, you need to decide what you want to concentrate on. Now, you can be a writer/composer, or a player, someone trying to master their instrument, or a virtuoso. You can do both, but sacrifices will be on both ends. Concentrating on one separately periodically can be beneficial if you want to do both. Remember, we are making art, so do whatever makes you the happiest at that moment, and the rest will fall into play. Music doesn’t need to be complicated; it just needs to evoke emotion and allow people to feel. Fully surrender yourself to the music, and it will eventually write itself.
Alex: This question is a multi-faceted and quite complex question, but here is what I could say I was pressed for time. No matter what your goal is. Do that. You want to write your own music and make it as an artist. Well, do that and write as much as possible and try to book shows at local venues that you like. If you want to become a session musician, try to understand recording, and take online masterclasses. See what other artists require of recording artists skill-wise and record. If you want to be part of orchestras, register for them. Essentially all of our artistic paths are unique but you can carve it the way you want by doing what you love most,
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