According to their website, indie band Mercury and the Architects makes conscious mass appeal music. Music for free thinkers, for world changers, for life lovers, for truth seekers…

The band began with a message of staying true to one’s self. It is a message that encourages them to create authentic, unique music that makes them both new and risky yet timeless. It is a message that keeps the band going today.

“As humans in an ever-evolving world, we are always evolving as well,” TJ Ferranola said. “Honestly, sometimes to stay true to yourself, you have to make mistakes. With trial and error comes wisdom. It helps to have a great team and great writing partners. My sister Rae has been in the band since we started and my best friend LYNZI and I have been writing together for a few years now, and because of our bond and shared beliefs, it's easier to ensure that the message of our music stays true to the M&A culture we are building.”

By making sure this message is actively present in their music, it gives them the challenge to continue writing songs that are distinctively different.

“You gotta be willing to go where you’ve never been before but you also gotta stay true to who you are when you get there,” Ferranola said. “Something we like to say is ‘write the same song a hundred different ways.’ Same message, but different story/perspective/experience every time.”

Their latest single, “I Don’t Fit In”, comes from being told one has to be a certain way or think a certain way in order to be accepted or successful. It reminds listeners to speak up for themselves and remember how important it is to question everything.

Ferranola admits that there have been too many times in his career where he didn’t speak up for himself when he should have, but that he is a stronger person now because of it.

“Making mistakes has been the best road to wisdom,” he said. “It's been kind of beautiful to see how much we have grown not only as songwriters, but as people through our experiences in the music industry. It's scary to stand up for yourself sometimes, but what's scarier is looking back and realizing that you should have. That's what motivates us moving forward.”

In today’s music industry, there are still obstacles when it comes to censorship or conformity. For Mercury and the Architects, it is an obstacle that they tackle in each of their songs, proving themselves as iron-willed artists dedicated to pushing any and all necessary boundaries.

“Not only is it a challenge to be heard in a noisy world, but it's also a challenge to feel like the only way to be successful is to gain acceptance in a very polarized society,” Ferranola said. “We believe in the power of free speech, but the platforms that are available are not always the most trustworthy or supportive - depending on what you have to say or who you are in general. We look forward to the day where art truly becomes art again. Renaissance will come when the artist no longer fears social punishment and just creates for the sake of creation. The world looks dark right now because everything seems so political. Luckily it's always darkest before dawn.”