Plenty of acts claim to not make music for the dough, but the members of TwentyForSeven put their money where their mouths were. After playing at a church and helping draw in a huge crowd of attendees, the rock/pop band band donated their hefty performance earnings back to the church.

“We didn't even look at how much was in the envelope, we just told them to do what was best for the church with it,” Rajiv remembers. “We just felt it wasn't necessary. The set of standards and morals we have for each other helps us stay in positive situations. We haven't had to dodge any bullets or negative situations yet, but if we do, we're ready.”

They'll be prepared because they've all got each others' backs. Each member of TwentyForSeven were friends in one way or another before they all joined together in 2009. Rajiv is the lead singer, Matt plays bass, Tony plays piano, Corey handles the drums, and Blake sings and plays guitar, while the group writes together. Bonded by their friendship and strong Christian faith, the group dropped their first song “10 Years” on MySpace before recording their debut EP, Pocket Full of Change But Still No Cents, guerilla style in Matt's basement and pressing up copies and releasing it on iTunes. Rocking area shows and interacting with concertgoers built a cult following—“friends,” as they call them, not “fans”—that helped the band land a fan-voted feature in Alternative Press, one of the band's favorite newspapers.

TwentyForSeven would later meet D. Slate, a producer who signed them to his production label and linked them with fledgling Michigan powerhouse Live The Music Group. The new record, highlighted by songs such as “Shut Up” and “Love Reject,” showcases a group with high quality resources and more experiences. The result is matured lyrics and musical chords that Rajiv says are “relatable for indie kids that like paying five bucks to watch a show in a basement, but also appeal to kids that like stadium music like Justin Bieber, Usher or Ke$ha.” Despite having a strong Christian faith, the group's songs are more about universal experiences than solely religious ones.

“As much as we're Christians, we're still teenager boys that think the word “poop” is funny. We're not walking up to doors asking people if they want pamphlets,” Rajiv laughs. “We can have fun while still doing our best to represent our faith. We're Christians in a band, not a Christian band.”

With their motivations clear,  their supporters behind them and the music to back them up, TwentyForSeven is ready to take over music—day in and day out.