Dear Troublemakers,
Hello from England, where the temperatures have finally cooled off a bit!
Last week was intense. The heat wave that swept across Europe was unlike anything we've experienced, with record-breaking temperatures in many countries. We had three festivals to perform at, hundreds of kilometers to drive, and plenty of adventures along the way. As wonderful as the shows were, we have to admit we're quite happy to see the weather becoming a little more forgiving. It's a good thing too, because we have a very busy period ahead of us.
It's now been nearly a month since the official release of Mnemorith: Echoes of Eldbriaris, and the response has honestly been overwhelming. We've been carrying the books with us on tour for the past six weeks, and seeing so many pick them up after the shows has been incredibly encouraging.
This project was a big risk.
The story in Mnemorith: Echoes of Eldbriaris is literally just the introduction to a much larger adventure. This vision began several years ago and has slowly grown over time. Whenever we tried explaining it to potential partners, producers, or presenters, people were intrigued... but because the project only existed in our imaginations, it always remained a little abstract.
That's why we made the decision to self-fund the book and assemble the team to create what was, in many ways, a prototype of the larger vision.
The moment we held something physical in our hands, everything changed.
Suddenly, people weren't just hearing about our idea. They could experience it. They could read it, listen to it, and begin to understand the world we were trying to build.
And that's where we have some wonderful news to share with you.
Earlier this year we submitted a major application to Initiative Musik in Berlin for cultural funding to help develop this project further. The first time we applied, we were unsuccessful.
This time... we were approved.
It feels like a huge milestone.
The risk we took seems to have paid off, and it gives us even more confidence that this project can continue to grow as more people discover it, review it, and experience it for themselves. There is still so much we want to improve as we prepare the larger album, the live show, and the next chapters of the story, but now we feel like we've built a strong foundation to stand on.
The months ahead are going to be full.
We'll be finishing the novel, writing and recording the next music, continuing to build the immersive live show, and touring across Europe throughout the festival season... hopefully finding new readers for the remaining books along the way.
There's a real feeling around Trouble HQ that something is beginning to gather momentum.
We're excited.
And we're incredibly grateful that you're walking this road with us.
Love and Melodies,
Bennet
