The Trouble Notes – Sands of Time: A Cosmic Journey

By starrymag | November 10, 2021

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “A New Hope.”

 

A) “A New Hope” is this first chapter from a story album that we are working on called Sands of Time: A Cosmic Journey. Set in a dystopian future on a planet depleted of resources and ravaged by catastrophic changes in climate, life on Earth is in a seemingly hopeless race against time. In the year 2123, as the sea swallowed entire continents and once fruitful lands lay sullen and bare, dreamers turned outward in search of new habitats for colonization. With the Mars colony reaching full capacity and faith dwindling, world-renown archaeologist, Dr. Mirko Timberland makes a miraculous discovery deep beneath the sands of Mesopotamia: an ancient relic with coordinates to what is said to be the future of mankind. Sparking the interest of multi-billionaire Gerald Kronos, a team of voyagers is assembled to travel beyond the stars and explore the cosmic frontier. The song is the soundtrack to that first story, the entirety of which you can read here: https://thetroublenotes.com/blog/cosmic-journey/anewhope/

 

Q) Was there a particular line or aspect to the song that you found most challenging to create?

 

A) There is this juxtaposition of two very different feelings within the track. The beginning is very pensive and airy. We wanted the audience to feel as though they are marching along toward an uncertainty. Then, there is an abrupt change, and the song becomes very prideful and positive, which is in fact the “new hope” for humanity that we want the audience to carry with them at the end of the song. The most challenging thing was seamlessly bridging these two very competing styles, which in the end we feel we did quite well.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the track that made it a perfect summer jam? 

 

A) It’s probably not our most “summer” piece of music, but the story and message behind the song was something that is important for THIS summer considering that many of us have spent the first half of the year in a state of restriction. Summer is always a time to be hopeful, and so in that sense the song is a good listen if you need a little reminder that the future for humanity can be bright.

 

Q) With the release of “A New Hope,” is there a potential full-length album in the works? 

 

A) Absolutely. The song is part of a story album called Sands of Time: A Cosmic Journey. We have written and had inspiration for quite a lot of new songs in the past months. Once we finish up the summer, we are going to get into the studio and record everything, so expect great things!

 

Q) I’m super intrigued by upcoming animation project Sands of Time: A Cosmic Journey. What inspired you to create this space adventure?

A) It all started from the idea that we may need to leave Earth, particularly at the start of the pandemic. Some of us in the group are Sci-fi nerds, so it didn’t take much effort to get us inspired to write such a story!

 

Q) Did this idea for a dystopian future storyline give you pause at all when the pandemic arose?

 

A) Actually, it came together during the first months of the pandemic. We had made the decision that rather than quarantining in our individual apartments, we would escape the city and go into the woods and build a little makeshift studio and try and make the best use of the time. One night we were talking about how the world felt really dystopian and that we should use that feeling to inspire us to write some new music, while also presenting a sense of hope for the future.

 

Q) What have you found is the most rewarding part of creating this project?

 

A) The storytelling aspect. Most of our songs don’t have text, but we often have a lot to say within the music. But without the background and context of each piece, our audience is left to imagine for themselves what we are trying to say. Here we were really able to be more direct with what happens in the music, creating a kind of soundtrack to our own original story. That role of “storyteller” is something that we felt really comfortable in.

 

Q) Have you received any feedback online that has stood out about “A New Hope?”

 

A) Thus far the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.  The song itself has captured the imagination of many of our friends and fans and the first animation that we released is really cool. Big props have to be given to Studio Renard for their work in putting that video together.

 

Q) With concerts having been on hold, what have you missed most about performing live?

 

A) The connection with our audience. Over the years we’ve built an incredible and authentic connection with our friends and fans. People who have opened their homes and hearts to us and who cheer us on every step of the way. We just don’t feel that same connection through a screen, we need to be there together in person. That’s what is so powerful about music for us, that we are able to channel emotions and share them very directly with an audience, who will kind of reflect that right back to us. It’s what we live for.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners/viewers take away from Sands of Time: A Cosmic Journey?

 

A) We want you to be hopeful. It often feels like a darkness has taken over our world. We are heavily divided. Our climate is changing and frankly we haven’t been respectful of our planet the past centuries. And yet, while it often feels like racing on to our impending doom, there is hope still. We only need to accentuate the positive, focus on what unites us rather than divides us and work together again. In order to do this, we need to be hopeful. Perhaps it’s best summarized in the final paragraph of the first chapter of our story:

“Hope can be a powerful tool for the human mind. It is what causes us to do incredible things. To persevere through even the direst of circumstances. As the rockets soared in the air, the young boy followed with his gaze and his head perked up toward the sky. From this day forward his life would no longer be a culmination of random desultory games. The will to survive and come rushing back to him, his life again having purpose. To all of those brave souls remaining on Earth, the cosmic explorers were A New Hope for a better future…”

 

 

 

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