The Star Prairie Project Releases the Little Gems Album

A long-awaited new album from The Star Prairie Project has finally been released, and with it comes a slew of rock-based approaches, ranging from blues to Alternative, singer-songwriter, contemporary pop, and even tones that give off theatrical or cinematic backbone all throughout the course of the record.

The Little Gems album gets going with its first song, "Tess", which gives off an almost psychedelic pop rock approach, which brings together synths and crunchy guitars along with a bopping rhythm and a colorful and almost warm catchiness to everything, along with little hints of edginess looking just beneath the surface.

The song bears some very welcoming and catchy vocals that feel almost animated in a certain way as notes bend and come through with this perfect level of vibrancy.

The project is joined by Rudiger for this one, who also shows face throughout the album as a whole, along with Ivy Marie.

This is an excellent track to introduce the record with because it does bear a few staples that you will hear throughout the album itself, but you have to listen to this one all the way through to soak it in properly.

This is not the kind of record where you just check out one or two songs. You can get an idea of what you may expect from doing so, but it will not give you the full spectrum of what the album has to offer as a whole.

For example, the following track, "Sunshine Skies" is a completely different direction, giving off an airy, ambient pop approach that feels both dreamy and slightly alternative at the same time.

The production on this is outstanding, flowing perfectly forward, and grabs you to float alongside it.

This is what I mean by cinematic. This track boasts that spacious and vast underbelly that has a unique way of whisking you up and letting you become engulfed in the sounds of everything.

Ivy Marie performs vocals on this one, and as I mentioned earlier, she is a significant factor collaborating with The Star Prairie Project throughout this entire record.

What really hits beautifully is when both Rudiger and  Ivy Marie show face on a track like "When I Look At The World (Acoustic Version). 

Songs like this are obviously more singer-songwriter-based and draw from certain kinds of classic rock and folk, but the vocal combination, along with the softness and lushness of the guitars, is gorgeous.

So, as the record unfolds, you get these different approaches, and there are no two songs that are alike, although as I mentioned earlier, there are a few Staples that stay strong.

 "When You See God In Everything" gives off beautiful lyrical approaches that make you think and paint pictures in your head as you listen through.

Ivy Marie, of course, brings those softer, delicate, floaty vocals, once again, but lets you pay attention to the lyrics more.

It's all very beautifully done, and by the time you get halfway through the record, you begin to expect the unexpected.

This is kind of like an adventure. I love the thought and feeling of not knowing exactly what's going to be next.

It's been a long time since I've heard an album that gave me this feeling.

There are such gorgeous combinations of genres and arrangements throughout the album, and if you listen to the entire thing from start to finish, it serves as an outstanding escape, so much so that you have to reacclimate yourself back to reality when it's all over.

There are plenty of surprises around the corners, and these absolutely thick and luscious layers of textural sounds that lie  on top of each other and give you different moods and feels with each new song.

Such a massive set of influences encompasses this record, and it's something that kind of blows me away a little bit.

We are definitely not new to The Star Prairie Project, and this is an album that stands tall in a different fashion.

It shows an eclectic approach and tonal diversity.

If you're not familiar with the project, then now's the time because this album is a great way to introduce yourself to the entire thing.

This is a project helmed by Nolen R. Chew, who produces rights and collaborates with others to create these records and songs.

There are previous records that feel heavier and more alternative rock-based, there are songs that are more personal, and there are releases that will surely take you out of your comfort zone in a good way.

This album is something that felt good to listen to, and there is a particular kind of intelligence behind it that I found alluring.

With the release of such a beautiful record, we wanted to sit-down with Nolen to find out how this was put together, what it means to him, and what might be coming next.

Here's what happened.

Buzz Slayers: Hello and thanks for taking some time with us to talk about the Little Gems album release! I really enjoyed this record and how eclectic it came through! It had a wonderful range of approaches! Tell us about the record and where it came from!

This album had so much going on! Did it take a long time to complete it?

Nolen: This album started with four or five songs that were recorded during the ‘New Day at Dawn’ sessions. ‘New Day at Dawn’ was another album that featured Rudiger and Ivy Marie. Like I said there were a handful of songs that didn’t fit onto that album and afterward I launched into an esoteric concept album that turned into the album ‘The Shining Ones’ released last year that I had worked with Marcello Vieira, Ricardo Dikk and Sandrine Orsini from Portugal. It was an entirely different sound so those handful of songs sat around for about a year before I got back to them. I had about half an album of material and dove into fleshing out the album. It only took a few weeks to write and record another five songs to make a ten song album but we were on such a roll I added two more songs to the compilation. The last two songs were ‘Come Runaway With Me’ and ‘Down Boy’ which are two of my favorites and I thought they just wrapped a bow around the album. I told my wife Kathy that there were some Little Gems on that album and she responded that’s what I should name the album, so there’s the back story to ‘Little Gems’.

Buzz Slayers: You really seem to find amazing performers on some of these tracks. How did you find collaborators?

Nolen: In 2019 I hired Rudiger as a session musician to sing a couple vocal tracks for a couple of songs I was working on. After that he did some guitar and piano for me in addition to the vocals. As it turned out Rudiger is a music producer and sound engineer as well. I was looking for a female artist to do some backing vocals and Rudiger recommended Ivy Marie. It just so happened that about that time Covid hit so we spent 2020 working with Marcello Vierra and Ricardo Dikk on our first album Panacea and Rudiger and I created our second album ‘Rudiger’s Revenge’ that same year.

Buzz Slayers: Do you write the lyrics for these songs?

Nolen: Yes I wrote the lyrics for all the songs with the exception of the ‘Tess’ and ‘Come Runaway With Me’ where I wrote the lyrics for the verses and chorus and Rudiger added the lyrics for the bridge part of the song. I wrote poetry for years before I picked up the guitar and as soon as I learned to play I wanted to write songs. I used to drive my guitar instructor nuts. He’d give me a song to learn and I’d shuffle the chord progressions and add my own lyrics and come back with a brand new song. Often times they weren’t very good but it was a start at song writing. I took some lessons on music theory and song writing fundamentals and I was off to the races.

Buzz Slayers: What instruments do you perform on the record? 

Nolen: Rudiger and Ivy Marie performed all the instrumentation on ‘Little Gems’. I played guitar on the demo tapes when I sketch out the song and then I send the tape to whoever is producing the song to work it up. They both play multiple instruments as well as sing. They both are remarkable musical artists.

Buzz Slayers: Are you a guitar player first?

Nolen: No I’m a songwriter first and foremost. I can play guitar. Rudiger and Ricardo Dikk are guitar maestros. When I write my lyrical melodies I use an acoustic guitar most of the time. I love to play my guitar late at night when it is quiet. I love the sensation of coming up with a chord progression or accidentally hitting just the right note and going, “what did I just do? How did I do that?” Music is gnosis. Music is therapy.

Buzz Slayers: This is the 8th full length release under Star Prairie Project. Is that correct? When did you start releasing albums?

Nolen: That is correct. This is our eighth studio album. ‘Little Gems’ (2025), ‘The Shining Ones’ (2024), ‘New Day at Dawn’ (2023), ‘Flight or Flight’ (2022), ‘Shine a Little Light’ (2022), ‘Surreal’ (2021), ‘Rudiger’s Revenge’ (2020), Panacea (2020). The Star Prairie Project started recording together in 2019 and released our first studio recording in 2020.

Buzz Slayers: I realize this is a studio project but are you able to take this stuff on the road and do live shows?

Nolen: As of right now we are a studio project but at some point if there is a demand for a live tour we may consider it. One of the reasons the project has been so prolific in our album making is because we aren’t on a touring schedule and don’t have to devote that time it takes to tour and practice for the level of performance that is expected. We have put out eight albums in five years. I don’t know if that pace is possible if we had been touring regularly.

Buzz Slayers: You've accomplished a lot with this record and the others! I've noticed a bit of a change in direction from some of the previous releases. Can you tell us about that? Was this just a natural evolution?

Nolen: It was pretty much a natural evolution. There are some simple love songs that are emotive and familiar to our collective experiences. There are others a little deeper and reflective. The music came to me naturally in an unforced manner. It’s a pleasure to write when the songs come to you without effort, and you don’t feel pressured or rushed. The change of direction comes naturally sometimes and I just go with the flow and let the creative process just run it’s course. Sometimes it’s surprising what comes out.

Buzz Slayers: With so much music released under your belt, is there some advice you would give to other artists that are trying to record and release their music?

Nolen: Just be yourself. Be patient. Success rarely comes overnight. Don’t be afraid of failure. Chances are, especially in the beginning some of your songs may not be very good. That’s okay many famous musical artists have written bad music in the beginning. It’s a phase you have to work your way through in any form of art or expression. Expect your stream counts to be pretty sparse in the beginning while you are developing a base audience of listeners.

Buzz Slayers: It seems like you are always working on new music! Are you already working on songs for the next release? 

Nolen: Yes, as a matter of fact I am. We have two 12 song albums in the works, nearly completed. One is an intense and lively party rock album with the gang from Portugal, Marcello Vieira, Ricardo Dikk and Sandrine Orsini. The other is an Americana album Rudiger and I are working on similar to our second album ‘Rudiger’s Revenge. Neither album is named yet but are over 80% complete.

Buzz Slayers: What would you say listeners can expect from the Little Gems album?

Nolen: Listeners can expect a fun and melodical musical journey. Our listeners should expect the fine crafted lyrical melodies they’ve come to expect in our previous seven albums. The same exceptional vocals, instrumentation, and production with a new fresh approach to storytelling and songwriting. We hope our listeners appreciate the twelve song set.

Thanks so much for taking the time Nolen!

SPOTIFY

INSTAGRAM

WEBSITE