Join us as we dive into The Star Prairie Project's mystical journey with Nolen, exploring their album 'The Shining Ones,' influences, and navigating today's music industry.
1.Can
you introduce the members of The Star Prairie Project and their roles in the
band?
Nolen: As it relates to ‘The Shining Ones’ the members on this project are
myself, Marcello Vieira, Ricardo Dikk, & Sandrine Orsini.
We’re all songwriters on the project. In terms of the album, my role’s been the
project manager and executive producer. The duties of others are as follows:
Marcello Vieira: vocals and production
Ricardo Dikk: guitars and keyboards, production
Sandrine Orsini: vocals
Mauro Ramos: drums
2. What inspired the band's name?
Nolen: The Star Prairie Project is named after the village of Star Prairie, WI.
It’s located 50 miles northeast of Minneapolis, MN. Another influence on the
name is The Alan Parson’s Project from back in the day. Like Alan Parson’s
band, The Star Prairie Project is a recording project, not a traditional band.
We are all about writing and recording, turning our original songs into radio
friendly, major-label quality music.
3. The concept behind your new album, "The Shining Ones" is quite
intriguing. Can you delve deeper into what inspired this concept and the
message you aim to convey?
Nolen: The concept of the album emerged over the winter of 2023. We literally
started from scratch with a clean slate. We wanted to write a concept album
that musically expressed the lore and intrigue of this fascinating esoteric
subject, the subject of pre-diluvian society of ancient shamanic priests. Just
the fact that we are discussing the subject forces us to expand the boundaries
of our firmly established core beliefs, this thought that somehow there may
have been others that existed alongside us in the ancient past that were not
human. These were mysterious, advanced beings that were human like, but not
quite human. As myth has it, these people helped us repeatedly over time. They
emerged from the seas to assist humanity after the cataclysm and may even have
had a role in our creation! They were known as Angels, Annunaki, Elohim,
Watchers, Feathered serpents and many other names that translate into ‘The
Shining Ones’ in many languages. People thought they were gods. In fact, as
strange as it may sound, they also appear in fragments of the Bible and more
precisely, in The Book of Enoch and other apocryphal literature. This topic
fell into my lap through a series of synchronicities and I became fascinated
with the subject once I started researching it. I would meditate before a
writing session and pick up my guitar and see what came flowing to me out of
that relaxed state. And flow it did! The result is the thirteen-song concept
album, 'The Shining Ones'.
4. How would you describe the musical style and sound of "The Shining Ones" compared to your previous albums?
Nolen: We tried for the musical style to express the mystical and esoteric nature of the subject matter. So, in that regard it was different than all our other albums. We brought in Mauro Ramos to play the drums, which significantly enhanced the powerful and energetic musical style. Also, Ricardo Dikk and Marcello Vieira integrated a lot more synth than we have done in the past. Merging the power guitar with the synth created a Muse style of rock on some of the tracks. It’s fun to experiment with styles and genres. I think we are very good at that aspect of things. This album has a full and layered sound, almost symphonic in nature. I think some day it could be developed into a show, perhaps a musical. Or perhaps even a rock opera!
5. Could you share a bit about the songwriting process for this album? Did you encounter any challenges or breakthrough moments during its creation?
Nolen: Myself, along with Marcello Vieira and Ricardo Dikk, were the writers for this project. The way it worked for this `album, for the most part, was I would start the process by writing out the lyrical melody and chord progressions and I’d send a demo tape to Marcello and Dikk, who would then fuse my ideas with their own magic. Marcello and Dikk came up with those magnificent intros and outros, for instance. Sandrine Orsini’s wonderful vocals were added along the way. We set out to create a concept album on a metaphysical topic, and I think we did a pretty good job integrating some pretty complex musical arrangements into this esoteric and mysterious topic. All I can say is that I’m very pleased with the end result.
6. The theme of ancient mysteries and esoteric knowledge is prevalent in your music. What draws you to explore these themes, and how do they influence your songwriting?
Nolen: I became fascinated with the topic and it inspired me to pursue a concept album with a metaphysical bent about it. Our daily lives have become so complex that we seem to be grasping for a solid foundation under our feet. The very nature of our perceived reality and core belief systems are being re-examined by many. At the moment, we live in a world where the truth is under constant attack. Our systems and institutions do not really seem to be up to the task of defending their truth or freedom for that matter. Our political and religious institutions have been infiltrated by corruption, greed and power-hungry individuals. At times of such conflict and confusion, it seems people are questioning everything they hold to be true or of real value. By going back and examining the primordial questions of who we are and why we are here, we embark on a journey for truth and purpose. Simply blindly accepting what we have been told is no longer acceptable to many people, who are disappointed in their realities and see a world without hope and purpose. Going back and examining our most fundamental beliefs opens up doors to new perspectives and realities. It frees us to pursue our own mystical journey for truth and fulfilment.
7. What has been the reception to "The Shining Ones" so far, both from fans and critics?
Nolen: I’ve been surprised by the reception the album has been receiving so far. The subject matter hasn’t driven listeners away, just the opposite. The power and dynamics of the music holds its own but the enigma and intrigue of the topic has an allure of its own. I have been surprised by how familiar listeners are with the subject matter. Hollywood, TV and conspiracies galore have familiarized the public with key terms like aliens and Gods and ancient astronauts. Formerly obscure terms like Anunnaki, fallen angels, shining ones and watchers are now familiar to many people these days. Recently I was a guest on a couple of top-100 podcasts and in both cases, we easily filled an hour-long program with lively discussion. Yeah, the reception has been fantastic and I couldn’t be more pleased.
8. As a band, how do you balance artistic expression with commercial appeal, especially considering the deep and complex themes in your music?
Nolen: I’ve never written a song exclusively for its commercial appeal. Having said that, I believe some of the songs on this album will have commercial appeal in some sense. The entire conversation about what is commercial in the music business is totally different today than it was twenty years ago when record sales and concert revenue were paramount. While touring is still a money maker, today’s music business relies a lot more on playlists, streams, saves and YouTube views as well as synch and licensing deals. Those drive the current commercial market. Also, the commercial market looks a lot different now than in past decades. Top 100 national chartings, radio play and album sales aren’t as critical as they were for any type of success these days. Niche markets and sub-genres provide hundreds of thousands of streams and listeners. Unfortunately, the system is still stacked in favor of the big labels and music entities who control the rules of engagement and prioritize corporate profit over artistic integrity.
9. Can you talk about your collaboration with Marcello Vieira, Sandrine Orsini, and Ricardo Dikk on this album, and how their contributions shaped the final sound?
Nolen: I met Marcello first. In the beginning, he was doing vocals for me on some songs. He was the one who introduced me to Ricardo Dikk, a very talented sound engineer as well as a superb musician who plays just about everything. Dikk then suggested Sandrine Orsini for some backing vocals but I wanted her to take on a larger role after I heard her sing. She has a magic set of pipes. It all grew very organically and the latest addition to the fold is Mauro Ramos on drums. I believe his drumming really took ‘The Shining Ones’ to the next level. So, most of us have been working together for a few albums before this. Hence it was fun to shift gears a bit. We all embraced the idea of a concept album and threw ourselves into the project enthusiastically. Everybody had an active role in the project offering their unique talents and areas of expertise. We essentially completed the album in about four months, that’s from start to finish. I think we kept surprising ourselves as we built this collection of songs. It was fun and challenging but we really developed a flow and the creative process was fluid. It was very fulfilling working with this team. I think we really make a special sound and I’m very pleased with it.
10. What are some of the musical and non-musical influences that have shaped The Star Prairie Project's unique sound and identity?
Nolen: ‘The Shining Ones’ has a Muse vibe to it. The intro and outro pieces have Pink Floydish ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ influences for sure. That’s especially fitting since The Star Prairie Project was partly named after The Alan Parson’s Project. As you might know, Alan Parsons produced Pink Floyd’s, ‘The Dark Side of The Moon’ album. Our sound is unique in part because of the many and varied influences we all have. Our identity is becoming our eclectic and multi-genre crossing compositions.
11. How do you approach live performances, particularly when it comes to translating the depth and complexity of your studio recordings into a live setting?
Nolen: Currently ‘The Star Prairie Project’ is a recording project that writes and records our original material. Currently we don’t tour. All of our members have multiple gigs they are involved in. They have years of performing experience. We have just recently mused about touring but we need to find a sponsor and be able to book venues that make sense from a financial standpoint. Also, the project’s players live far apart. Some are in Europe and some in the United States. But I suppose anything is possible and if there’s a will there’s a way.
12. What are your thoughts on the current state of the music industry, particularly regarding independent artists like yourselves navigating through digital platforms and streaming services?
Nolen: I think the current state of the music industry is a travesty. As I said earlier, the big three or four music corporations pretty much run the show. I suppose if you are fortunate enough to be signed by a major label, things may be pretty good. If you are a struggling independent artist or aspiring songwriter, then your fortunes are probably less propitious. The revenue generated by streaming your music pays a pitiful amount of money. It’s embarrassing, really. Selling albums and CDs used to generate a decent cut but everything is pretty much streaming these days. What can I say? It is what it is.
13. Are there any upcoming projects, collaborations, or tours that fans can look forward to from The Star Prairie Project?
Nolen: Right now, I’m involved in a couple of fun projects. I’m finishing up an album with Rudiger and Ivy Marie called ‘Little Gems’. It’s a collection of Americana and Indie Pop songs. I have ten songs complete and I think we’ll probably add two more. It’s similar in style to our last album ‘New Day at Dawn’. I’m also involved with Tom Tikka on an album that started out with a couple singles and has now evolved into a full-length album. We have about five songs completed now and the album is starting to take shape. There’s a couple of songs Tom and I have written that I’m really excited about. In addition, Marcello Vieira, Ricardo Dikk and I are in the planning stages of a new album that is going to be really exciting. So stay tuned because there is a lot happening.
14. Lastly, how can fans support the band and stay updated on your latest releases and activities?
Nolen: We’re on all the streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple, Amazon etc. You can support The Star Prairie Project by listening to our music and hitting all the buttons and sharing our music with others. In addition, you can find us at our website and social media sites.
List of social media links
@StarPrairieProj
twitter.com/Star...ieProj
www.facebook.com...ct2019
www.instagram.co...ct2019
Website: The Star Prairie Project
thestarprairiepr...ct.net
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