Interview: Ivy Marie Breaks Down Her Role in Shaping The Star Prairie Project’s 'Little Gems'

'Little Gems' by The Star Prairie Project might be Nolen Chew's universe, but one of the brightest forces shaping its atmosphere is the soft-spoken, genre-shifting vocalist and producer Ive Marie, who helped give the album its emotional backbone. Her presence threads through the record like sunlight through stained glass, subtle, intentional, and quietly transformative. From early 2000s nostalgia to dreamlike soundscapes, she brings a warmth that turns Nolen’s stories into full-blown worlds you can actually step into.

In this conversation, she breaks down how she found her place inside the album’s ever-shifting genres, why “Sunshine Skies” needed to feel like a blissed-out daydream, the effortless synergy behind her collaborations, and how The Star Prairie Project ended up giving her the confidence to step deeper into production than ever before.

Your presence on Little Gems brings so much softness and cinematic depth. When you first heard the early demos, what pulled you into the world Nolen was building? I think the simple, yet authentic vibe his writing gives. I've always loved early 2000s music. I feel like the artist wrote more straight from the heart. Even if it was a serious subject, somehow the music still felt good and oddly carefree. When you listen now, you feel a sense of nostalgia; that's what his songs make me feel and how they pull me in. Plus, they give me a chance to mix older and modern sounds. 

The album jumps genres constantly, but your vocals somehow glue everything together. How did you approach keeping your identity intact while moving through so many styles? I've always loved most genres. So, singing different genres and different vocal styles is quite normal for me. However, to keep my identity intact, I always make sure to add in my "signature sounds"; simply in the way I sing my soft vocals or how I do my ad-libs. For the production side, I typically like to use unique sounds for the percussion that people don't typically add. Also, a big thing is probably how I like to warp my vocals, even if it's just in a small part of the song. That way, it feels like my own vibe. 

“Sunshine Skies” feels especially airy and emotional. Can you walk us through the headspace you stepped into while recording that track?

When you first read the lyrics, you automatically picture the whole scene that Nolen describes. He talks about birds singing, the sun shining, smelling the sea, seeing that special person, and being with them. It feels like bliss. When producing the beat, I wanted it to feel like a dream with that sense of happiness, like you never want to leave or wake up. 

You and Rudiger share some really beautiful chemistry on the acoustic version of “When I Look At The World.” What was that collaborative dynamic like behind the scenes? Rudiger has a beautiful voice, and he's very easy to follow and get along with. He typically sends me the project we're going to work on together with his vocals, and I work off of that. I feel like our voices just automatically mesh well together. That's what makes it fun! 

The Star Prairie Project has such a distinct visual and emotional universe. What do you feel this album says about who you are as an artist right now, and how has it shaped what you want to do next?

I think it shows that I stay true to myself by always incorporating a part of myself into each song. I love and treat it as if it's my own, and am able to give any genre my unique sound. As far as shaping what I did next, Nolen was the first person to allow me to produce for him. He didn't look at me and assume I was a young woman who didn't know what I was doing (as a lot of people used to do). He took a chance on me, and it helped give me the confidence I needed to offer more of my production services to other people. I knew I had it in me, but sometimes you need someone else to believe in you. So, I'm forever grateful to him for that!