Exploring the fusion of AI and traditional music, Lyrical Colors dives into digital-era communication, unconventional song structures, and the evolving role of technology in their latest track, A Whole New Chatter.
1. Can
you share the inspiration behind the title "A Whole New Chatter" and
how it reflects the song's themes?
Choosing a title for a song can be hard sometimes. I was originally going to
call this song “In A World of Emoji” however it did not sound good enough. I
like to choose titles from the song’s lyrics. The title comes from the
following lyrics:
“Lost in a world where words don't seem to matter Communication's changing,
it's a whole new chatter”
This title encompasses the idea that communication is changing from the
traditional in-person method to one between screens. We have even evolved to
use emoticons to express our emotions over them, although the song is about how
they do not quite replace genuine expressions or intonations. In some
conversations, people just exchange emoticons and don’t even use words.
2. What drove you to explore AI as part of your music production process,
and how has it influenced your creative approach?
I have been producing music since I was in high school in the 90s, using Sound
Recorder. In college, I ran a recording studio. Now that I am in my late 30s, I
got a second degree in machine learning and got to wondering what it would be
like to incorporate that into my music production. I am so excited to be
working with this branch of new media art. I believe that AI is a tool, and the
finished product represents the skill of the artist using it. I do not simply
press a button and get a song. There are many things involved, like choosing
lyrics, song structure, and especially the concept of the song that are so
important. And then, once you get dozens of AI takes, you must have the ear to
string them together properly into a finished product in the best way possible.
3. The song unintentionally captures the essence of Kurt Cobain’s vocals.
How did you feel when you first noticed this resemblance, and has it shaped
your perspective on the track?
I feel excited that the song accidentally captured the essence of Kurt Cobain’s
vocals. When I made this song, I was hoping to create something along the lines
of a new Nirvana single if it were released today. I felt like hearing his
vocals really added to that concept. It creates a finished product that is
quite nostalgic and adds to the emotional impact of the song.
Normally, I try to avoid situations like this due to copyright concerns, but I
am not too worried as I do not plan on making any profits. In addition, I feel
like this was an experiment, to see exactly what AI is capable of or not, can
it capture Nirvana’s sound? I feel like this song has an educational purpose,
to instruct others on the possibilities of AI, and start a conversation. It also
provides the populace with an interesting piece of music and adds to its
cultural value.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced while combining AI-generated music with your own traditional production techniques?
I think the biggest challenge I have faced is people who misunderstand new media art and AI in music. I think of AI as a tool, and this means that 1) it cannot just produce a hit song at the press of a button and 2) The more talented the musician running the software, the better the product. It is like a calculator for solving math and physics problems. People still need to know how to do math and physics to get the correct answers, it just enhances the speed and quality of their work. In addition, it does not take jobs from anyone in my experience. In fact, it gives us all the opportunity to create jobs for ourselves and others. I did not replace any traditional musicians or producers when making this AI music (I have produced my music on my own for decades). What it did do, was provide me the opportunity to expand my message and my reach and improve the quality of my work.
5. The pandemic played a significant role in inspiring this song. How do you think the themes of digital communication and isolation will resonate with listeners today?
There are a lot of times where I used to find myself isolated and alone, sitting in my room, however I was also connected to so many other people through instant messaging. I wondered, is that the same quality of communication as hanging out with someone irl? I feel like I have lost the ability to focus on a single person in a real-life conversation. I wonder if others feel the same way. Lately, I have been putting in effort to hang out with my friends in-person at least a few times a week, but I notice I have trouble being present with them the same way I used to be in the 90s.
6. Your use of free software like Audacity highlights a DIY ethos. How has working with limited resources shaped your sound and creative process?
I am on a serious budget, seeing as I rely on social security income to survive and don’t make any profits off my music. So, a lot of my production technique relies on finding cost-effective methods that are efficient and effective at the same time. I love using Audacity, it is so stripped-down. In fact, I used to use Sound Recorder to produce my first albums as a kid. These days, I think Sound Recorder is a bit too light for my tastes, so I use Audacity and feel like it is an amazing upgrade. I feel like tools like these force you to have a great product since you cannot hide behind the fancy shenanigans of more expensive software. This is another reason that AI appeals to me – a subscription to Suno .ai is less than $20 a month and it allows you to explore so many cutting-edge concepts and execute them so well on a tight budget.
I am also getting a masters in IT Management now and have learned that an important part of running a business is cutting costs. I feel like the more you can cut costs, the freer you are to pursue your dreams without worrying about expenses and where to get your funding.
In my opinion, there are little profits to be made as a musician, at least I have never made any. I do it to express myself and build my fanbase. Therefore, it is important to cut costs as much as possible as there will be little to no income to cover expenses. The closer I can get to a free business model, the easier it is for me to create and distribute my music.
In the end, I am not trying to get a profit, I am just trying to find an effective way to spread my message and music to the most people possible.
7. You mentioned experimenting with unconventional song structures. Could you break down the structure of "A Whole New Chatter" and explain how it differs from a typical rock track?
When I was a kid, I learned that the traditional song structure was something like this: verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. I think that is a great start. These days, my understanding of song structure has become a bit more advanced. For example, I learned about the “hook,” which is a catchy little ditty at the beginning of a song meant to grab attention.
The song structure of this song is as follows: Hook-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-solo-outro.
This is nowhere near the traditional song structure. This is because I have ADHD and I like to mix it up for every single song I write. The song is completely missing the second verse, and the solo is placed on the end, leading to an outro. There is not even a final chorus. I do this to keep the listener’s attention and keep them guessing. One thing I have loved doing are solos, musical interludes, intros, and outros. Especially if a listener is going to enjoy multiple tracks of mine in a row, I do not want there to be repetitive song structures, I want to keep them guessing.
8. Many artists avoid AI due to its controversies. How do you address concerns about the intersection of AI and creativity in your work?
I believe that artists should be using AI to enhance their creativity and explore musical concepts that may not have even been possible in the past. AI is open for anyone to use, if you are not using it, you are only holding yourself back. I guarantee that the people at the top are going to be using it within 5 years or less for every project. AI is also a tool; this means that you cannot simply press a button and get a finished product. The more skills you have, the better you can operate the tool, just like a calculator or word processor. In addition, I have never replaced a single worker with AI. In fact, in my experience, the only thing it has ever done for me has been to expand the amount of opportunities available for me and enhanced the quality of my work.
9. The Tinnitist review highlighted both praise for your song and feedback on the band name. Do you plan to evolve your branding or stick with Lyrical Colors?
I find it interesting that Tinnitist did not think my band name fit the style of the music, and I respect his opinion. I had never thought of that before. I do not plan on changing the name, I find it very cool. You do not think of lyrics as having much color to them usually. The name represents my focus on the importance of lyrics in music, I want them to be colorful, and inspiring, and have a positive impact on society. I also want them to be useful, to help people think about and work through the situations they may find themselves in throughout life.
In addition, I add color to the music by combining contrasting styles together to keep things interesting and fresh.
10. As someone with over 20 years of experience in music production, how has your perspective on the industry shifted with advancements like AI and home studios?
I love AI tools and home studios! I believe that these give power to the artists, who no longer must rely on record labels to give them funding or tools to produce their music. In fact, I see a future where record labels are completely unnecessary and every musician will have the freedom to work entirely for themselves and follow their own vision as they see fit, even on a tight budget. In my opinion, this is a great thing, it should bring forth a cultural revolution and golden age of music.
As I previously mentioned, it still takes knowledge and talent to run tools like AI and home studios effectively. It is not a golden bullet. However, what it does do, is allow people the right to be compensated for their talent and their work with cultural recognition even if they do not have enough connections to get a record deal or enough funding for a fancy studio complex.
11. You mentioned that live performances might be possible using STEMS. If you were to perform live, how would you envision translating this AI-driven project to the stage?
Yes, live performances are entirely possible. I can play most of the guitar and bass parts in the songs I make, and I have a friend who can do the same on the drums. The parts are not usually that hard, it is thinking of them and making them so groovy that is usually the challenge. I would probably have a real drummer (using an electric drum set for a better live mix) and I would play guitar, I would also need to find a bassist and a singer. I would probably use friends of mine for this. I would use the stems for things like sound effects, or even secondary guitar parts or other instruments like piano. I remember going to see Smash Mouth in concert, and they used a technique just like this for their live performance.
12. Looking ahead, what do you see as the future of AI in music creation, and how do you plan to continue evolving as an artist in this space?
I think at first, people will assume that all you must do to produce a hit single is hit a button, and they will sound shoddy. Over time, people will learn that you need a human touch as well as the AI to create a hit single. This includes things like coming up with high concepts for both the lyrics and music, as well as knowing how to weave the AI together in such a way that it meets its full potential. I believe that the more knowledge you have about things like song structure and music history, the better you will be able to use AI.
In addition, there is still room for traditional musicians in the final mix. I have been hired by a country singer named Pat Dilley to go down to Louisiana and produce his next album using my cutting-edge techniques. We are going to experiment with mixing the AI with real vocals and real instruments to enhance the final product. His band also writes all their lyrics completely by hand, which adds even more of a human touch to the final product. In the end, it is the human touch that sells, the AI just helps execute and bring the human vision to a higher level.
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