(AP) With the help of artificial intelligence, country music stars Randy TravisThe voice known for timeless hits like “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “I Told You So” is back.
In July 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy, a virus that attacks the heart. Then I had a stroke.Country Music Hall of Famer had to relearn how to walk, spell and read subsequent years.a a condition called aphasia Because of his limited speaking ability, his wife, Mary Travis, assists in interviews. That’s also why he hasn’t released any new music in over 10 years, until now.
“Where did that come from?” The song, released Friday, is a rich acoustic ballad amplified by Travis’ instantly recognizable, soulful vocal tones.
Chris Lacy, co-president of Warner Music Nashville, approached Randy and Mary Travis and asked, “‘What if we could take Randy’s voice and recreate it using AI?'” Mary Travis said last week on Zoom. Speaking to the Associated Press, Randy said with a smile: She agreed right next to her. “Well, we were so excited because that’s what we were all about.”
“All I’ve wanted since the day I had my stroke was to hear that voice again.”
Lacey asked a developer in London to create his own AI model to start the process. The result was two models. One features his 12 vocal stems (or song samples) and the other features his 42 stems collected throughout Travis’ career from 1985 to his 2013. says Travis’ longtime producer Kyle Lehning. Lacey and Lehning decided to use the song “Where That Came From,” written by Scottie Emerick and John Scott Sherrill, which Lehning co-produced and held onto for many years. He believed it best expressed the humanity of Travis’ unique vocal style.
“I never thought about the other songs,” Lehning said.
Once the demo vocals (sung by James Dupree) were fed into the AI model, “it took about five minutes to analyze,” Lehning says. “I really wish someone would have come here with a camera, because I was the first person to have heard of it. And it’s amazing to me that it took off so quickly. It’s hard to put an equation into it, but I think it was probably 70 to 75 percent of what we’re hearing now.”
“There were certain aspects of Randy’s performance that weren’t authentic,” he said, so he began editing and building recordings with engineer Casey Wood, who had worked closely with Travis for decades.
The duo handpicked two models and made changes to things like the speed of the vibrato and slower, more relaxed phrasing. “Randy is a laid-back singer,” Lehning says. “In my opinion, there was an old soul quality to Randy’s voice. That’s one of the things that makes him unique, but also somehow familiar.”
His vocal performance on “Where That Came From” had to reflect that fact.
“We were able to improve it,” Lehning says of AI recording. “It was emotional, and it still is.”
Mary Travis said the “human element” and “people involved” in the project distinguish it from more nefarious uses of AI in music.
“Randy, I remember the first time he heard the song after it was finished. It was so beautiful, because he was surprised at first, but then he became so pensive and listened. “Because I was studying,” she said. “And he lowered his head and his eyes got a little watery. I think he went through all the emotions in those three minutes when he heard the voice again.”
Lacey agrees. “The beauty of this is, you know, we’re doing this with a voice that the whole world knows and hears and is comforted by,” she says.
“But from a human perspective, I think it’s a very real need. And losing the voice of someone you had a connection with is a great loss, and the ability to get that back is a great gift. ”
They also hope the song will help educate people about the good that AI can bring, rather than the scams that frequently make the news. “We’re hoping that maybe we can set a standard,” Mary Travis says. There, recognition is given where it is due, and artists are able to control their own statements and works.
Over 200 artists participated last month signed an open letter Submitted by the nonprofit organization Artist Rights Alliance, it urges: artificial intelligence It calls on technology companies, developers, platforms, and digital music services and platforms to stop using AI to “violate and devalue the rights of human artists.”Co-signed artists include: stevie wondermiranda lambert billie eilish, nicki minajPeter Frampton katy perrySmokey Robinson and J. Balvin.
Now that “Where That Came From” has appeared, will we see more original Randy Travis songs in the future?
“There may be others,” Mary Travis says. “Let’s see how this goes. This is a very exotic place. A lot more could happen in the future.”
“There are other songs,” Lacey says, but Warner Music is similarly selective. “This is not a stunt, this is not a shop trick,” she added. “It was important to create a song that was appropriate for him.”
