Imagine discovering your new favorite band only to find out… they don’t actually exist.
That’s exactly what happened with The Velvet Sundown, a rising “folk-rock” act that racked up over a million Spotify streams.
Before the big reveal: they’re completely AI-generated.
From their mellow harmonies to vintage promo pics, everything about the band was fake.
Or as their final statement put it: “Not quite human. Not quite machine.” So, were they an art experiment—or an elaborate hoax?
Initially, the creators played coy. But when someone tied to the project admitted the songs were made using AI platform Suno, things spiraled.
Industry insiders are now calling for clear AI labels on streaming sites so listeners know what’s real and what’s synthetic.
“AI can support creativity—but only if used ethically,” said Roberto Neri of the Ivors Academy.
What Are The Concerns?
He raised red flags over authorship, consent, and transparency.
Others, like the BPI’s Sophie Jones, warn against AI replacing artists entirely: “It should serve creativity, not steal it.”
And what about the indie musicians whose styles might’ve trained AI systems like Suno?
Writer Liz Pelly says everyone, not just megastars, deserves to know if their work’s been cloned.
In the end, Velvet Sundown may be catchy—but they’ve left the music world wrestling with a louder question: who—or what—are we really listening to?
