The psychedelic rock band The Velvet Sundown has made waves in the music world by gaining over 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify in just two weeks and releasing two full albums within a month. Their third album, Paper Sun Rebellion, is set to drop on July 14. However, the band’s rapid rise has sparked speculation: many believe the group is entirely AI-generated.
The claims first surfaced on Twitter, where users pointed out that the band’s social media images appear to be AI-created, and their accounts were only opened on June 27. The band’s supposed members—Gabe Farrow, Lennie West, Milo Rains, and Orion ‘Rio’ Del Mar—have no traceable information online.
Describing themselves as a “‘70s psychedelic alternative and folk rock band” in their Spotify bio, The Velvet Sundown’s songs have already made it onto Spotify’s popular playlists. Their most-streamed track, “Dust on the Wind”, is nearing 500,000 plays. While Spotify prohibits the use of bots, AI-generated music is allowed on the platform.
AI Warnings on Some Tracks
The band’s albums are available not only on Spotify but also on platforms like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer. Notably, Deezer has added a disclaimer to their albums: “Some tracks on this album may have been created using artificial intelligence.”
The debate over AI’s role in music continues to grow. In December 2023, a report by Harper’s Magazine claimed that Spotify uses “ghost artists” to save on royalty payments. Studies predict that by 2028, music producers could face a 24% revenue loss due to AI-generated content.
However, not all artists are opposed to AI. In 2023, Grimes introduced Elf.Tech, a platform allowing fans to create music using her voice. Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA has used AI to write a new musical, while producer Timbaland launched Stage Zero, an AI artist project.
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