There was something to the band The Velvet Sundown that was different. A lot of people couldn’t put their finger on it, but it was definitely there. The band had a sound that was both unique and ordinary. Their songs are unknown, yet highly familiar. But mainly, they seem to have come out of nowhere. Not to mention, they were quite industrious – putting out two full-length albums in a record-breaking month, if that!
The Velvet Sundown Comes Crashing on the Scene
In June 2024, Spotify users happened to notice a song added to their playlist – or maybe two. Who’s the artist? The band was called The Velvet Sundown.
The description for the band was “Not quite human. Not quite a machine. The Velvet Sundown lives somewhere in between.” Their sound was a mix of 70s psychedelic rock, indie pop, and folk, with some influences of yacht rock. Songs that were mostly pleasing and easy-going, but somewhat formulaic. Most people didn’t seem to mind the sudden presence of the band, yet who were they? Where did they come from?
The Velvet Sundown’s Band Members
The four band members: Gabe, Lennie, Milo, and Orion (or “Rio”) all had very little information about them. The only thing was what instrument each played. The band members had no social media presence or history, therefore making it very difficult to find out their backgrounds.
A more thorough look didn’t find anything. What other bands had the singer been in? Had the drummer always been a drummer? Who wrote their music? That one was strange because credits for the music and lyrics went to The Velvet Sundown as a whole.
A deeper dive revealed that the band was probably created with Suno. Suno is one of the largest AI platforms for music, along with Udio and Elysia. The few pictures of the band were likely made with AI, as they had all the hallmarks: “dreamy” look, the slightly out-of-focus lens, fuzzy details, and one of the guitarist’s hands wasn’t quite right. Weird.
Who is Andrew Frelon?
So now we get to Andrew Frelon. Frelon (not his real name) said he was behind the band called The Velvet Sundown. He created them with AI tools through Suno. The Canadian man claimed the project was an “art hoax.”
In a bizarre twist, The Velvet Sundown posted that they had no affiliation with Frelon. “Someone is attempting to hijack the identity of The Velvet Sundown,” the band stated on Spotify and Instagram. Frelon (or the man claiming to be) wrote a lengthy post on Medium, giving the background of his “relationship” with the band and why he did what he did.
Wrapping It Up
When things like this occur, such as creating an AI actor, an AI film, or an AI band, it’s hard not to think about the future. With AI technology becoming increasingly powerful, who knows – we may find out an A-list actor, or even scarier, a whole company never existed.
Yes, most movies are fiction, but the work put into them is very real. Songs are intangible, but they evoke definitive responses and certainly bring about an array of emotions. They’re meant to. But when the heart and soul are taken away from the creator, then what’s the worth?
