The Velvet Sundown: Real Band or AI Fever Dream?

In less than a month, one band has garnered more than 400,000 monthly listeners and about 380,000 streams on Spotify for their most popular song, “Dust on the Wind.” Presented as a four-piece psych-rock band, The Velvet Sundown has garnered significant attention on social media for their quick popularity. Yet their Spotify bio, band photos, and lack of real-world presence have triggered many music sleuths online, questioning whether this band is even real.

Featuring singer and mellotron player Gabe Farrow, guitarist Lennie West, synth player Milo Raines, and percussionist Orion “Rio” Del Mar, their music spans two albums: Floating on Echoes and Dust and Silence. However, beyond their Spotify profile, none of the band members seems to have a single shred of an internet presence. Many people have pointed out that the band’s photos look remarkably AI-generated. Oddly inhuman, their Spotify bio reads, “The Velvet Sundown aren’t trying to revive the past. They're rewriting it. They sound like the memory of a time that never actually happened… but somehow they make it feel real.”

Reddit and TikTok users have also pointed out that they discovered The Velvet Sundown on their Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify. Many were angered that Spotify would choose to promote such a band, but it still remains unclear whether The Velvet Sundown truly is AI-generated or not.

The band has done little to prove people wrong while the controversy continues to stir online. There is yet to be found actual proof that the band is generated by AI, but for now, many Spotify users have expressed their disappointment in the music streaming platform for not informing listeners.

With artificial intelligence improving by the second, society is slowly losing its ability to discern what’s real and fake. Is the development of AI truly benefiting society, or is the beauty of creativity dying?