Randy Travis Releases New Single 'Where That Came From' — Crafted with the Help of AI: 'It's Still His Vocal'
The single marks the first song Travis has released since he suffered a stroke in 2013
New music from Randy Travis has arrived!
The country star, 64, released the new song “Where That Came From” on Friday, May 3, marking his first new track since he was sidelined by a stroke in 2013.
“Eleven years ago I never thought I would be able to have a hand in music production of any kind, but by God’s grace and the support of family, friends, fellow artists, and fans, I’m able to create the music I so dearly love,” Travis wrote in an Instagram caption announcing the song.
The seven-time Grammy winner went on to give a shoutout to his longtime producer Kyle Lehning as well as Warner Music Nashville, writing that working with them has been “so special and nostalgic.”
“I’m so excited to share my new song ‘Where That Came From’ with you today,” he wrote. “Many thanks to my wonderful team and the best fans in the world for putting me back in the saddle again! I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.”
Travis’ stroke greatly affected his speaking, writing and reading skills — and in an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Warner Music Nashville’s Cris Lacy revealed that “Where That Came From” was created with the help of artificial intelligence.
"It's Randy Travis," said Lacy. "Randy's on the other side of the microphone. … It's still his vocal …There's no reason he shouldn't be able to make music. … And to deprive him of that, if he still wants to do that, that's unconscionable to me."
According to the outlet, Lehning crafted a song using audio tracks that Travis had previously recorded as a way in. Another singer then used a special AI program overlaid with Travis’s voice to create a new recording, which Lehning and Travis then melded together into the new song.
“It’s not about how it sounds. It’s about how it feels,” said Lehning. “Him being here and him being able to be, you know, a vital part of the decision-making process makes all the difference to me.”
The “I Told You So” singer announced the song two days before its release.
Since 2013, he’s remained active, releasing a memoir in 2019 and a documentary in 2020 that featured several new, previously recorded songs from the vault.
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