Published: 9/26/2026
Nashville songwriter Chris Gray has created an AI singer called Vance Drake to perform his human-written songs and says every release will clearly identify the artist as AI-generated.
Gray told NewsChannel 5 Nashville that he writes the songs while the AI performer handles the vocal and production. He plans to release a new Vance Drake track each month.
Gray says AI gives an independent songwriter access to a produced sound that could otherwise require a much larger budget. He also says transparency matters because listeners should know when a performer is AI-generated.
Why it matters: This is a practical artist-branding model for AI music: keep the human creator, songwriting contribution and AI role clear. Transparent credits can build trust while making the project easier for fans, distributors and collaborators to understand.
It does not settle copyright questions for every AI-assisted release. The level of human authorship and the terms of the music tool remain important for each song.
Source: NewsChannel 5 Nashville — Nashville songwriter uses AI singer to share his music