Recently, composer Patrick Irwin was in a room where his co-writers, Sam Fink and Duane Deerweater, were trying something new. Instead of booking studio time or calling a “trackguy” to produce a demo, one co-writer opened up Suno, an AI-powered music platform, uploaded a voice memo with just guitar and vocals, and typed in a prompt: “traditional country, male vocals, folk country, storytelling, 90s country, rhythmic.” Thirty seconds later, he had two fully produced demos with drums, electric guitars, bass, and backing harmonies. There were no musicians in the studio, and no invoices.
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At the start of 2024, few professionals had tried these tools, but in the past six months, songwriters and producers have embraced them to work faster and cheaper — and for some, more inventively. No record label, no major publisher, not even Suno would comment for this story. But after talking to musicians, writers, and a dozen anonymous insiders, it’s clear that Nashville has become an AI city.
Composer Trannie Anderson says the technology is ubiquitous. While she doesn’t use it herself, she sees it being used widely “from entry-level composers to top-tier ones.”
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Nashville is known as the “10-Year City,” reflecting the amount of time it takes to achieve success. Even for established songwriters, it takes a long time from the initial writing session to reaching country radio.
