Steven Wilson shares surprise Christmas single after being challenged by friend

Steven Wilson shares surprise Christmas single after being challenged by friend

Steven Wilson has shared a surprise Christmas single called ‘December Skies’ after being challenged by a friend.

The Porcupine Tree frontman uploaded the track on December 14, where he shared the story of the unusually festive track.

On YouTube, Wilson shared he was “challenged by a friend last week on why I’d never done a Christmas song.”

“I protested it wasn’t really me, and besides I didn’t think I had it in me to write suitably Christmassy lyrics,” he continued. The friend suggested they use Chat GPT to write the song instead, where they instructed the AI to “generate Christmas lyrics in the style of Steven Wilson.”

“I was shocked at how instantaneous and easy it was to guide it”, Wilson said. He also revealed some further prompts they gave to refine the song: “don’t mention Christmas” and “make it feel cold and lonely”.

 

The musician also shared that he was “not entirely sure what I think about AI” after using it to create ‘December Skies’.

“The knee-jerk reaction is to consider it a threat to a musician like me,” he said, “but it’s clearly not going away, so this is my experiment to try embracing it and using it as a tool in the creative process. And of course also to have some fun doing something I would never normally have thought about doing, the archetypal seasonal song.

“I wonder what people will make of it. I wonder what I make of it.”

Wilson also revealed that the video for ‘December Skies’ was also created with the help of an AI system by Miles Skarin, based on “imagery drawn from some of my previous videos then placed into 2D and 3D backdrops.”

NME spoke to Wilson this August about his solo album ‘The Harmony Codex’, where he talked about the Manic Street Preachers remixing one of its singles. “The Manics took my lead vocal and created a whole different piece of music to go under it,” he said. “It was like nothing I’d expected and it blew me away.

“I’ve just done a remix for them in return. I wanted to do away with the notion of remixes. I approached people like Roland Orzabal who aren’t known for doing remixes, to say instead: ‘Reimagine the song how you want’.”

You can view the original article HERE.

Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone, Halle Berry among celebrities helping displaced families
Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone, Halle Berry among celebrities helping displaced families
‘Soul Man’ Sam Moore Dead at 89, Half of Hall of Fame Duo Sam and Dave
‘Soul Man’ Sam Moore Dead at 89, Half of Hall of Fame Duo Sam and Dave
Celebrities Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Ricki Lake, Haley Joel Osment and more reportedly lose homes
Celebrities Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Ricki Lake, Haley Joel Osment and more reportedly lose homes
My Inner Egoísta Fueled My Dreams in Comedy and Acting
My Inner Egoísta Fueled My Dreams in Comedy and Acting
Dream of Death: Robert Eggers on “Nosferatu” | Interviews
Dream of Death: Robert Eggers on “Nosferatu” | Interviews
‘The Rookie’ Begins Season 7 with a Big Achievement
‘The Rookie’ Begins Season 7 with a Big Achievement
‘Ballerina’ Image Unleashes Ana de Armas in ‘John Wick’ Spinoff
‘Ballerina’ Image Unleashes Ana de Armas in ‘John Wick’ Spinoff
What’s gone can never be replaced: thoughts on Los Angeles, disasters, and the present moment | MZS
What’s gone can never be replaced: thoughts on Los Angeles, disasters, and the present moment | MZS
Alec Baldwin sues for malicious prosecution following ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial
Alec Baldwin sues for malicious prosecution following ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial
Who was killed on The Traitors this week?
Who was killed on The Traitors this week?
System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan responds to Nikki Glaser’s Glenn Close Golden Globes joke
System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan responds to Nikki Glaser’s Glenn Close Golden Globes joke
Jheńe Aiko and Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles reveal they’ve lost their homes in the LA wildfires
Jheńe Aiko and Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles reveal they’ve lost their homes in the LA wildfires
Zion misses Pelicans’ win vs. 76ers after suspension for violating team policies
Zion misses Pelicans’ win vs. 76ers after suspension for violating team policies
Notre Dame rallies late to beat Penn State, advance to title game
Notre Dame rallies late to beat Penn State, advance to title game
Vikings-Rams moved to Arizona due to wildfires
Vikings-Rams moved to Arizona due to wildfires
Report: Raiders, Brady reach out to Belichick about head coaching job
Report: Raiders, Brady reach out to Belichick about head coaching job
Why Emilia Clarke’s ‘Me Before You’ Is so Controversial
Why Emilia Clarke’s ‘Me Before You’ Is so Controversial
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 2 Review: The Way We Were
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 2 Review: The Way We Were
Virgin River Season 6 Recap in 3 Minutes Or Less
Virgin River Season 6 Recap in 3 Minutes Or Less
‘Den of Thieves 2’ Review
‘Den of Thieves 2’ Review
Gucci Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme
Gucci Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme
Manolo Blahnik Celebrates Sarah Hoover’s New Book!
Manolo Blahnik Celebrates Sarah Hoover’s New Book!
TikTok’s New Ban, Robert Pattinson For Dior!
TikTok’s New Ban, Robert Pattinson For Dior!
Your Winter Style Guide: Chic Coats, Knits, Boots, & More!
Your Winter Style Guide: Chic Coats, Knits, Boots, & More!