Rock band, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds has shared the new single titled “Tupelo,” video starring an AI Elvis. Watch the full video song below.
Nick Cave regularly shares personal reflections on music, grief, spirituality, and world events through his Red Hand Files newsletter, where he responds to fan questions with deep, often philosophical insights. Among his most viral pieces were his 2023 critiques of artificial intelligence, especially ChatGPT. In January of that year, Cave slammed AI-generated lyrics written in his style, calling them “a grotesque mockery of what it is to be human” and a sign of cultural decline. Later, he doubled down, stating that artists who rely on AI tools are contributing to the “erosion of the world’s soul and the spirit of humanity.”
Despite his outspoken criticism of AI, Nick Cave had a change of heart after seeing an unexpected project by longtime collaborator Andrew Dominik. To mark the 40th anniversary of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ song “Tupelo,” Dominik created a music video featuring a floating AI-generated Elvis Presley—without Cave’s prior knowledge. Known for directing Blonde, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and One More Time With Feeling, Dominik’s tribute impressed Cave, who ultimately described the video as “a soulful, moving, and entirely original retelling of ‘Tupelo,’ rich in mythos and a touching tribute to the great Elvis Presley.”
Cave found that Dominik’s AI-animated photographs of Presley “had an uncanny quality, as if he had been raised from the dead, and the crucifixion-resurrection images at the end were both shocking and deeply affecting.” He and his wife, Susie Cave, he added, “were blown away. As I watched Andrew’s surreal little film, I felt my view of AI as an artistic device soften. To some extent, my mind was changed. ‘It’s a tool, like any other,’ said Andrew.”
Far from coming away from this religious experience with his tail between his legs, Cave emerged with a renewed understanding of his own brilliance. “I believe that the ability to change one’s mind is the very definition of strength,” he wrote. “We pursue the truth wherever it may lead, remaining flexible and humble enough to adjust our views as new evidence emerges, regardless of how uncomfortable that may feel. It is ultimately a form of resilience, not a sign of weakness. Rigidity breaks; flexibility endures.”
Also, on Sep 24, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds revealed their spring 2025 North American tour dates. Which will take place on 09-24 Oberhausen, Germany – Rudolf Weber-Arena, and ends on 05-14 San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Share New Single, “Tupelo” Video Starring an AI Elvis: Watch Now