Evolving Songs • Official Bootlegs • Human-Written Songs • AI Re-Creations
The first Songs by Greg Official Bootleg has arrived.
Official Bootleg 1 is the first listening session in an ongoing project where I explore my original songs through AI re-creations, alternate arrangements, unfinished ideas, and musical experiments.
Every song in this collection starts with me. I wrote the lyrics and melodies, and all but one of the AI recreations featured here came from original production demos I made. One song took a different path, beginning with an original ukulele part.
But this isn’t meant to be a collection of perfectly finished recordings.
That’s actually part of the point.
Some of these are complete songs. Others are songs that are still evolving. There are instrumental ideas that may eventually become songs with lyrics, rough sketches that are only a minute or less, and different versions of songs that show how the same idea can develop in completely different directions.
That’s where Evolving Songs comes in.
Rather than waiting until every song is completely finished before sharing it, I’m interested in documenting the process along the way. An idea that exists today as a short instrumental might become a finished song later. A song that already has lyrics might take on a completely different arrangement. And an AI re-creation might reveal something about a song that I hadn’t heard in the original production demo.
Official Bootleg 1 is essentially a snapshot of where these songs are right now.
Words & Music Written by Greg Kocis
Copyright Greg Kocis
Performed by AI
What’s Included
The first transmission includes a mixture of original songs, alternate versions, unfinished material, and instrumental ideas.
You’ll hear:
- Complete original songs
- AI re-creations made from my production demos
- Alternate versions of existing songs
- Instrumental ideas that may eventually become lyric-based songs
- Short unfinished sketches
- Different interpretations of the same song
- Songs at various stages of development
Two of the songs are presented in different versions, which is intentional. One of the things I’m exploring with this project is how a song can change when the arrangement, performance, or overall production direction changes.
And some of the shorter pieces aren’t really “songs” yet. They’re ideas. But if there’s a hook, melody, groove, or something else that catches my attention, I don’t necessarily want to throw it away just because it isn’t finished.
That’s what makes these Official Bootlegs.
They’re not necessarily the definitive versions of these songs. They’re snapshots, experiments, alternate interpretations, and recordings from along the way.
Official Bootleg 1 Tracklist
00:00 I Let SUNO AI Re-Create My Songs – Official Bootlegs Intro
01:08 No More
04:10 Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life
08:48 Everyday
11:06 Days Like These
15:09 Nobody Knows Me Now (dark pop vibe 1)
19:42 untitled instrumental 1 (made from a lofi beat I made)
21:29 work in progress (untitled)
23:09 untitled instrumental (made from a guitar track I made)
24:43 This Life is Driving Me Crazy
27:37 untitled instrumental (made from a rock track I made)
30:25 Beast Go Wild – The oldest song on here
35:13 Good Old Days with commentary intro
40:31 Here We Go Here We Go with commentary intro
44:36 Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life
48:15 Nobody Knows Me Now (blues vibe)
53:52 untitled instrumental (made from a lofi beat I made)
56:58 untitled instrumental (made from a ukulele video I created a while back)
You can find the original production demo of No More here: No More feat. Liel Bar-Z
The Evolution of “Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life” — From Acoustic Demo to AI Adaptation
Can an AI Performance Capture the Emotion of a Human-Written Song?
Why “Official Bootleg”?
The name is inspired by the idea of discovering an unofficial recording from a particular moment — something different from the polished, definitive release.
In this case, though, they’re official because they’re part of my own ongoing archive of songs and recordings.
There isn’t a fake concert location attached to these recordings, and I’m not pretending they’re live performances from somewhere they weren’t. Instead, each Official Bootleg gives the collection its own identity.
Official Bootleg 1: Days Like These is the first one.
Future Official Bootlegs can contain different songs, different versions, new experiments, and completely new directions.
And because these are evolving songs, there’s no guarantee that the version you hear here will be the version that eventually becomes the finished recording.
That may actually be the most interesting part.
Human-Written Songs, AI Re-Creations
One thing I want to make clear about this project is where the songs come from.
The songs are written by me.
The lyrics and melodies are mine, and the AI is being used as a tool to explore different performances, arrangements, and interpretations of those songs.
Most of the recordings in this first transmission were created from original production demos that I made. I’m essentially taking something I’ve already created and asking, What else could this song sound like?
Sometimes the result works exactly the way I imagined.
Sometimes it takes the song somewhere completely unexpected.
And sometimes a strange little experiment turns out to have something worth keeping.
That’s what I’m interested in documenting.
This Is Only Official Bootleg 1
This first transmission is really an experiment.
I’m figuring out what this project should become, how these songs should be presented, and how much of the unfinished process I want to share along the way.
There will probably be more polished recordings in the future. There will also probably be more strange little ideas that never become anything.
And that’s okay.
Songs by Greg isn’t just about finished songs. It’s about what happens to them along the way.
Welcome to Official Bootlegs.
Songs by Greg
Evolving Songs • Official Bootlegs • Human-Written • AI Re-Creations
This is such an interesting way to use AI in music. I especially like that the songs themselves—the lyrics and melodies—are your own creations, while AI gives you a way to hear them performed and arranged in directions you might not have originally considered.
I’ve listened to several of your AI re-creations now, and I have to say, they’re really pretty good! Some of them sound surprisingly polished, and it’s fascinating to hear how a different style or arrangement can change the whole feel of a song without changing the song at its core.
I also like the “Official Bootleg” idea and the fact that you’re willing to share works in progress instead of only the finished product. It gives us a chance to hear the songs evolve along with you. I’ll be interested to see which of these experiments eventually become the definitive versions!
Thanks for listening, and thanks for the comments.
I like the idea of sharing songs as evolving works rather than waiting until everything feels completely finished. Using AI to reinterpret a human-written melody also raises interesting creative possibilities because an unexpected arrangement might reveal something in the original composition that the songwriter had not considered.
Has an AI re-creation ever changed your mind about how you ultimately wanted to arrange or finish one of your songs?
Yes, definitely. With “Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life,” for example, one of the AI arrangements added guitar solos in different sections that weren’t in the original. If and when I do a another human-made production of the song, I could use those ideas to create different versions—a longer version with the solos and a shorter version without them. So the AI arrangement can definitely give me new ideas and influence how I ultimately arrange and finish a song.
As a fellow singer and songwriter, I have to say how much I admire what you’re doing with Official Bootleg 1. It’s really refreshing to see an artist sharing their songs in their raw, evolving stages instead of just holding off for that perfect, polished version. It’s such a unique way to let your listeners experience the creative process; sharing those rough ideas, different arrangements, and even some of the experiments that might not make it to the final cut.
I’m particularly impressed by how you’re using AI to explore new interpretations of your own work rather than letting it take over. It’s amazing to hear how a song can take on a whole new character depending on how it’s arranged or performed. As I contemplate sharing my own compositions on YouTube, your approach really inspires me to document the journey instead of just showcasing the end result.
Thanks for listening! I’m glad it’s inspiring you to share your own compositions on YouTube! I started hearing cover versions of songs on YouTube in various genres, and that’s what gave me the idea and inspiration to try it with my own songs.
I really appreciate the way you distinguish between a finished song and a song that is still evolving. From a communication and storytelling perspective, that approach is compelling because it gives the audience insight into the creative process rather than presenting only the polished end result. The idea of using AI to explore alternate arrangements and interpretations while keeping the lyrics and melodies human-written also raises an interesting point about technology serving creativity rather than replacing it. Documenting those different stages makes the project feel authentic and gives listeners an opportunity to experience how a musical idea develops over time. “Official Bootleg 1” sounds like a fascinating starting point for that journey.
Thanks for listening, and thanks so much for the thoughtful comments! I really appreciate you taking the time to check out the project and share your thoughts.
Hi Greg,
The “Official Bootleg” idea makes unfinished music feel less like something hidden away and more like a record of the creative process. I especially like that short instrumentals and rough sketches are included, even when you do not yet know whether they will become complete songs.
Sharing these early versions also gives listeners a chance to react before every decision has been made. That could make the audience part of the journey in an interesting way.
If one unfinished track receives much more attention than the others, would that influence which song you develop next? Or do you try to follow your original creative direction without letting listener reactions affect it too much?
I think finding that balance between useful feedback and personal creative control could become an important part of this project.
Yeah, absolutely. If I start getting positive feedback from a lot of people on one particular song, that would probably influence which one I work on next. I don’t think I’d completely change my creative direction based on comments, but if people are responding strongly to a song, that’s definitely worth paying attention to.
Some of the songs in the Bootlegs are already complete, while others are still works in progress. One interesting example is a song where the vocals were completely improvised—basically all ad-libs—and I never went back and rewrote the lyrics. Someone actually commented specifically on those lyrics on YouTube, which I thought was pretty interesting.
Greg, I like the idea behind “Official Bootlegs,” especially the decision to document songs while they are still developing rather than waiting for everything to become a polished final recording. Treating unfinished sketches, alternate arrangements, and AI re-creations as part of the creative record makes the project feel more like a musical journal than a conventional album. I think so.
I also find the idea of revisiting the same song in different forms particularly interesting. Do you think one of these unfinished or AI-recreated versions might eventually become more influential on the final song than the original production demo?
John
Thanks! I don’t necessarily think the AI version will become more influential than the original production demo. I can see the final version as a combination of the two—the original production and songwriting ideas, plus certain ideas from the AI interpretation.
Sometimes the AI version introduces an arrangement, instrument, vocal approach, or other idea I hadn’t considered. I can then take that idea and incorporate it into a human-made production while still keeping the original demo as the foundation. That’s actually one of the things I find most interesting about using AI this way.
Calling a collection of raw or unreleased tracks “official bootlegs” is such a clever spin—it immediately makes you feel like an insider getting a secret peek behind the curtain! As a mom, I just love watching the creative process unspool, because the raw, unpolished early versions often have a special kind of magic all their own. Thank you for sharing these raw gems with us, though I have to warn you, calling them “bootlegs” makes me feel like I’m doing something slightly rebellious just listening!
Thank you! That’s exactly the feeling I’m going for. There’s something fun about giving people that “insider” look at the songs before they’re fully finished. And yes, the word “bootleg” definitely makes it a little more rebellious! ????
Hey Greg, I really enjoy your songs, and I found this article about official bootlegs really interesting. I like how live recordings can capture a different energy and atmosphere than the studio versions, making fans feel more connected to the performance. It’s also cool that these recordings give listeners a chance to hear moments that might otherwise be missed. Do you have an official bootleg that you’re especially proud of or that you think fans should listen to first?
Thanks! This is actually the first Official Bootleg, but there will definitely be more to come in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing how the series evolves!
Hi Greg,
I really like the idea of sharing songs while they are still changing. It makes the project feel more personal because listeners can hear how an idea develops over time. I also think using AI this way is interesting. The songs, lyrics, and melodies are still yours, but AI can show you different ways the same song might sound. Sometimes that may even give you ideas for the final version. The “Official Bootleg” name fits the project very well too.
Thanks for sharing this creative experiment.
Makhsud
Thanks! That’s exactly what makes this experiment so interesting. I’m really curious to see where some of these songs eventually end up.
Greg, I think “Official Bootlegs” is a brilliant idea. Documenting songs while they’re still evolving and preserving sketches, alternate arrangements, and AI re-creations turns the project into a fascinating musical journal rather than just another album.
I especially love the idea of revisiting the same song in different forms. Could one of these unfinished or AI-recreated versions eventually influence the final song more than the original production demo?
Thanks for the comment! And yes, I definitely think that could happen. With some of these songs, an AI recreation or alternate version could actually influence the final song — even changing the genre or other details of the arrangement.