The Caravan

November 4, 2026

The dog barks while the caravan moves on.

That old saying is where this starts, because there's a big elephant in the room, and I'd rather face it head-on than pretend it's not there. The elephant is AI.

Our vision

Franklin McKay Music is built around strong songs — catchy melodies, unforgettable hooks, performed across multiple projects, voices, and genres. My vision is basically embracing AI and the changing landscape, and using these tools to connect the songs to new opportunities — and connecting us to new opportunities.

My personal thoughts

My personal thoughts are that AI is here to stay and I felt it was important to embrace it not fear it. I didn't draw a line in the sand because, like many new technologies, it scares people leaving them apprehensive and torn. However, I believe technology always wins in the end and my goal as a songwriter is to give my songs the best possible chance to succeed.

I don't use AI to write the songs, I merely decided to use it as a tool to enhance and redress the songs so that music supervisors, sync licensors, and major labels can now hear the songs in a variety of genres that I, as the artist Franklin McKay, can't deliver.

Not to mention the cost of recutting 1 song into a full jazz ensemble would run $10K and there isn't even a guarantee it would translate. Take 33 songs and multiply them by 4-5 genres at 10K per song and you can quickly see why AI is an amazing tool.

Questions you might ask

Do you use AI to write the songs?

I don't use AI to write the songs.

Is the AI version a pitch, or a record people listen to?

It's both a pitch version and a listening version.

Does it matter how the song gets completed?

I don't think most people care about the building blocks of the song. They either like it or they don't. In the end what will matter to the everyday listener is whether the song connects with them or not.

Does this take work away from real musicians?

One door closes and another opens. There will always be real musicians. I think it's about merging rather than ending.

Have a listen

Elektrik Ghosts — "This Christmas," pop jazz version. I think it's spectacular!

Smooth jazz versions — the "Chasing the Night" playlist: 11 songs, about 45 minutes. A great smooth jazz playlist, under an hour.

Elektrik Ghosts, Jazz in the Machiné, and Solé Noir are AI-performed projects performing the songs from Franklin McKay's discography.

the caravan · franklin mckay