The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are sharing their thoughts on AI, touring and more in the latest Billboard cover story.
AI technology was used to de-age the band in the video for “In the Stars,” the first single off their new album Foreign Tongues. But when it comes to using it to make music, they aren’t exactly on board.
“I’d rather hear something original. Music could do a lot better than just trying to copy itself,” Richards says. “We want new input. We don’t want more and more copying and synthesizing.”
“I don’t want people just putting stuff out there that can sound exactly like The Rolling Stones — I think that’s obviously wrong,” Jagger adds. “If someone wants to make music by AI, go ahead. But it has to be original — you have to have your own input and your own thoughts.”
He notes, “There are people who use AI to just make a song from scratch, in the style of The Rolling Stones. If you were any kind of creative person, you wouldn’t do that.”
As they have in previous interviews, the band once again touches upon whether they plan to tour behind Foreign Tongues; Jagger tells Billboard he would like to, even if it meant doing a residency.
“But the thing about a residency — the only downside for people is that it’s much more expensive for the further-out people that want to come and see the show,” he says.
Richards seems a bit more confident that shows will happen.
“I see no reason why next year, good Lord willing, we shouldn’t be able to, as you say, maybe a residency, something,” he says. “Maybe you find a different way of taking the thing on the road. Bring the road to us. That’s my suggestion.”
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