Natalie Nicole Gilbert Releases New Hybrid 'Chasing Cars' Remix

Multi-award-winning artist Natalie Nicole Gilbert has released a cover of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" in collaboration with Writer and VocalSynth Cover Artist Joey Lacey (Online Alias @JOEZCafe). This cover, blending two major incarnations of vocal synthesis, released on all major music platforms on August 30, 2024. Utilizing non-generative AI, Gilbert's involvement includes both her human voice and her Synthesizer V voicebank, "Natalie Synth V," which debuted in October 2022. Gilbert was officially revealed as the human voice provider for the Natalie [なちりー] voicebank in May 2024.

Lacey's vocals are represented with "JYOZE," a voicebank released in June 2020 for Ameya's UTAU software. The two voicebanks set out to draw a contrast. Natalie Synth V's vocal was trained using Dreamtonics' AI infrastructure for a commercial 2020s vocal library, while JYOZE's vocal was created from scratch in a free, 2008 sampling software that anyone can use. This collaboration adds a modern twist to Snow Patrol's classic hit, with the musical arrangement expertly crafted by Jonathan Still.

"'Chasing Cars' has always held a special place in my heart," says Gilbert. "This version brings together my passion for blending human emotion with the precision of vocal synthesis. Working with Joey and Jonathan on this track has been an incredible journey. This track was human driven and arranged, and we chose a cover to drive that home - generative AI can't replicate and expound upon existing melodies and material. We used AI as a tool, with a voicebank trained and commissioned on my voice with my consent."

Echoing Gilbert, Lacey adds, "It's an intricate process. It's far from a computer doing everything for us; we have to channel what the song means to us down to the minutiae, the phonetic delivery, the attacks, the vibrato. The Vocal Synth community is full to the brim with creatives, and I want to use this opportunity to display that."

The original song, written by Snow Patrol members Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly, Paul Wilson, Jonny Quinn, and Tom Simpson, is reinterpreted through the unique blend of Natalie Synth V's heartfelt tone, JYOZE's dynamic synthesized voice, and Natalie Nicole's warmth in her human recordings.

About Natalie Nicole Gilbert:

Natalie Nicole Gilbert is a celebrated vocalist, producer, and songwriter known for her expansive range across genres and her ability to seamlessly integrate traditional and digital music elements. With 14 solo albums and 17 singles to her credit, she is a seasoned artist with deep roots in the music industry. Gilbert's recent work includes serving as the music supervisor for The Last Lap and The Modelizer, the latter now available on Apple TV, and contributing the song "Never As Far" to the Lifetime movie My Nanny Stole My Life, co-written with Amy Tilson-Lumetta.

About Joey Lacey:

Joey Lacey, known online as JoezCafé, is an active content creator in the Vocal Synth fandom, known for using and tutorializing an array of vsynth software like VOCALOID, UTAU, and Synthesizer V. Their first exposure to the community was from listening to VOCALOID music in 2014, and since then, they've made their own covers, their own voicebank, and contributed in vocals and lyricism to other collaborators.

Natalie Nicole Gilbert and Joey Lacey:

Both Natalie Nicole and Joey are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Their collaboration on "Chasing Cars" reflects their shared commitment to inclusivity and representation in the arts. They first connected through the SynthV community following the revelation of Gilbert as the human voice provider for the Natalie Synth V voicebank in May 2024.

Remixed with Robert Eibach:

Robert Eibach is a renowned American producer, remixer, recording engineer, musician, DJ, and songwriter. He has been nominated for multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards and created Billboard-charting remixes for artists like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Lopez.

Single graphic by Massimo Sabadin

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