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ELIZA NEALS

18. Sept.
5 Min. Lesezeit

Aktualisiert: 19. Sept.

American blues rock singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and arranger


"A recording on vinyl of a SOUL reaching through the years, the miles, the tears to touch me like the first time, every time"

Eliza Neals

Eliza Neals singing and performing live on stage

Let's start with you. Tell me a little about yourself and your relationship with music.

My relationship to music is complex like every musician who turned songwriter who grew up around a urban city like Detroit went to school and met some amazing giants of music during my time. I learned to perform and tell stories so each song has its own importance and place in time.


When did AI first become something you actually started thinking about in relation to music?

Well I sort of remember when early on Pro-Tools, then came Autotune and all the 'real singers' I knew could not stand it. T-Pain sort of changed my mind to what a tool like that could do for a career as he made a bunch of money (for the label) with that style.


Do you currently use AI tools in your own work?

I have not used AI to craft any music, I have been writing organically for so long now I can’t fathom using AI. I have an old piano a 1937 Hardman it stays de-tuned after spending most of it’s life in a church in Harlem then moving to a club in Philly, the last 10 years with me in Jersey City. The piano has its own soul and I have written so many songs together with her it’s crazy. I also write with other great musicians and craft and build songs until we have fully explored the feeling.


I have had a music video director create images with AI for a still picture music video, it has over 200K views so that’s a trip I did not expect check out “Love Will” on YouTube. The title image ended up on the Single Cover and many people like the video I guess knowing the music is human.


I have used AI via marketing companies to market my ticket sales but it's all an algorithm now, what’s not? The chances you read this is depending on one probably and that is scary.


What excites you about AI — and what worries you?

Not much excites me about AI. I know AI is here from the number of songs I had to compete with on the Amazon Hot New Release Chart and yet humans know the difference as I stayed on the chart for 10 weeks in the top 25. Everyday during my release in late March '26 over 70'000 songs dropped per day, it was wild to watch. The impact will be long lasting on artists that create music the hard way


There is a huge debate around copyright, consent and AI training. Where do you stand?

Well AI can’t get a copyright so as of now, Artists are protected but not getting paid for any ’stolen, borrowed or used’ music compositions. Existing songs that have a copyright must be protected (hello Soundexchange) and the vocal style found in the AI music master must pay the original composer similar to sample law in copyright protection. It is just this simple, even if it's from a hundred artists so pay us all for our stolen work cause they tracked down every Rap artist and forced them to pay.


Imagine someone is 16 years old today and dreams of becoming a musician.

Yes go for it cause an instrument no matter what it is will change you and make you a “musician” vs a singer who does not play an instrument. If you fall on the later side and don’t play an instrument you will rely on other people's tools to get your sound across and can’t speak the language ’so to speak.’ Until we as humans accept robots to perform 'live music’ then as an artist please learn your Instrument Then become a pro. Yes it’s going to be a long journey but hey I did Not have YouTube to learn quicker so get to it lol. You gotta know how to perform - how to breath - how to play upside down in a storm on a moving stage as half the band quits.


Fast-forward five years.

First pray the Copyright office gets it right and AI has mercy for its creators no matter how dumb it thinks we are. The truth will set us free or enslave us all. Music performed ‘Live' will get bigger for established artists and even rare at times due to streaming concerts entering the goggles, holograms and 3D theaters plus TVs. Owing your master catalog, image, name, trade mark etc etc will become critical for artists to actually leverage a real retirement.


Finally: The Human Frequency.

AI is a mimic, never born with vocal cords or fingers on a pair of drum sticks or fret board. We as humans have a soul, even after death I listen to the music of so many greats and hear a recording on vinyl of a SOUL reaching through the years, the miles, the tears to touch me like the first time every time. Can you mimic greatness? Yes you can. Then someone goes “that sounds like _________” and you go “oh yeah, it sounds like this song _____.” Is it original? Yes. Is it new? No. I have a catalog of songs on Apple Music put you headphones on and there’s stuff on those songs that I can’t even believe got recorded as ‘lighting in a bottle.’ You can simulate a Rupert Neve Focusright board but I recorded on one of the actual boards there are only like 11 ever made. Analog and vintage breathes like a old 1937 Hardman piano made on 57th street right across the street from Steinway Piano at the time. You think some guy from Steinway quit and walked across the street to Hardman? I bet many did cross the street and that nuance changes the human element in music. So cross the street change your frequency but don’t you ever quit.


Currently I'm Touring Florida on my Southern Run then headed to Spain after Buddy Guys Legends on November 6th. Next year starting off at Vero Beach Blues Fest on Feb 27th which has gotten pretty crazy being only like 20 bucks 30,000 people show up to party like Woodstock.


I will be touring on my first live album in a while “Live at the 33rd North Atlantic Blues Festival” should be a gas.


Eliza Neals is a blues-rock singer, songwriter, pianist and producer from Detroit. She grew up in the orbit of the Motor City's music, studied opera at Wayne State University and cut her teeth in Detroit clubs before signing in the mid-1990s with Blarritt Records, the label run by Motown songwriter Barrett Strong. Strong became a mentor and friend. She later co-wrote and co-produced his album Stronghold II.


Since then she has released most of her records independently or on the E-H label: a dozen albums, with guests including Joe Louis Walker, Popa Chubby and Derek St. Holmes. She writes at the grand piano, arranges her own material and has shared stages with George Clinton, the Four Tops, Walter Trout and Tony Joe White. Her awards include Outstanding Blues/R&B Songwriter at the 2015 Detroit Music Awards.


Her thirteenth studio album, Thunder in the House, came out in March 2026.

Eliza Neals is jaming with other musicians on stage


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