Songs by Greg — Official Bootlegs
Greg Kocis Songs by Greg — Official Bootlegs is a music series created by Greg Kocis featuring original songs written by me and presented as performances using AI-assisted music technology.
The series was created as a way to share songs that I have written without requiring every recording to follow the traditional process of assembling a band, booking musicians, or producing a conventional studio recording.
The name “Official Bootleg” is intentional. These recordings are presented with the spirit of a bootleg—raw, experimental, and focused on getting the music out there—while still being official releases from me.
About the Series
The Official Bootleg series grew from my ongoing experiments with AI music technology and my desire to hear more of my original songs performed.
The songs themselves originate with me as the songwriter. Depending on the recording, I may start with lyrics, melodies, guitar recordings, production demos, or other musical material that I have created. AI tools can then be used as part of the performance and production process.
The result is a different kind of recording workflow: human-written songs performed with AI-assisted technology.
I don’t consider the technology to be the songwriter. Instead, I use it as another tool for bringing my songs to life.
Human-Written Songs Performed by AI
A central idea behind Songs by Greg — Official Bootleg is transparency about how the recordings are made.
The series uses the description:
Human-written songs performed by AI
This distinction is important because the songwriting and the performance are separate parts of the process.
The words, ideas, melodies, compositions, and creative direction come from my songwriting. AI may be used to create or transform the performance, instrumentation, arrangement, or production of a particular recording.
Rather than hiding that process, Official Bootleg makes it part of the concept.
The Official Bootleg Concept
Traditional bootlegs are often associated with recordings that capture music outside of the normal commercial release process. I liked the idea of borrowing that spirit for these recordings.
These aren’t intended to be polished commercial singles in every case. Some are experiments. Some are alternate versions. Some may be early interpretations of songs that could eventually receive more conventional productions.
The Official Bootleg series gives me a place to release those recordings and let the songs exist on their own.
In that sense, “official bootleg” is a contradiction—and that’s the point.
Live Streams and Bootleg Recordings
The concept has also expanded beyond individual song uploads into longer listening experiences and live streams.
One example is an extended Songs by Greg — Official Bootleg stream featuring multiple songs together in a continuous listening session.
These streams allow the music to be presented more like discovering a collection of recordings rather than listening to a traditional album from beginning to end.
An Ongoing Archive
Songs by Greg — Official Bootleg is an ongoing project.
As I continue writing songs and experimenting with new recording and AI-assisted production techniques, the series provides a place to document different versions and interpretations of my music.
Some recordings may eventually lead to fully produced studio versions. Others may remain as they are—a snapshot of a particular song and a particular moment in the technology used to create it.
The idea is to keep the songs moving instead of leaving them sitting on a hard drive.
Series Philosophy
At its core, Official Bootleg is about getting original music heard.
The technology is interesting, but the technology isn’t the reason I write songs. The songs come first.
The series gives me a way to take songs that might otherwise remain unfinished or unheard and turn them into something people can actually listen to.
Written by a human. Performed with AI. Released as an Official Bootleg.
Episode 1 — Songs by Greg — Official Bootlegs
- Official Bootleg: Days Like These Won’t Last Forever – Songs by Greg Website
- YouTube
The first Songs by Greg — Official Bootleg broadcast was presented as a live listening session featuring a collection of my original songs and AI re-creations.
The broadcast introduced the basic concept behind the series: these are human-written songs being re-created and explored through AI, rather than songs that originated with AI.
Every song included in the broadcast was written by me, including the lyrics and melodies. The AI performances were used as a way to explore different interpretations, arrangements, sounds, and possibilities for the songs.
An Evolving Collection
One of the defining characteristics of the first broadcast was that it wasn’t limited to finished songs.
The listening session included a mixture of:
- Completed songs — Original songs presented as AI re-creations.
- Alternate versions — Different interpretations and arrangements of songs.
- Evolving songs — Songs still being written, developed, arranged, or figured out.
- Instrumental ideas — Musical pieces and production ideas that could eventually become full songs with lyrics.
- Work-in-progress material — Early ideas that I felt were worth documenting even though they weren’t finished.
Some recordings were relatively polished, while others were essentially snapshots of an idea at a particular point in its development.
That was intentional. The purpose of Official Bootlegs isn’t necessarily to present only definitive recordings. It’s also about documenting where a song is going.
From Production Demos to AI Re-Creations
Most of the AI re-creations in the first broadcast were created from original production demos that I made myself.
This became an important part of the Official Bootleg concept. Rather than starting with an AI-generated song, I could take something I had already written and recorded and use AI to explore what that song might sound like in another musical setting.
One recording took a different route. An instrumental idea was created from an original ukulele recording that I had made previously.
The broadcast therefore demonstrates several different ways I can use existing recordings and ideas as starting points for new interpretations.
Multiple Versions of the Same Song
The first broadcast also included different versions of two songs.
“Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life” appears twice during the session, while “Nobody Knows Me Now” is presented in two distinctly different styles.
The first version of Nobody Knows Me Now has a dark pop vibe, while a later version takes the song in a blues-oriented direction.
This was one of the more interesting aspects of the experiment for me. The same underlying song can produce very different results depending on the arrangement, performance, and musical direction.
Rather than treating one version as automatically being the “right” one, Official Bootlegs gives me a place to explore those possibilities.
Songs and Ideas Featured
The first broadcast included the following songs and musical ideas:
| Time | Song / Recording | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Official Bootlegs Intro | Introduction to the project |
| 01:08 | No More | AI re-creation from my original production demo |
| 04:10 | Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life | AI re-creation |
| 08:48 | Everyday | AI re-creation |
| 11:06 | Days Like These | AI re-creation |
| 15:09 | Nobody Knows Me Now | Dark pop version |
| 19:42 | Untitled Instrumental 1 | Made from a lo-fi beat I created |
| 21:29 | Work in Progress | Untitled developing song |
| 23:09 | Untitled Instrumental | Made from a guitar track I created |
| 24:43 | This Life Is Driving Me Crazy | AI re-creation |
| 27:37 | Untitled Instrumental | Made from a rock track I created |
| 30:25 | Beast Go Wild | The oldest song featured in the broadcast |
| 35:13 | Good Old Days | Includes a commentary introduction |
| 40:31 | Here We Go Here We Go | Includes a commentary introduction |
| 44:36 | Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life | Alternate appearance/version |
| 48:15 | Nobody Knows Me Now | Blues version |
| 53:52 | Untitled Instrumental | Made from a lo-fi beat I created |
| 56:58 | Untitled Instrumental | Made from an original ukulele recording |
The Oldest Song in the Broadcast
One of the more interesting recordings included in the first session is “Beast Go Wild,” which I identified during the broadcast as the oldest song featured in the collection.
Its inclusion illustrates one of the reasons I wanted to create this series in the first place: songs don’t necessarily have to be new to become part of the creative process again.
An older song can be revisited, reinterpreted, and given an entirely different life through a new recording approach.
The Official Bootleg Philosophy
I call these recordings Official Bootlegs because they’re alternate recordings, interpretations, experiments, and versions of my own songs rather than necessarily being the definitive studio versions.
They’re a kind of musical archive.
The process can be thought of as:
Human-written songs → Production demos → AI re-creations → Alternate arrangements → Evolving versions → Future possibilities
The AI is part of the production and performance process, but the underlying songs come from me.
That’s an important distinction throughout the series.
A Musical Snapshot
The first broadcast isn’t intended to represent a finished album or a final collection of recordings.
Instead, it’s a snapshot of where a group of songs and ideas happened to be at that moment.
Some may eventually become fully produced studio recordings. Others may evolve into completely different arrangements. Some instrumental ideas may eventually acquire lyrics, while others may remain instrumental sketches.
That’s part of what makes the Official Bootleg project interesting to me.
I’m not just documenting finished songs. I’m documenting songs as they evolve.
Episode 1 Significance
The first live broadcast established the format and philosophy that would become the foundation of Songs by Greg — Official Bootleg.
It brought together completed songs, alternate interpretations, older material, unfinished ideas, instrumental experiments, and recordings created from different source material—all in one listening session.
More importantly, it demonstrated what I wanted this project to be:
A place where my songs can be heard, experimented with, and allowed to evolve.
Words & Music Written by Greg Kocis
Copyright Greg Kocis
Performed by AI
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