Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Teddy Swims joins SXSW Sydney with manager Luke Conway to discuss how AI can enhance music without replacing human artistry.
At SXSW Sydney, soul singer Teddy Swims recently sat down with his manager Luke Conway and Lucy Blakiston to discuss his remarkable rise from YouTube covers to global fame — and how he believes artificial intelligence can support creativity rather than replace it.
He also credited TikTok for helping democratise the music industry. “We started in 2019 and 2020, and very quickly we realised, okay, TikTok is the thing…and you know within six or seven months, we very quickly realised that TikTok was democratising the industry. You play at a festival and (you get) people only knowing the little 15 seconds of your song that went on TikTok”.
Swims also said “The AI artist is not something I’m super pumped about but we use AI ” and “it can be very helpful.” He and Luke Conway said the big tech companies need to understand that if 10 per cent of music is produced by AI artists then that’s 10 per cent less that musicians make, especially song writers.
Swims’ career began with a simple upload – the one below. On June 25, 2019, he posted a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” on YouTube. The next morning, the video had gone viral. “It had like 10,000 views the next morning,” he recalled. Within six months, he signed with Warner Records — a testament to how authenticity and grassroots connection can still cut through the noise.
“I’m so fortunate and so grateful that it happened the way it did… I’m still grateful for the timing and the place I’m in at 33 because I’m capable of dealing with this. And if I would have gotten this at 22, I would have blown it,” Swims reflected.
Raised in a football family, Swims found his passion in musical theatre. His mother wasn’t initially thrilled — until she saw him on stage. “After that, she became my biggest supporter,” he said. That early experience of staying true to himself continues to shape his approach to music and to life.
Teddy Swims On AI: “It Doesn’t Have to Take Your Job from You”
When asked about the impact of AI in music, Swims’ response was thoughtful and grounded. “I think so much of the creativity that’s still going to be involved in AI is going to be learning, you know, it doesn’t have to take your job from you.”
He and Luke see AI as a creative tool, not a threat. They’ve been exploring platforms like Suno, experimenting with how technology can reimagine songs across different genres. But they’re also outspoken about the need for ethical compensation for artists when AI draws on their work.
“If someone feeds my song into an AI model and it spits out something that sounds like me, who gets paid for that?” Swims asked during the discussion. “There’s a real conversation that needs to happen about compensation and respect for the artists who are creating the source material.”
Luke added that the goal isn’t to resist technology, but to evolve with it responsibly. “We can’t just let the technology run ahead of the people it’s supposed to serve,” he said. “There has to be a way to make sure everyone’s contribution is valued.”
“People Don’t Remember What You Do. They remember how you treat them or how you make them feel.”
Swims’ perspective on success is refreshingly human. “People don’t remember what you do. They remember how you treat them or how you make them feel,” he said — a philosophy that’s clearly driven the duo’s rise.
Before signing to a major label, Teddy and Luke lived in a house with friends, selling merch from the basement and nurturing a community of fans who believed in them. Even as “Lose Control” climbed from number 99 to number one — a 36-week journey — they’ve remained grounded.
“No matter what it is, there’s an audience for everyone. There’s a tribe that you can find for yourself,” Swims said. That sense of connection is woven through everything he does, from covers of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” — which now streams more than the original — to major performances like the NRL Grand Final in Australia.
And of course, there’s his playful sense of humour: “The acronym for Swims is someone who is with me sometimes. And people always ask, like, what does Swims stand for? So I’ve been kind of getting funky with it.”
As technology reshapes the creative world, Teddy Swims’ approach is proof human touch still matters most. “It doesn’t have to take your job from you,” he said. “AI can help, but it can’t feel. And that’s what makes music real.”
Story edited by Robyn Foyster. ChatGPT used to help write the story and also used an Otter AI transcript and overview.