Idaho girl who loved to write died in May. Her dad put her words to music using AI

AMMON, Idaho — The tears flow down Tristan Bradshaw's face as he listens to the song he wrote about his daughter.

The 38-year-old Ammon man invited EastIdahoNews.com to his home to talk about his daughter's recent suicide. He was composed as he spoke about what happened and the album he released taken from song lyrics she had written prior to her death.

Most of the songs are her words, brought to life through the use of artificial intelligence. Included on the album are several songs he wrote reacting to her passing.

One song in particular captures how the loss has affected him. He gets emotional as he listens to his own words set to music.

"I still check my texts to see her name on my phone," the AI voice sings back to him. "How can I be happy when I tried my very best, but it wasn't enough for you to want to stick around. You left me hanging and now my soul fled underground."

Lila Bradshaw, who was 14 at the time of her death, took her own life in May. Her mom found her lifeless body in her bedroom.

Tristan Bradshaw explains Lila's death was tied to bullying at her school, something she had been dealing with since her family moved here in 2020.

Therapy, combined with a heavy regiment of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication, is now what helps Tristan Bradshaw get through each day in a home where Lila's footprints still remain.

Her ashes are sitting on the nightstand next to Bradshaw's bed and photos of her now hang on his side of the room.

"Her face is the first thing I see everyday," Bradshaw says.

He also wears a vial around his neck with his daughter's hair inside.

He remembers his daughter as a girl who was kind to everyone, particularly those who didn't have any friends.

"She was called a light by almost everybody who had met her," Bradshaw says of his daughter.

Writing was one of her hobbies. Since her passing, Bradshaw has discovered many notebooks with stories, poems and lyrics Lila had written.

During this time, Bradshaw's brother created a silly song using AI to try to cheer up Bradshaw and his family. That's when Bradshaw learned what was possible with technology and began looking into bringing Lila's work to life.

"I took it upon myself to go through her journals and write down all of her lyrics," says Bradshaw. "I did my best to hear her voice (in the work). I had a prayer in my heart and I'd ask for her to be with me."

One of the songs, titled "Escape-ism," contains heart-wrenching lyrics about Lila's experiences with bullying to an upbeat melody — something Tristan says is exactly the way his daughter would have done it.

"That's Lila. She would've been poppy. She would've been one of those who danced and said, 'Hey, we're having a hard time. This stinks. Let's move on,'" he says.

He kept that in mind throughout the project, but there were several songs he felt should be somber.

The song Bradshaw wrote that brought tears to his eyes during his conversation with EastIdahoNews.com is called "Lost Daughter." He wrote it the night of Lila's funeral.

"I wrote it on guitar and I couldn't sing it without crying so that's why (I used AI to record it)," he says, tearing up.

Many people have experiences where they've felt the presence of a loved one who has passed. That's been Bradshaw's greatest wish over the last several months.

As Bradshaw reflects on how Lila would feel about the album, he begins to sob.

"I feel like she would be pretty happy," he says, crying. "It would be great to hear her feedback."

The entire album is available on Spotify, Amazon or YouTube.

Related topics