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

AMMON – 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 A.I. 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.”

Watch Tristan perform the song in the video above.

Lila Bradshaw, who was 14 at the time of her death, died by suicide in May.

Tristan 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, and the help of medical professionals, is what helps Tristan get through each day in a home where Lila’s footprints still remain.

“Her face is the first thing I see everyday,” Tristan says.

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,” Tristan says of his daughter.

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

During this time, Tristan’s brother created a silly song using A.I. to try to cheer up Tristan and his family. That’s when Tristan 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 Tristan. “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.

Listen to the song here.

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

The song Tristan 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 A.I. 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 Tristan’s greatest wish over the last several months.

As Tristan 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.