AKA
04-28-2004, 09:32 PM
Final Elliott Smith Album Due In Fall
By Jonathan Cohen
Billboard
Elliott Smith's final studio album will be released in September or October, according to a message from the late artist's father on the Smith fan site Sweet Adeline. "We are beginning the final mixing and production phase in mid-May," Gary Smith said. An announcement as to which label will issue the set will be made "by the end of the month."
Although Smith was signed to DreamWorks when he committed suicide last October, he had reached an unusual agreement with the company to allow him to release the work-in-progress album, tentatively titled "From a Basement on the Hill," on an independent label of his choosing.
"He was really having fun experimenting with recording," Smith's DreamWorks A&R man Luke Wood told Billboard last year. "And as always with Elliott, the lyrics were incredibly poignant and very consistent and very beautiful."
Songs Smith was working on included "Strung Out Again," "Let's Get Lost," "Shooting Star," "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity To Be Free" and "Fond Farewell," titles which suggest he may have been contemplating suicide and revisiting his frequent themes of addiction.
The artist had been recording in his own Los Angeles studio, which his family has lately been trying to sell. "We had hopes that someone would come along, take it over and run it as Elliott might have envisioned," Gary Smith said. "This was a good idea, but turned out to be ultimately unrealistic."
"We have had many wonderful responses from people who want to manage the space but do not have the financial means to keep it going," he continued. "We have also had many inquiries from people who have been interested in purchasing pieces of studio equipment for their own use. We have decided that we can no longer attempt to keep it open as 'Elliott's studio.' In addition, we do not feel comfortable selling it piece by piece. So, we are going to let a responsible music dealer find someone who is able to purchase the equipment for their own studio, and move it to a new space. Elliott's instruments will not be sold."
By Jonathan Cohen
Billboard
Elliott Smith's final studio album will be released in September or October, according to a message from the late artist's father on the Smith fan site Sweet Adeline. "We are beginning the final mixing and production phase in mid-May," Gary Smith said. An announcement as to which label will issue the set will be made "by the end of the month."
Although Smith was signed to DreamWorks when he committed suicide last October, he had reached an unusual agreement with the company to allow him to release the work-in-progress album, tentatively titled "From a Basement on the Hill," on an independent label of his choosing.
"He was really having fun experimenting with recording," Smith's DreamWorks A&R man Luke Wood told Billboard last year. "And as always with Elliott, the lyrics were incredibly poignant and very consistent and very beautiful."
Songs Smith was working on included "Strung Out Again," "Let's Get Lost," "Shooting Star," "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity To Be Free" and "Fond Farewell," titles which suggest he may have been contemplating suicide and revisiting his frequent themes of addiction.
The artist had been recording in his own Los Angeles studio, which his family has lately been trying to sell. "We had hopes that someone would come along, take it over and run it as Elliott might have envisioned," Gary Smith said. "This was a good idea, but turned out to be ultimately unrealistic."
"We have had many wonderful responses from people who want to manage the space but do not have the financial means to keep it going," he continued. "We have also had many inquiries from people who have been interested in purchasing pieces of studio equipment for their own use. We have decided that we can no longer attempt to keep it open as 'Elliott's studio.' In addition, we do not feel comfortable selling it piece by piece. So, we are going to let a responsible music dealer find someone who is able to purchase the equipment for their own studio, and move it to a new space. Elliott's instruments will not be sold."