It’s been 18 years since we lost the legendary singer-songwriter, Elliott Smith. Although he died shortly after I was born, I’ve always related to his music, since his music is often intimate and conversational. Dubbed “Mr. Misery” due to his breakout song Miss Misery that became the featured soundtrack for the film “Good Will Hunting,” his masterful songwriting and stripped-back instrumentals led to melancholy tunes that certainly fit his nickname. Even if he may be physically gone, his music still lives on through the artists that he’s inspired today. Here are 7 artists who took inspiration from his music.
Phoebe Bridgers
In an interview with NPR, Bridgers opens about her latest record Punisher and Elliott Smith’s heavy influence on it. “It’s like the Beatles to me, and I mean that in every way,” she notes. Listening to her latest record Punisher, I can hear the clear influence that Elliott Smith has on her music, from the subtle way she throws out dark humor in her lyrics on the song “Halloween” to her stripped-back instrumental and somber voice in the song “Savior Complex.” In the title track “Punisher,” her lyrics are muddled with references to Elliott Smith, such as the “house where you lived with Snow White” in which she talks about the Silverlake house that Elliott Smith lived in when he moved to LA, or lyrical references to Elliott Smith’s song “Son of Sam” on Figure 8 (“A copycat killer with a chemical cut”). Bridgers exhibits borderline obsessive fan behavior in this track, where she stalks around his old house and looks through the window (“But from the window it’s not a bad show”). Elliott Smith isn’t a common name in my generation, but Phoebe Bridgers is—and 18 years later we still hear the pieces of Smith’s deeply moving music.
beabadoobee
British Filipino-born singer-songwriter Beabadoobee, known for her viral song “death bed (coffee for your head)” has mentioned that the 90s and 2000s was a source of inspiration in her own music. “I just feel like the music resonates with me so much. I just think it’s such an iconic era of music,” she says about the time in an interview. She notes Elliot Smith as one such inspiration, especially for his songwriting and intimately honest melodies. She also has a tattoo ‘XO’ on her right arm, referencing Smith’s 1998 album XO.
Clairo
Claire Cottrill, otherwise known as Cairo’s sophomore record Sling was a diversion from her typical “bedroom pop” label; unlike her previous album and singles, Sling was a fully indie folk record. Elliott Smith’s use of whispery vocals along with multitracking vocals and harmonies create a warm and personal air surrounding his music, and Clairo does the exact same thing in her album. Notably on songs like “Blouse,” she explores personal perspectives and experiences of sexualization and motherhood through deeply personal lyrics, and the use of these unique vocals gives the song a cozy feel—like a fireside in a winter cabin. Clairo seems to have drawn influence from Elliott Smith’s mellow production as well, and listening to her new album I found major “Elliot Smith moments” through standalone acoustics and airy instrumentals that are scattered throughout the record.
Sufjan Stevens
When I first listened to Sufjan Stevens, his thread-like voice and vibrant acoustic background immediately reminded me of “Angeles” by Elliott Smith. In Sufjan Steven’s newest collaborative record with singer-songwriter Angelo De Augustine, Beginner’s Mind, elements of Elliott Smith stand out from the first track “Reach out,” where its introduction of fluttery and light guitar pluckings are resonant with the Elliott Smith song “Let’s Get Lost” from his sixth and final studio album, From A Basement On The Hill.
Julien Baker
In Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliott Smith, Julien Baker covers “Ballad of Big Nothing” off of Elliott Smith’s third studio album, Either/Or. When asked of the opportunity in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she notes: “Of course I jumped at the chance. He’s such a seminal and important songwriter.” Elliott Smith’s influences can be heard in her music as well, especially in her heart-wrenching track “Something” on her record Sprained Ankle. When she sings the chorus, (“I should’ve said something, something, something / I couldn’t find something to say / So I just said nothing, nothing, nothing / Sat and watched you drive away”) her vocals are raw and tumultuous, grieving and desperate, which conjures the heart-wrenching chorus of a song like “Between the Bars” by Elliott Smith.
Frank Ocean
In Frank Ocean’s generation-defining album Blonde, he cites a list of contributors on his magazine, Boys Don’t Cry. Elliott Smith was on the list alongside talented, legendary artists that defined music in their time, from David Bowie, Kendrick Lamar, and Brian Eno. Although the influence might be hard to hear out at first; Blonde, in its larger genre of R&B and psychedelic pop, are arguably very different from an Elliott Smith record that usually leans towards the indie-folk genre, its introspective lyricism and references are undeniably inspired by the late singer. It’s in Blonde’s 15th song “Seigfried” where Elliott Smith’s inspiration is clearest: the song features haunting acoustics and a touching lyrical tribute: in the middle of the song Frank Ocean sings “This is not my life. It’s just a fond farewell to a friend,” a line directly taken from Elliott Smith’s “A Fond Farewell.” Elliott Smith is credited for contributing to writing this song.
Prateek Kuhad
Prateek Kuhad is an Indian singer-songwriter who makes music in both Hindi and English. The “Cold/Mess” singer discovered Elliott Smith, and other artists such as Laura Marling and Bob Dylan during his time at NYU, who helped inspire him as a songwriter and guitar player. In his newest EP Shehron Ke Raaz, his soulful voice and lo-fi production make his music immensely raw and unapologetically human, and even for a non-Hindi speaker, I found myself deeply falling into the emotions of this EP. Prateek Kuhad’s heavy folk and Beatles-Esque tunes are reminiscent of elements of Smith’s music that I love.
Listen to the songs mentioned amongst other songs by these artists in the Spotify link below:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lit7KuBpLxmQbVlgBFonl?si=5cd2805c7f8b44b4
Written by Eric Min Young Park
Featured Image and photo by Autumn De Wilde