Elliott Smith’s
intensely personal music has left a deep mark on a generation of fans and musicians.
Now Chronicle Books is releasing Elliott Smith by Autumn de Wilde, a collection
of rare photographs and one-of-a-kind interviews taken, and conducted, by one
of Smith’s close friends, acclaimed photographer Autumn de Wilde. De Wilde was
one of the few photographers with whom Smith loved working, and the photos in
Elliott Smith are remarkably intimate and revealing, showing previously unseen
sides of his personality. In addition to these startling, beautiful images,
the book features conversations with many of Smith’s closet confidantes and
collaborators—many of whom have never spoken on-record about Smith before—as
well as musicians who never knew Smith but were deeply influenced by his music.
Also included in the book are personal ephemera, handwritten lyrics, an exclusive
CD featuring five songs from small shows in Los Angeles in 1997 that are all
previously unheard, and a foreword by Beck Hansen and Chris Walla. A portion
of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Sims Foundation in Austin
and the Portland-based charity Outside In.
Autumn de Wilde
worked closely with Smith as a friend and photographer for years, as well as
directed the video for his song "Son of Sam," and designed the package
and cover for his album Figure 8. After Smith’s death, fans turned the Silver
Lake, California wall used on the cover’s background into a memorial site, leaving
notes, flowers, and other items of personal connection.
Elliott Smith’s
three independent solo albums (and earlier work with the band Heatmiser) earned
him a devoted following that was greatly expanded by the use of his music in
the film Good Will Hunting, his nomination for an Academy Award for his
song "Miss Misery" in 1997, and his next two major-label releases
on Dreamworks. After his death in 2003, his fan following has only grown and
his absence is keenly felt, with the release of two posthumous collections (most
recently the double album New Moon on Kill Rock Stars) and four tribute albums.
Conversations with
friends, family, and musicians in the book include:
Ben Gibbard, Matthew
Caws, Neil Gust, Ashley Welch
Sam Coomes, Dorien
Garry, Jon Brion, Sean Croghan
Rob Schnapf, Alyssa
Siegel, Chris Walla, Mark Flanagan
Joanna Bolme, Margaret
Mittleman
The previously unreleased
5-track CD of Smith playing live, solo acoustic at Largo in L.A. circa 1997
includes the following songs:
Between the Bars
Angeles
Clementine
Clouds (a Quasi
cover)
All My Rowdy Friends
Have Settled Down (a Hank Williams, Jr. cover)
As a photographer
or director, Autumn de Wilde has worked with Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon,
the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Raconteurs, The White Stripes, Eels, Modest Mouse,
Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis, Miranda July, and many others. She lives in Los Angeles.
She has been documenting the award-winning fashion designers Rodarte for the
past three years and plans to release a book about their work together. Her
work has been featured in the pages of Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine,
The Los Angeles Times Magazine, Elle, Res, V, Filter, Nylon, Teen Vogue, Rolling
Stone, Spin, Dazed and Confused, and Zoo, to name a few.
Beck Hansen has
collaborated with Autumn de Wilde since the early 1990’s, including on the cover
for his album Sea Change;photo shoots for Mutations, Sea Change,andGuero; and photographs and videos for The Information.
Chris Walla is a
guitarist and producer for Death Cab for Cutie and has worked as a producer
with Hot Hot Heat, Nada Surf, the Prom, the Decemberists, Tegan and Sara, and
other bands.
A portion of the
proceeds of this book will be donated to The SIMS Foundation and Outside In.
Elliot!!! I really love your sound!!! I am just beginning ---writing a bit and recording some too. I am so glad you added me, I will be back for sure!!! ♥Zoe
It took me four nites to learn to play Everything reminds me of her on my accustic guitar. It was a true education at the time. Your music was full of grace and nuance that is rather missed.
