The rollout for Kill Rock Stars’ 20th anniversary reissue of Elliott Smith’s classic third album Either/Or has already given us a previously unreleased song and a 1997 live version of “Angeles.” Now, the label is publishing an entire podcast miniseries about the late songwriter, in collaboration with the public radio interview show The Guestlist.
According to host Sean Cannon’s introduction to the first episode, Say Yes will feature interviews with people who knew Smith and musicians who were influenced by him, as well as analysis of the songs of Either/Or and of pivotal moments in his career. The interview guests include Ben Gibbard, Jack Black, the Flaming Lips, Gus Van Sant, Anderson Cooper, Lance Bangs, and Regina Spektor, Pitchork reports. New episodes will premiere every Friday.
The first episode features musician and Smith superfan Kevin Devine enthusing about his songwriting hero, whom he compares to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen, as well as Speedy Ortiz frontwoman Sadie Dupuis, who talks about first discovering Smith via the placement of “Needle in the Hay” in The Royal Tenenbaums. Listen below.
Either/Or: Expanded Edition arrives via Kill Rock Stars on March 10.
