Editing Elliott Smith (section)

== Career ==

=== 1991–1996: Heatmiser ===
{{main|Heatmiser}}

In 1991, Smith graduated from [[Hampshire College]] in [[Amherst, Massachusetts]] with a degree in [[philosophy]] and [[political science]]. "Went straight through in four years", he explained to ''Under the Radar'' in 2003. "I guess it proved to myself that I could do something I really didn't want to for four years. Except I did like what I was studying. At the time it seemed like, 'This is your one and only chance to go to college and you had just better do it because some day you might wish that you did.' Plus, the whole reason I applied in the first place was because of my girlfriend, and I had gotten accepted already even though we had broken up before the first day."<ref name="Under the Radar 2" /> After he graduated, he "worked in a bakery back in Portland with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and legal theory".<ref name="Under the Radar 2" />

While at Hampshire College, Smith formed the band [[Heatmiser]] with classmate [[Neil Gust]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sweetadeline.net/bio5.html |title=Elliott Smith: Biography – Page 5 |last=Shutt |first=S. R. |website=Sweet Adeline |access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref> After Smith graduated from Hampshire, the band added drummer [[Tony Lash]] and bassist [[Brandt Peterson]] and began performing around Portland in 1992.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=byhMHIYrkSkC|title=Torment Saint: The Life of Elliott Smith – William Todd Schultz – Google Libri|date=January 24, 2018|isbn=9781620403785|access-date=January 24, 2018|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124174401/https://books.google.com/books?id=byhMHIYrkSkC&printsec=frontcover|archive-date=January 24, 2018|last1=Schultz|first1=William Todd|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA }}</ref> The group released the albums ''[[Dead Air (Heatmiser album)|Dead Air]]'' (1993) and ''[[Cop and Speeder]]'' (1994), as well as the ''[[Yellow No. 5 (Heatmiser E.P.)|Yellow No. 5]]'' EP (1994) on [[Frontier Records]].<ref name=":0" /> They were then signed to [[Virgin Records]] to release what became their final album ''[[Mic City Sons]]'' (1996).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.treblezine.com/32195-heatmiser-mic-city-sons-bridge-elliott-smith-solo/|title=Heatmiser's 'Mic City Sons' built a bridge to Elliott Smith's solo albums|date=January 24, 2018|access-date=January 24, 2018|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124174840/http://www.treblezine.com/32195-heatmiser-mic-city-sons-bridge-elliott-smith-solo/|archive-date=January 24, 2018}}</ref>

Around this time, Smith and Gust worked a number of odd jobs around Portland, including installing drywall, spreading gravel, transplanting bamboo trees, and painting the roof of a warehouse with heat reflective paint. The pair were also on unemployment benefits for some time, which they considered an "artist grant".<ref name="Under the Radar 1">{{cite web |url=http://undertheradarmag.com/es.html |title=Elliott Smith – Better Off Than Dead, Elliott Smith Comes Clean |last=Kagler |first=Marcus |date=June 2003 |website=Under the Radar | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031105005159/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/es.html |archive-date=November 5, 2003 |access-date=April 17, 2013}}</ref>

Smith had begun his solo career while still in Heatmiser, and the success of his first two releases created distance and tension with his band.<ref name="Under the Radar 1" /> Heatmiser disbanded prior to the release of ''Mic City Sons'', prompting Virgin to put the album out inauspiciously through its independent arm [[Caroline Records]].<ref name=":1" /> A clause in Heatmiser's record contract with Virgin meant that Smith was still bound to it as an individual. The contract was later bought out by DreamWorks prior to the recording of his album ''[[XO (Elliott Smith album)|XO]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/9246-keep-the-things-you-forgot-an-elliott-smith-oral-history/|title=Keep the Things You Forgot: An Elliott Smith Oral History {{!}} Pitchfork|website=Pitchfork |date=January 24, 2018|access-date=January 24, 2018|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124191042/https://pitchfork.com/features/article/9246-keep-the-things-you-forgot-an-elliott-smith-oral-history/|archive-date=January 24, 2018}}</ref>

=== 1994: ''Roman Candle'' ===
{{Listen
| filename = Elliott Smith - Condor Ave (sample).ogg
| title="Condor Ave"
| description = Sample of Elliott Smith's "Condor Ave" from ''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]'' (1994), reported to have been written when he was around 17 years old,<ref name="Shutt page 3" /> showing Smith's early songwriting style and [[lo-fi music|lo-fi]] sound
| format = [[Ogg]]
}}

In the early 1990s, Smith's girlfriend at the time convinced him to send a tape of songs he had recently recorded on a borrowed [[Multitrack recording|four-track]] to [[Cavity Search Records]].<ref name="Under the Radar 1" /> Cavity owner Christopher Cooper asked to release the entire album of songs, which surprised Smith, as he was expecting only a deal for a [[Seven-inch|seven-inch record]].<ref name="Shutt page 6" /> The album became Smith's release ''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]'' (1994).<ref name="Shutt page 6" />

Smith said: "I thought my head would be chopped off immediately when it came out because at the time it was so opposite to the [[grunge]] thing that was popular&nbsp;... The thing is that album was really well received, which was a total shock, and it immediately eclipsed [Heatmiser], unfortunately."<ref name="Under the Radar 1" /> Smith felt his solo songs were not representative of the music Heatmiser was making: "The idea of playing [my music] for people didn't occur to me ... because at the time it was the [[American Northwest|Northwest]]—[[Mudhoney]] and [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]—and going out to play an acoustic show was like crawling out on a limb and begging for it to be sawed off."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fritch |first=Matthew |date=September 1998 |title=Down on the Upside |journal=Magnet | issue=46 |url=http://www.sweetadeline.net/down.html |access-date=April 17, 2013}}</ref>

One of Smith's first solo performances was in Portland at the now-defunct Umbra Penumbra on September 17, 1994. Only three songs from ''Roman Candle'' were performed, with the majority of the ten-song set being [[A-side and B-side|B-sides]], Heatmiser tunes and unreleased tracks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/elliott-smith/1994/umbra-penumbra-portland-or-73d58661.html|title=Elliott Smith Setlist at Umbra Penumbra, Portland|website=setlist.fm}}</ref> The same year, Smith released a split 7-inch record with Pete Krebs via Slo-Mo Records, contributing the track "[[No Confidence Man]]".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://pitchfork.com/news/65067-elliott-smiths-no-confidence-man-single-reissue-announced-listen/ |title= Elliott Smith's "No Confidence Man" Single Reissue Announced: Listen |website= Pitchfork |first= Evan |last= Minsker |date= April 26, 2016 |access-date= March 2, 2020 }}</ref>

=== 1995–1997: ''Elliott Smith'' and ''Either/Or'' ===
{{listen
| filename = Elliott Smith - Pictures of Me (sample).ogg
| title="Pictures of Me"
| description = Sample of Elliott Smith's "Pictures of Me", from ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]'' (1997), showing his style of vocal harmony through multi-tracking. The track also showcases the album's expanded instrumentation, with all instruments being played by Smith.
| format = [[Ogg]]
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In 1995, Smith's [[Elliott Smith (album)|self-titled album]] was released on [[Kill Rock Stars]]; the record featured a style of recording similar to ''Roman Candle'', but with hints of growth and experimentation.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} Though the majority of the album was recorded by Smith alone, friend and [[The Spinanes]] vocalist Rebecca Gates sang harmony vocals on "St. Ides Heaven", and Heatmiser guitarist [[Neil Gust]] played guitar on "Single File". Several songs made reference to drugs, but Smith explained that he used the theme of drugs as a vehicle for conveying dependence rather than the songs being about drugs specifically.<ref name="Shutt page 7">{{cite web |url=http://www.sweetadeline.net/bio7.html |title=Elliott Smith: Biography – Page 7 |last=Shutt |first=S. R. |website=Sweet Adeline |access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref> Looking back, Smith felt that the album's pervasive mood gave him "a reputation for being a really dark, depressed person" and said that he later made a conscious move toward more diverse moods in his music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.well-rounded.com/music/reviews/elliottsmith_intv.html |title=Elliott Smith Interview: Well Rounded Entertainment |last=Peisner |first=David |website=Well Rounded Entertainment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000919124038/http://www.well-rounded.com/music/reviews/elliottsmith_intv.html |archive-date=September 19, 2000 |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Elliott Smith live 1997.jpg|thumb|left|Smith performing at Brownies, New York City, in April 1997, shortly after the release of ''Either/Or'']]

In 1996, filmmaker [[Jem Cohen]] recorded Smith playing acoustic songs for the short film ''[[Lucky Three]]: An Elliott Smith Portrait''.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Up Close: Conversations with Filmmakers Presents Jem Cohen|journal=The Independent Film & Video Monthly |year=1999 |publisher=Foundation for Independent Video and Film |volume=22 |page=58 |url=https://independent-magazine.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2014/09/independentfilmv22foun1.pdf|access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref> Two of these songs would appear on his next album ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]'', which was another Kill Rock Stars release. ''Either/Or'' came out in 1997 to favorable reviews.{{CN|date=December 2023}} The album found Smith venturing further into full instrumentation, with several songs containing bass guitar, drums, keyboards, and electric guitars, all played by Smith. The album title was derived from the two-volume [[Either/Or (Kierkegaard book)|book of the same name]] by Danish philosopher [[Søren Kierkegaard]], whose works generally deal with themes such as [[existential despair]], [[angst]], death, and God.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

By this time, Smith's already-heavy drinking was being compounded with use of antidepressants.<ref name="D'Angelo, Perez">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/s/smith_elliott/news_feature_102903/ |title=mtvnews.com: Elliott Smith |last1=D'Angelo |first1=Joe |last2=Perez |first2=Rodrigo |publisher=[[MTV News]] |access-date=April 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126125518/http://www.mtv.com/bands/s/smith_elliott/news_feature_102903/ |archive-date=November 26, 2012 }}</ref> At the end of the ''Either/Or'' tour, some of his close friends staged an intervention in Chicago,<ref name="D'Angelo, Perez" /> but it proved ineffective.<ref name="Gowing" /> Shortly after, Smith relocated from Portland to Jersey City, New Jersey, and later Brooklyn, New York.<ref name="Kelley">{{cite web |url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2003-10-30/music/xo-elliott/ |title=XO, Elliott – Page 1 – Music – Phoenix |last=Kelley |first=Brendan Joel |date=October 30, 2003 |website=Phoenix New Times |access-date=April 17, 2013 |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104183832/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2003-10-30/music/xo-elliott/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== 1997–1998: "Miss Misery" and Academy Award nomination ===
In 1997, Smith was selected by director and fellow Portland resident [[Gus Van Sant]] to be a part of the soundtrack to his film ''[[Good Will Hunting]]''. Smith recorded an orchestral version of "Between the Bars" with composer [[Danny Elfman]] for the movie. Smith also contributed a new song, "Miss Misery", and three previously released tracks ("No Name #3", from ''[[Roman Candle (album)|Roman Candle]]'', and "Angeles" and "Say Yes", from ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]'').{{failed verification|reason=nothing in parentheses is mentioned at all|date=September 2018}} The film was a commercial and critical success, and Smith was nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for "Miss Misery". Not eager to step into the limelight, he agreed to perform the song at the ceremony only after the producers informed him that if he was unwilling to perform, they would choose someone else to play it.<ref name="Under the Radar 1"/>

On March 5, 1998, Smith made an appearance on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' performing "[[Miss Misery]]" solo on acoustic guitar.<ref>{{cite web |title = Episode guide |series=''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' |website=[[NBC]] (nbc.com) |url=http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brien/episode_guide/160.shtml |access-date=24 June 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013051724/http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brien/episode_guide/160.shtml |archive-date=13 October 2007}}</ref> A few days later, wearing a white suit, he played an abridged version of the song at the Academy Awards ceremony, accompanied by the house orchestra. Smith did not voice disappointment about not winning.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garcia |first=Gilberta |date=12 October 2000 |title=Back to Earth |page=1 |department = Music / Phoenix |newspaper=[[Phoenix New Times]] |url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2000-10-12/music/music.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210183646/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2000-10-12/music/music.html |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |access-date=24 June 2013}}</ref> He described the experience as surreal, and said: "The Oscars was a very strange show, where the set was only one song cut down to less than two minutes, and the audience was a lot of people who didn't come to hear me play. I wouldn't want to live in that world, but it was fun to walk around on the moon for a day."<ref name=Anderman>{{cite news |last=Anderman |first=Joan |date=26 March 1999 |title=Tune-smith to the miserable, but don't mistake his characters for him, says Elliott Smith |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] }}</ref>

=== 1998–2000: ''XO'' and ''Figure 8'' ===
In 1998, after the success of ''[[Either/Or (album)|Either/Or]]'' and "Miss Misery", Smith signed to a bigger record label, [[DreamWorks Records]]. Around the same time, Smith fell into depression, speaking openly of considering suicide,<ref name="D'Angelo, Perez" /> and on at least one occasion<ref name="Gowing" /> made a serious attempt at ending his own life.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/We_Love_Elliott_Smith.htm |title=Why We Love Elliott Smith |last=Scherl |first=Alexis |website=Ink Blot Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519201027/http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/We_Love_Elliott_Smith.htm |archive-date=May 19, 2008 |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> While in North Carolina, he became severely intoxicated and ran off a cliff. He landed on a tree, which badly impaled him but broke his fall.<ref name="Gowing" /> When questioned about his suicide attempt, he told an interviewer "Yeah, I jumped off a cliff, but let's talk about something else."<ref name="Kelley" />

Christopher Cooper, head of Cavity Search Records (which released ''Roman Candle''), said about this time in Smith's life, "I talked him out of thinking that he wanted to kill himself numerous times when he was in Portland, Oregon. I kept telling him that he was a brilliant man, and that life was worth living, and that people loved him."<ref name="D'Angelo, Perez" /> Pete Krebs also agreed: "In Portland we got the brunt of Elliott's initial depression ... Lots of people have stories of their own experiences of staying up with Elliott 'til five in the morning, holding his hand, telling him not to kill himself."<ref name="Kelley" />

Smith's first release for DreamWorks was later that year. Titled ''[[XO (Elliott Smith album)|XO]]'', it was conceived and developed while Smith wrote it out over the winter of 1997-1998, night after night seated at the bar in [[Luna Lounge]].<ref>Interview, {{cite web|url= http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2004/08/10/rob_sacher_coowner_luna_lounge.php|title= Rob Sacher, Co-Owner Luna Lounge|access-date= 2023-02-24|date= 2004-08-10|work= Gothamist|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20041011143149/http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2004/08/10/rob_sacher_coowner_luna_lounge.php|archive-date= 2004-10-11}}</ref> It was produced by the team of [[Rob Schnapf]] and [[Tom Rothrock]]. ''XO'' also contained some instrumentation from Los Angeles musicians [[Joey Waronker]] and [[Jon Brion]]. It contained a more full-sounding, [[baroque pop]] sound than any of his previous efforts, with songs featuring a horn section, [[Chamberlin (music)|Chamberlins]], elaborate [[string instrument|string]] arrangements, and even a [[Music loop|drum loop]] on the song "Independence Day". His familiar double-tracked vocal and acoustic guitar style were still apparent while his somewhat personal lyrical style survived. The album went on to peak at number 104 on the ''Billboard'' 200<ref name="Billboard charts">{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=elliott smith|chart=all}} |title=Elliott Smith – Chart History |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref> and number 123 on the UK Album Charts,<ref name="zobbel.de">{{cite web |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_S.HTM |title=Chart Log UK: DJ S – The System of Life |website=zobbel.de |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> while selling 400,000 copies<ref name="Petridis">{{cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=March 19, 2004 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/19/popandrock.elliottsmith |title=The Mysterious Death of Elliott Smith |newspaper=The Guardian | access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> (more than double that of each of his two Kill Rock Stars releases), becoming the best-selling release of his career.{{sfn|Nugent|2004|p=201}} Smith's backing band during most of this period was the Portland-based group [[Quasi (band)|Quasi]], consisting of former bandmate [[Sam Coomes]] on bass guitar and Coomes's ex-wife [[Janet Weiss]] on drums. Quasi also performed as the opening act at many shows on the tour, with Smith sometimes contributing bass guitar, guitar, or backing vocals. [[List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests#Season 24|On October 17, 1998]], Smith appeared on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and performed "[[Waltz 2 (XO)|Waltz No. 2 (XO)]]". His backing band for this appearance was [[John Moen]], [[Jon Brion]], [[Rob Schnapf]], and [[Sam Coomes]].

In response to whether the change to a bigger record label would influence his creative control, Smith said, "I think despite the fact that sometimes people look at major labels as simply money-making machines, they're actually composed of individuals who are real people, and there's a part of them that needs to feel that part of their job is to put out good music."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elliottsmith/articles/story/5924200/smith_comes_up_roses |title=Smith Comes Up Roses: Elliott Smith |last=Dansby |first=Andrew |date=April 22, 2000 |magazine=Rolling Stone | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001021013/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elliottsmith/articles/story/5924200/smith_comes_up_roses |archive-date=October 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> Smith also claimed in another interview that he never read his reviews for fear that they would interfere with his songwriting.<ref>{{cite web|title=Entertainment – Elliott Smith Keeps Moving – May 17, 2000 |last=Allen |first=Jamie |website=CNN.com |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/17/elliott.smith/ |access-date=June 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601213317/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/17/elliott.smith/ |archive-date=June 1, 2013 }}</ref> It was during this period that Smith appeared on Dutch television in 1998 and provided a candid interview in which he spoke of his assessment of his music career until that point:

<blockquote>Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I mostly only know things are different because people ask me different questions, but I don't feel like things are very changed. I mean, I still, I do the same things that I did before … I think about the same things, so … I'm the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous.<ref name="Dutch TV">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/X5yjQX-8iuI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20131021181219/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5yjQX-8iuI&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5yjQX-8iuI |title=Elliott Smith Live, 29 November 1998: Full 2 Meter Session (high res VCR capture) |date=July 2, 2013 |via=YouTube | access-date=January 12, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref></blockquote>

As part of the Dutch television special, Smith played live versions of "Waltz No. 2 (XO)", "Miss Misery", and "I Didn't Understand"—the latter two songs were performed solely on piano, while the first song was cut short by Smith, as he explained: "I had to stop it because it's… you know, what's the point of playing a song badly? It'd be better to play it and mean it, than to just walk through it."<ref name="Dutch TV" />

{{listen
| filename = Elliott Smith - Son of Sam (sample).ogg
| title="Son of Sam"
| description = Sample of Elliott Smith's "Son of Sam", the first single from ''[[Figure 8 (album)|Figure 8]]'' (2000), showing Smith's continuing development of a "more sonically detailed"<ref name="AllMusic Figure 8" /> and lush sound
| format=[[Ogg]]
}}

Smith relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1999,<ref name="Kelley" /> taking up residence at a cabin in the Silver Lake section of town, where he would regularly play intimate, acoustic shows at local venues like [[Silverlake Lounge]].<ref>{{cite journal |date=December 2003 |title=The Long Slow Death of Elliott Smith |journal=Blender}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wideanglesounds.bigcartel.com/product/elliott-smith-at-silverlake-lounge-99|title=Elliott Smith at Silverlake Lounge '99 / Wide Angle Sounds|last=Sounds|first=Wide Angle|website=wideanglesounds.bigcartel.com|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> He also performed in Toronto in April that year.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000204220616/http://chartattack.com/road/reviews/1999/19990412-elliottsmith.html "Live Reviews: Elliott Smith April 1, 1999, The Opera House, Toronto, ON"]}}. ''Chart Attack'', review and photos by Toko-pa Turner</ref> In the fall, his cover of [[the Beatles]]' "Because" was featured in the end credits of DreamWorks' Oscar-winning drama [[American Beauty (1999 film)|''American Beauty'']], and appeared on the film's soundtrack album.

''[[Figure 8 (album)|Figure 8]]'', the final album Smith completed, was released on April 18, 2000. It featured the return of Rothrock, Schnapf, Brion, and Waronker and was partially recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios]] in England, with an obvious Beatles influence in the songwriting and production. The album garnered favorable reviews,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/figure-8/elliott-smith |title=''Figure 8'' Reviews |publisher=Metacritic | access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> and peaked at number 99 on the ''Billboard'' 200<ref name="Billboard charts" /> and 37 on the UK Album Charts.<ref name="zobbel.de" /> The album received praise for its [[power pop]] style and complex arrangements, described as creating a "sweeping kaleidoscope of layered instruments and sonic textures".<ref name="AllMusic Figure 8">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/figure-8-mw0000604250 |title=''Figure 8'' – Elliott Smith : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |last=Huey |first=Steve |publisher=AllMusic | access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> However, some reviewers felt that Smith's trademark dark and melancholy songwriting had lost some of its subtlety, with one reviewer likening some of the lyrics to "the self-pitying complaints of an adolescent venting in his diary".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/pop/reviews/2847/ |title=Möbius Smith |last=Smith |first=Ethan |date=April 24, 2000 |website=New York | access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

Album art and promotional pictures from the period showed Smith looking cleaned-up and put-together. An extensive tour in promotion of the record ensued, book-ended by television appearances on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' and the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''. However, Smith's condition began to deteriorate as he had become addicted to heroin either towards the end of or just after the ''Figure 8'' tour.<ref name="Gowing" />

=== 2001–2002: Addiction and scrapped recordings ===
[[File:Crystal Ballroom entrance - Portland, Oregon.JPG|alt=Crystal Ballroom from the street—a three-story brick building with an elaborate black awning|thumb|upright=0.75|The Crystal Ballroom music venue in Portland, Oregon. One of Smith's performances here in December 2001 drew concern from a reviewer.]]

Around the time he began recording his final album, Smith began to display signs of paranoia, often believing that a white van followed him wherever he went.{{sfn|Nugent|2004}} He would have friends drop him off for recording sessions almost a mile away from the studio, and to reach the location, he would trudge through hundreds of yards of brush and cliffs. He started telling people that [[DreamWorks Records|DreamWorks]] was out to get him: "Not long ago my house was broken into, and songs were stolen off my computer which have wound up in the hands of certain people who work at a certain label. I've also been followed around for months at a time. I wouldn't even want to necessarily say it's the people from that label who are following me around, but it was probably them who broke into my house."<ref name="Under the Radar 1" /> During this period, Smith hardly ate, subsisting primarily on ice cream. He would go without sleeping for several days and then sleep for an entire day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valania |first=Jonathan |date=2005-01-29 |title=Elliott Smith: All Things Must Pass |url=https://magnetmagazine.com/2005/01/28/elliott-smith-all-things-must-pass/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327143237/https://magnetmagazine.com/2005/01/28/elliott-smith-all-things-must-pass/ |archive-date=2022-03-27 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Magnet Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

A follow-up to Smith's 2000 album was originally planned to happen with [[Rob Schnapf]], but their sessions were abandoned. Smith also began distancing himself from manager Margaret Mittleman, who had handled him since the ''Roman Candle'' days.<ref name="Gowing" /> He finally began recording a new album with only himself and [[Jon Brion]] as producers sometime during 2001. The pair had recorded a substantial amount of music for the album when Brion stopped the sessions because of Smith's struggle with substance use disorder.<ref name="The Confabulators">{{cite web |url=http://www.confabulators.com/2005/elliott-smith-lives-again-from-a-basement-on-the-hill-v2 |title=Elliott Smith Lives Again! ''From a Basement on the Hill'' V.2 – The Confabulators Archive |website=The Confabulators |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212172657/http://www.confabulators.com/2005/elliott-smith-lives-again-from-a-basement-on-the-hill-v2 |archive-date=February 12, 2006 |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> Their friendship promptly ended, and Smith scrapped all of their work until that point. He later said "There was even a little more than half of a record done before this new one that I just scrapped because of a blown friendship with someone that made me so depressed I didn't want to hear any of those songs. He was just helping me record the songs and stuff, and then the friendship kind of fell apart all of a sudden one day. It just made it kind of awkward being alone in the car listening to the songs."<ref name="Under the Radar 1" />

When Brion sent a bill for the abandoned sessions to DreamWorks, executives [[Lenny Waronker]] and [[Luke Wood]] scheduled a meeting with Smith to determine what went wrong with the sessions. Smith complained of intrusion upon his personal life from the label, as well as poor promotion for the ''Figure 8'' album. The talks proved fruitless, and soon after, Smith sent a message to the executives, stating that if they did not release him from his contract, he would take his own life.<ref name="Gowing" /> In May 2001, Smith set out to re-record the album, mostly on his own, but with some help from [[David McConnell (musician)|David McConnell]] of [[Goldenboy]]. McConnell told ''Spin'' that, during this time, Smith smoked over $1,500 worth of heroin and [[crack cocaine|crack]] per day, often talked about suicide, and on numerous occasions tried to give himself an overdose.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-10-21 |title=Elliott Smith: 'Mr. Misery' Revisited, Years After the Singer-Songwriter's Controversial Death |url=https://www.spin.com/2013/10/elliott-smith-mr-misery-10-year-anniversary-death/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=SPIN |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Steven Drozd]] of [[The Flaming Lips]] and Scott McPherson of [[Sense Field]] played a few drum tracks, [[Sam Coomes]] contributed some bass guitar and backing vocals, but almost every other instrument was recorded by Smith.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

Smith's song "[[Needle in the Hay]]" was included in [[Wes Anderson]]'s 2001 film ''[[The Royal Tenenbaums]]'' during a suicide attempt scene. Smith was originally supposed to contribute a cover of The Beatles' "[[Hey Jude]]" for the film, but when he failed to do so in time, Anderson had to use [[Mutato Muzika|The Mutato Muzika Orchestra]]'s version of the track instead.<ref name="Wes Anderson">{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2004/12/20/life-aquatic-director-reveals-his-muses/ |title=The Life Melodic |last=Miller |first=Nancy |date=December 20, 2004 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 25, 2013 |archive-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522220138/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1008489_2,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Anderson would later say that Smith "was in a bad state" at the time.<ref name="Wes Anderson" />

Smith's live performances during 2001 and 2002 were infrequent, typically in the Pacific Northwest or Los Angeles. A review of his December 20, 2001, show at Portland's [[Crystal Ballroom (Portland, Oregon)|Crystal Ballroom]] expressed concern over his appearance and performance: his hair was uncharacteristically greasy and long, his face was bearded and gaunt, and during his songs he exhibited alarming signs of "memory-loss and butterfingers".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-2607-elliott_smith_%281969_2003%29.html |title=Elliott Smith (1969–2003) |date=October 29, 2003 |website=Willamette Week |access-date=June 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717071127/http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-2607-elliott_smith_%281969_2003%29.html |archive-date=July 17, 2013}}</ref> At another performance in San Francisco that month, the audience began shouting out lyrics when Smith could not remember them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://magnetmagazine.com/live/livesmith.html |title=''Magnet'' Live Review: Elliott Smith |last=Stoltz |first=Peter |website=Magnet | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013103320/http://magnetmagazine.com/live/livesmith.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

In the first of only three concerts performed in 2002, Smith co-headlined Northwestern University's A&O Ball with [[Wilco]] on May 2 in Chicago.<ref>{{cite news |last=Murtaugh |first=Dan |date=February 5, 2002 |title=A&O Ball Signs on a Second Headliner |newspaper=The Daily Northwestern | url=http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2002/05/02/Campus/Ao.Ball.Signs.On.A.Second.Headliner-1909814.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013100316/http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2002/05/02/Campus/Ao.Ball.Signs.On.A.Second.Headliner-1909814.shtml |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> He was onstage for nearly an hour but failed to complete half of the songs.<ref name="Carpenter" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sweetadeline.net/5202.html |title=05.02.02 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL |website=Sweet Adeline |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> He claimed that his poor performance was due to his left [[Paresthesia|hand having fallen asleep]] and told the audience it felt "like having stuff on your hand and you can't get it off".<ref name="Carpenter" /> Smith's performance was reviewed as "undoubtedly one of the worst performances ever by a musician"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nucomment.com/archive/issues/020521/features/wilco.html |title=NUcomment – A&O Ball: Did You Behave? – 5.21.02 |last=Winn |first=Luke |website=NUcomment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029131156/http://www.nucomment.com/archive/issues/020521/features/wilco.html |archive-date=October 29, 2007 |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> and an "excruciating […] nightmare".<ref>{{cite news |last=Dombal |first=Ryan |date=March 5, 2002 |title=Shot in the Arm |newspaper=The Daily Northwestern | url=http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2002/05/03/Campus/shot-In.The.Arm-1909849.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418161539/http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2002/05/03/Campus/shot-In.The.Arm-1909849.shtml |archive-date=April 18, 2008 |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> A reporter for the online magazine ''Glorious Noise'' wrote, "It would not surprise me at all if Elliott Smith ends up dead within a year."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gloriousnoise.com/2002/just_say_yes |title=Just Say Yes |last=Brown |first=Jake |date=May 3, 2002 |website=Glorious Noise |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

On November 25, 2002, Smith was involved in a brawl with the Los Angeles Police Department at a concert where [[The Flaming Lips]] and [[Beck]] were performing.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lang |first=Alison |date=October 24, 2003 |title=Elliott Smith Found Dead at 34 |journal=The Queen's Journal | issue=27 |volume=131 |url=http://www.queensjournal.ca/articlephp/point-vol131/issue17/arts/story3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040905170843/http://www.queensjournal.ca/articlephp/point-vol131/issue17/arts/story3 |archive-date=September 5, 2004 |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> The officers allegedly beat and arrested him and girlfriend Jennifer Chiba. The two spent the night in jail. Smith's back was injured in the incident, causing him to cancel a number of shows.<ref name="Under the Radar 1" /> [[Wayne Coyne]], lead singer of The Flaming Lips and a friend of Smith's, stated concern over Smith's appearance and actions, saying that he "saw a guy who had lost control of himself. He was needy, he was grumpy, he was everything you wouldn't want in a person. It's not like when you think of [[Keith Richards]] being pleasantly blissed out in the corner."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68521/friends-peers-mourn-elliott-smith |title=Friends, Peers Mourn Elliott Smith |magazine=Billboard | access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

=== 2003: Reemergence and ''From a Basement on the Hill'' ===

[[File:Elliott Smith live NYC.jpg|thumb|left|One of Smith's last performances in New York City at the [[Lit Lounge]] in January 2003. He played Knitting Factory & North Six in June 2003.]]

Smith had attempted to go to rehab several times, but found that he was unable to relate to the popular treatments for people with substance use disorder who used a [[twelve-step program]] basis for treatment. "I couldn't do the first step ... I couldn't say what you were supposed to say and mean it."<ref name="Under the Radar 1"/> In 2002, Smith went to the Neurotransmitter Restoration Center in Beverly Hills to start a course of treatment for substance use disorder. In one of his final interviews, he spoke about the center: "What they do is an [[intravenous drip|IV]] treatment where they put a [[Hypodermic needle|needle]] in your arm, and you're on a drip bag, but the only thing that's in the drip bag is [[amino acids]] and [[saline (medicine)|saline]] solution. I was coming off of a lot of psych meds and other things. I was even on an [[antipsychotic]], although I'm not psychotic."<ref name="Under the Radar 1"/>

Two sold-out solo acoustic concerts at Hollywood's Henry Fonda Theater, on January 31 and February 1, 2003, saw Smith attempting to reestablish his credibility as a live performer. Before the show, Smith scrawled "[[Kali]] – the Destroyer" (the Hindu goddess associated with time and change) in large block letters with permanent ink on his left arm, which was visible to the crowd during the performance.<ref>{{cite web |title=January 2003 |website=Sweet Adeline  |url=http://www.sweetadeline.net/jan03.html |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bemis |first=Alec Hanley |date=14 October 2004 |title=Sleepwalker |page=1 |department = Los Angeles (entertainment) |newspaper = [[L.A. Weekly]] |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2004-10-14/music/sleepwalker/ |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> On several songs, he was backed by a stripped-down drum kit played by Robin Peringer (of the band [[764-HERO]]), and members of opening band [[Rilo Kiley]] contributed backing vocals to one song. Near the end of the first show, the musician responded for several minutes after a heckler yelled "Get a backbone".<ref name=":0"/><ref>{{cite AV media |title = Elliott Smith reaction to crowd member yelling "Get a backbone!" |via = YouTube |medium = video |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9XwE_MDqoM }}</ref> Smith played two more Los Angeles concerts that year: The Derby in May 2003, and the ''[[L.A. Weekly]]'' Music Awards in June 2003.<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Payne |date=3 July 2003 |title=''L.A. Weekly'' music awards 2003 |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2003-07-10/music/l-a-weekly-music-awards-03/ |newspaper = [[L.A. Weekly]] |access-date=November 2, 2013 }}</ref>

After his 34th birthday on August 6, 2003, he gave up alcohol. Director [[Mike Mills (director)|Mike Mills]] had been working with Smith during his final years and described Smith's troubles and apparent recovery: "I gave the script to him, then he dropped off the face of the earth ... he went through his whole crazy time, but by the time I was done with the film, he was making ''From a Basement on the Hill'' and I was shocked that he was actually making music."<ref name=Thumbsucker>{{cite web |last=Perez |first=Rodrigo |date=16 August 2005  |title=Elliott Smith, Polyphonics bring balance to ''Thumbsucker'' soundtrack |department = Music / celebrity / artist news |website=MTV News |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507697/elliott-smith-polyphonics-on-thumbsucker-soundtrack.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229185327/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507697/elliott-smith-polyphonics-on-thumbsucker-soundtrack.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2011 |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

{{listen
| filename = Elliott Smith - Shooting Star (sample).ogg
| title="Shooting Star"
| description = Sample of Elliott Smith's "Shooting Star" appearing on the posthumously released ''[[From a Basement on the Hill]]'' (2004), showing a dissonant passage on distorted guitar, an example of Smith's experimentation with different sounds and a "more noisy" style before he died
| format = [[Ogg]]
}}

With things improving for Smith after several troubled years, he began experimenting with [[noise music]] and worked on his girlfriend Jennifer Chiba's [[iMac]] with the intent of learning how to record with computers, noting that it was the only method with which he was still unfamiliar.<ref name="Under the Radar 1"/> Smith jokingly labeled his experimental way of recording "The California Frown" (a play on the [[Beach Boys]]' "[[California Sound]]").<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=R.J. |date=18 July 2004  |title=Elliott Smith's uneasy afterlife |department=Music |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/arts/music-elliott-smith-s-uneasy-afterlife.html |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> He said  "They're kind of more noisy with the pitch all distorted. Some are more acoustic, but there aren't too many like that. Lately I've just been making up a lot of noise."<ref name="Under the Radar 1"/>

He was also in the process of recording songs for the [[Thumbsucker (soundtrack)|''Thumbsucker'' soundtrack]], including [[Big Star (band)|Big Star]]'s "[[Thirteen (song)|Thirteen]]" and [[Cat Stevens]]'s "Trouble".<ref name="Thumbsucker"/> In August 2003, Suicide Squeeze Records put out a limited-edition [[gramophone record|vinyl]] single for "Pretty (Ugly Before)", a song that Smith had been playing since the ''Figure&nbsp;8'' tour. Smith's final show was at Redfest at [[the University of Utah]] in Salt Lake City on September 19, 2003. The final song he performed live was "[[Long, Long, Long]]" by [[the Beatles]].

=== 2004–present: Posthumous releases ===

[[File:Joanna Bolme of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Constellations Festival, Leeds 2011.jpg|alt=Bolme onstage playing bass guitar|thumb|Joanna Bolme helped bring ''From a Basement on the Hill'' to completion in the wake of Smith's death.]]

''[[From a Basement on the Hill]]'', almost four years in production, was released on October 19, 2004, by [[ANTI- Records]] (a part of [[Epitaph Records]]). With Smith's family in control of his estate, they chose to bring in [[Rob Schnapf]] and Smith's ex-girlfriend [[Joanna Bolme]] to sort through the recordings and mix the album. Although Smith had voiced his desire for it to be a double album or a regular album with a bonus disc, it was not clear whether it would have been possible for him to release it that way had he completed it.<ref name="Under the Radar 1" /> As completed by Schnapf and Bolme, it was released as a 15-track single album. Many songs from the sessions (later leaked onto the Internet) were not included, such as "True Love", "Everything's OK", "Stickman", and "Suicide Machine" (a reworking of the ''Figure 8''-era unreleased instrumental "Tiny Time Machine").<ref name="The Confabulators" /> There has been unconfirmed speculation that Smith's family made the decision not to include some songs on the record due to their lyrical content, although songs such as "King's Crossing" that deal with darker subjects did make the album.<ref name="The Confabulators" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/from-a-basement-on-the-hill/elliott-smith|title=''From a Basement on the Hill'' Review|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

''[[Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing]]'', a biography by [[Benjamin Nugent]], was rushed to publication shortly after ''From a Basement on the Hill'', shortly after the first anniversary of his death. Smith's family, as well as Joanna Bolme, Jennifer Chiba, Neil Gust, [[Sam Coomes]], and [[Janet Weiss]], all declined to be interviewed. It contained interviews with Rob Schnapf, David McConnell, and [[Pete Krebs]]. The book received mixed reviews, with ''Publishers Weekly'' remarking that while "Nugent manages to patch together the major beats of Smith's life, he can offer little meaningful insight".

In 2005, a tribute album, ''A Tribute to Elliott Smith'', was released. It featured various bands performing tributes to Smith.<ref name="cdbaby-review">{{cite web|url=http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/esmithtrib|title=CD Review {{!}} A Tribute To Elliott Smith|publisher=cdbaby|access-date=December 27, 2009}}</ref> On May 8, 2007, a posthumous  compilation album ''[[New Moon (Elliott Smith album)|New Moon]],'' was released by Kill Rock Stars. It contained 24 songs recorded by Smith between 1994 and 1997 during his tenure with the label, songs that were not included on albums, as well as a few early versions and previously released B-sides. In the United States, the album debuted at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling about 24,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1052095/buble-sidesteps-bone-thugs-to-claim-no-1|title=Buble Sidesteps Bone Thugs to Claim No. 1|last=Hasty|first=Katie|date=May 16, 2007|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> The record received favorable reviews<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/new-moon/elliott-smith|title=''New Moon'' Reviews|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> and was Metacritic's 15th best-reviewed album of 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/albums/score/metascore/year?sort=desc&view=condensed&year_selected=2007|title=Highest and Lowest Scoring Music and Albums|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> A portion of the proceeds from album sales were to go to [[Outside In (organization)|Outside In]], a social service agency for low-income adults and homeless youth in Portland, Oregon.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1054996/elliott-smith-rarities-compiled-on-new-moon|title=Elliott Smith Rarities Compiled on ''New Moon''|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=February 14, 2007|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 26, 2013}}</ref>

On October 25, 2007, a book titled ''[[Elliott Smith (book)|Elliott Smith]]'' was released by [[Autumn de Wilde]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sweetadeline.net/may07.html|title=May 2007|website=Sweet Adeline|access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> which consists of photographs, handwritten lyrics, and "revealing talks with Smith's inner circle".<ref>{{cite book|title=''Elliott Smith'': Autumn de Wilde, Beck Hansen, Chris Walla: 9780811857994|isbn=978-0811857994|last1=Wilde|first1=Autumn de|date=November 2007|publisher=Chronicle Books }}</ref> De Wilde was responsible for the ''Figure 8'' sleeve art, making a landmark and de facto Smith memorial of the Solutions Audio mural. A five-song CD featuring previously unreleased live recordings of Smith performing acoustically at [[Largo (nightclub)|Largo]] in Los Angeles was included in the release.

Following Smith's death, his estate licensed his songs for use in film and television projects such as ''[[One Tree Hill (TV show)|One Tree Hill]]'', ''[[The Girl Next Door (2004 film)|The Girl Next Door]]'', ''[[Georgia Rule]]'', and ''[[Paranoid Park (film)|Paranoid Park]]''. In a March 2009 interview, Larry Crane said that Smith's estate was defunct and all rights previously held by Smith are now in the control of his parents.<ref name="Glorious Noise" /> Crane went on to say that his parents own the rights to Smith's high school recordings, some of the Heatmiser material, all solo songs recorded until his 1998 record deal with [[DreamWorks Records]], and ''From a Basement on the Hill''.<ref name="Glorious Noise" /> DreamWorks Records was acquired by [[Universal Music Group]] in 2003, and [[Interscope Records]] currently "owns all studio and live recording from Jan 1998 to his passing, except for the songs on ''From a Basement on the Hill''."<ref name="Glorious Noise" />

In December 2009, Kill Rock Stars announced that it had obtained the rights to re-release ''Roman Candle'' and ''From a Basement on the Hill'', originally released by Cavity Search and ANTI-, respectively.<ref name="reissues">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/37398-hear-an-unreleased-elliott-smith-song/|title=Hear an Unreleased Elliott Smith Song|last=Breihan|first=Tom|date=December 15, 2009|website=Pitchfork|access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref> ''Roman Candle'' would be remastered by Larry Crane.<ref name="reissues" /> Along with the press release, Kill Rock Stars posted a previously unreleased track of Smith's, titled "Cecilia/Amanda", as a free download.<ref name="reissues" /> ''Roman Candle'' and ''From a Basement on the Hill'' were re-released on April 6, 2010, in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.killrockstars.com/news/|title=killrockstars|website=[[Kill Rock Stars|killrockstars.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100319222724/http://www.killrockstars.com/news/|archive-date=March 19, 2010|access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

A greatest hits compilation titled ''[[An Introduction to... Elliott Smith]]'' was released in November 2010 by Domino Records (UK) and Kill Rock Stars (US).

In August 2013, there was a memorial concert in Portland, Oregon, and three other cities. Attending the Portland show were several musicians Smith had performed with, friends, and an appearance by film director [[Gus Van Sant]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/2013/06/elliott-smith-birthday-tribute-benefit-concerts-grandaddy-gus-van-sant/|title=Elliott Smith Tribute Concerts Planned in Four Cities|work=Spin|date=June 14, 2013 |access-date=February 5, 2016}}</ref>

In 2014, the director [[Paul Thomas Anderson]] posted a video of the pilot episode for a show called ''The Jon Brion Show'', featuring an acoustic set by Smith including accompaniment by Brion and pianist [[Brad Mehldau]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140209162636/http://cityartsonline.com/truth-about-jon-brion-show-feat-elliott-smith Cityartsonline]}}</ref>

On July 17, 2015, a documentary about Smith's life titled ''[[Heaven Adores You]]'' saw a limited theatrical release. The documentary enlisted a number of close friends and family members, as well as hours of audio interviews throughout Smith's short career. The film was directed by Nickolas Rossi and released through [[Eagle Rock Entertainment]]. ''Heaven Adores You'' received positive reviews from Consequence of Sound, ''The Guardian'', and ''The Hollywood Reporter''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Goble|first=Blake|date=May 19, 2015|title=Film Review: Heaven Adores You|url=https://consequence.net/2015/05/film-review-heaven-adores-you/|magazine=Consequence of Sound|access-date=February 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/heaven-adores-you-melbourne-review-723355|title='Heaven Adores You': Melbourne Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 4, 2014 |access-date=February 5, 2016}}</ref>

On August 6, 2019 (what would have been Smith's 50th birthday), [[UMe]] released digital deluxe editions of the two albums ''XO'' and ''Figure 8.''<ref name="pitchfork.com">{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/elliott-smiths-xo-and-figure-8-get-50th-birthday-deluxe-editions-listen/|title=Elliott Smith's XO and Figure 8 Get 50th Birthday Deluxe Editions: Listen|website=Pitchfork|date=August 6, 2019 |access-date=August 21, 2019}}</ref> The new edition of ''XO'' has nine added tracks, including Smith's Oscar-nominated ''Good Will Hunting'' song "Miss Misery." Seven tracks have been added to ''Figure 8''. The digital deluxe edition includes "Figure 8"—Smith's cover of the "Schoolhouse Rock!" song—which was originally released only on the Japanese edition of the album. The final track on the new ''Figure 8'' edition is Smith's cover of the Beatles’ "Because", originally featured on the 1999 ''American Beauty'' soundtrack.<ref name="pitchfork.com"/> In May 2021, Smith's life and work were the subject of [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Great Lives]]''.<ref>{{cite episode| title= Arlo Parks on Elliott Smith| series= Great Lives| credits= Presenter: Matthew Parris; Guests: Arlo Parks, JJ Gonson, William Todd Schultz; Producer: Caitlin Hobbs| network= BBC| station= BBC Radio 4| airdate= 11 May 2021| url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vwsm |access-date= 11 May 2021 }}</ref>