Newsletter #2: Orono, Toledo, Milwaukee tribute show and more covers
Hello,
Welcome to our second newsletter. In this one we cover episodes 2 and 3 of the podcast - with Orono from Superorganism and Toledo -, we share a couple of clips from a recent Elliott Smith tribute show in Milwaukee, and we have a few more great listener covers too.
As always, if you have any comments/questions/thoughts, you can reach me at rob@myfavouriteelliottsmithsong.com.
Thanks for reading,
Rob
Episode 3: Orono (Superorganism)
For many of us, there are distinct moments - snapshots in time - where we have the crushing realisation that we are not as young or as cool as we think are. And, for me, one of these very instances came four or five years ago when I saw Superorganism play live.
Having recently graduated from high school, dressed in assorted colourful raincoats and playing a set of wall-to-wall bangers (I’m talking about them btw, not me), seeing Orono and the band forced me to ask myself some uncomfortable questions. Had I achieved anything even close to this level of success or coolness at the age of 19? Was I where I wanted to be in life now, even? Do I need to buy a brighter waterproof coat? To this day, all of these questions remain unanswered.
But, as the old saying goes, if you can’t beat them, get them on your podcast. So, I was absolutely delighted when Elizabeth found out that Orono was a big Elliott Smith fan and asked her to be on the show.
It was a real pleasure listening to and editing this interview. Orono was incredibly thoughtful, open and honest. And the way she described why she picked St Ides Heaven as her favourite song (and why she likes the self-titled album so much) reminded me of how Elliott’s music has been there for me and so many other people too:
We talk a lot on the podcast about how Elliott Smith’s music is often (mis)categorised as ‘sad’. I know everyone’s experience is different but, for me, (and perhaps others too) it’s not necessarily sad - it’s more a source of comfort in the sad times.
Another thing that stood out for me from Elizabeth’s interview with Orono was how much she is inspired by Elliott’s lyric writing. It never ceases to amaze me just how wide his influence still is today. Even Superorganism, a band that sound pretty different from him, have Smith influences in there too.
I also had this thought about the breadth of Elliott Smith’s influence in season three when we spoke to Josh Burgess from Yumi Zouma. You can listen to that here.
Maybe Elliott doesn’t need much help keeping his legacy alive after all…
Listen to our episode with Orono on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Episode 4: Toledo
Two other people cooler and younger than me are Dan Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz, who make up the band Toledo.
The pair have been best friends since they were about 10 years old growing up in Newburyport, Massachussetts, and have been playing music together pretty much ever since their first meeting. After establishing themselves as Toledo during their college years, they’re now based in New York City and are building a rapidly growing following.
To be perfectly honest, I hadn’t heard of Toledo until I was speaking with a PR contact about a possible guest for the podcast. Though my initial request wasn’t available (we’re still here Damien Jurado if you’d like to be involved!), I was recommended Toledo as an alternative. After listening to them for about five minutes, I was completely sold.
What sets Toledo apart is their chemistry. Both on record and in person, you really get a sense of two people who just work well together - they fit so perfectly they make Ant and Dec look like they don’t get along (sorry if that’s too much of an Anglo-centric reference).
This all made the interview with Dan and Jordan one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever done. They’re both great company and a lot of fun, whilst also being very knowledgeable about Elliott Smith.
Though Dan’s movie knowledge could perhaps be improved, as he revealed during the interview:
It was also interesting comparing the early version of Miss Misery with the Good Will Hunting version. Full disclosure, I have a confession to make that may be unpopular: I have always been a bit of a sucker for the GWH version, it just feels a bit tighter and more luxurious.
Having said that, Jordan and Dan did both made great points to support the early version:
Whichever version you prefer, it’s well worth going back to watch the music video for the GWH version, which was made by our old friend Ross Harris. We spoke to Ross way back in season one of the podcast.
Listen to our episode with Toledo on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tribute show in Milwaukee - 29 July
With it being summer and Elliott’s birthday on 6 August, this time of year is always pretty good for a tribute show, and it seems like our friends in Milwaukee had a great one on 29 July. They raised $2,600 for charity and, in the words of the organiser Sahan, “It went really, really, really well.”
Here are a few clips from the night:
Covers: First Timer, Angel in the Snow, I Figured You Out
As you may have heard, throughout this season we’re sharing covers of Elliott Smith songs sent in by our listeners. We’ve had such a great response to this feature but it sadly means we probably won’t be able to play every recording we receive on the podcast. We are trying though to ensure we share them across our social media and here in the newsletter.
Here are a few I’ve enjoyed over the last few weeks:
Bluevales, Angel in the Snow:
Colin Woltmann, First Timer (link to Soundcloud)
Oisin Ruxton, I Figured You Out:
If you have a cover you’d like to be featured, please do send it over to us at covers@myfavouriteelliottsmithsong.com
Thank you
For reading newsletter #2. We’ll be back with a new podcast episode on Wednesday 17 August when our guest will be Lola Kirke.