When I interviewed Steve Fisk in 1996 for Tape Op #3, one of the answers he gave for situations that made recording sessions go poorly was, "people dying." I remember thinking this was a heavy thought but nothing I had ever dealt with. A few days ago I woke up to find several emails mentioning the death of my friend, Elliott Smith. Not the best way to start the day.
Elliott and I had met in 1996 or so, when Joanna Bolme would drag him to parties at my house and I'd see them at shows. One day Elliott asked me if he could track some vocals at my basement studio (Laundry Rules) as his Mackie 1604 had broken. He came over and did vocals on "Pictures of Me", which ended up on Either/Or. I was amazed by the track he had recorded at home, and by the vocal parts he put down.