Credit: Alex Hanson at Hipgnosis Media
Bella Union has released Anxious, the critically acclaimed posthumous debut solo album from Nell Smith. The prodigious artist made a name for herself with her debut release Where The Viaduct Looms in 2021, a brilliant collaboration with The Flaming Lips that explored the works of Nick Cave. Anxious is a mesmerizing selection of songs that explore the highs, lows and uncertainty of teenage life. Posthumous record releases will always be charged with emotion but when the release comes from a 17 year-old artist that was just getting started it’s heartbreaking beyond expression.
Filmed on October 5, 2024, the official video shoot for album cut “Split In The Sky” wrapped up at about 6pm, only a matter of hours before the tragic accident that took her life. Nell enjoyed the process of developing the story for the video which was shot just outside of Fernie in British Columbia at a derelict ranch and farmhouse. It was a tempestuous weather day which also reflects the rollercoaster of emotions behind the song’s opening lines about getting her first tattoo backstage at a gig she did with The Flaming Lips. Her father Jude Smith shares, “It rained, then the sun came out, then it rained again. She was cold and then warm and experiencing many of those senses we take for granted for the last time. Her last creative endeavour has left us with a lasting memory and a touching visual story to go with a beautiful song that completes her album with a fitting crescendo.”
Watch / Share: “Split In The Sky”
A lot of Nell’s creative drive was rooted in raw teenage emotions; apprehension; love; travel; gratefulness; ambition; and grief. These moods are visited throughout the tracks on the album with an instrumental approach that brings joy into even the darkest of songs. Guided by the talented Jack and Lily Wolter of Penelope Isles, who helped shape Nell’s songs, some of which had been in the works since she was twelve years old, the result is an album brimming with emotion, playful melodies and a depth that hints at what Nell’s future may have held.
“It is still very painful when I realize Nell is gone”, says Wayne Coyne. “I keep thinking I’ll check my text messages from her. I’m sure she has a new drawing or new piece of a song or a new photo of her cat… and then I remember she is gone. Now when I’m listening to her singing these songs there is a brief fantastical joy. Her voice hits the ear, the ear tells brain this is the sound of love, the brain lets the mind fly through the billions of connections it has with Nell’s life... but as it flies it also flies to her death... there is something holy that happens now.”
The Nell Smith Memorial Fund set up by Nell’s family to honor her legacy and support emerging musicians has already raised $55,000. The fund aims to raise $100,000 and award $10,000 every year for ten years with profits from the release going directly into the fund’s corpus. New to the website are lovingly crafted limited edition Nell & Wayne T-shirts celebrating their creative relationship. To visit Nell’s website click here.
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