Phoebe Bridgers talked with NPR about Elliot Smith and his influence on her music:
Though she represents a generation that did not get into Smith’s music until after his death in October 2003, she’s dug deep into the archives to become, in her words, an Elliott Smith nerd. Her music — with its evocative lyrics, melodious murmurs and stark, surprising bursts of bleak humor — certainly echoes with his spectral influence. (She’ll release her second album, Punisher, on June 19.) “I have experienced the thing where people are like, ‘Oh, really, you like Elliott Smith? Shocker,’ ” she says with a laugh, phoning one day from her LA home. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, but really. It’s not just a look. It’s my favorite music.’