Nell Smith, who tragically died last October at the age of 17, will receive a posthumous release of her debut album, Anxious, via Bella Union on April 11. On the newly released title track, Smith sings over a lovely acoustic guitar melody and staticky drums that give the song a charmingly DIY, homespun feel. The video features Smith alongside her cat, in addition to clips of her singing while walking down a dirt road.
“It is still very painful when I realize Nell is gone”, said Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, who invited Smith into their orbit as a collaborator. “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.”
Additionally, Nell’s family has announced the creation of the Nell Smith Memorial Fund to honor her legacy and support emerging musicians, which all proceeds from the new album will benefit. Check out the video for “Anxious” below, and pre-order the album of the same name here.
