Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) 

7 years later and I still think this was a brilliant and tragically underrated album. They really did Elliot justice.

These are without a doubt the best Elliot covers I have come across.

My god I could listen to her voice all day long... speaking, singing... anything. Such stunning covers. Pitselah is insane, just pure bliss.

Baby Britain 1:11 Fond Farewell 10:05 Pitseleh 17:44 Between the bars 25:07

Back 9 years later. Please, tour this again. Please.

I could literally listen to Jessica all day just her and an acoustic guitar!

Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield are so perfect on these covers and Cheryl couldn't be more insightful and articulate about the Elliot Smith's work. Thank you all for this gift.

I saw their Neptune show that night. I admit I went in with trepidation-I wasn't sure I wanted to hear anyone singing Elliott Smith except Elliott Smith. But they did a lovely job. And I appreciated how they added depth to the show by singing covers of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and other artists who influenced Elliott Smith. PS: I had a cat named Elliott. No relation.

JLM really captured the essence of Elliot on Between the bars, really glad she led that one vocally. It required that quiet, serene darkness only she could deliver.

That version of Pitseleh ...wow. Love.

i like them, im a hardcore elliott dude, i usually am super protective of his music but i see there love for elliott and i respect that alot.

Been listening to the album while hiking through the north Georgia wilderness the past few days. It's really allowed my soul to begin to find peace and see the beauty in simplicity again, like Elliott's songs had for me originally when I'd discovered his heaping pile of his masterworks nearly a decade ago. Really glad you fit Angel in the Snow on the album! When I heard Seth do Angeles a few years back I got intense goosebumps and knew then this was something really special. I appreciate the both of you channeling your incredible artistic energies, and bringing light back to such a widely unrecognized soul who blessed the world with his pure, honest expression. As you both do so beautifully and so delicately yourselves.

I saw them last weekend in San Francisco, and they did a wonderful job with Elliott Smith's music -- putting their own unique stamp on it. A beautiful, heartfelt performance with good energy in the hall. I think their album and tour is a very positive thing for Elliott Smith fans and for those who will discover Elliott's music through their efforts.

the best elliott cover i've ever heard

Saw them do this in LA years ago and it haunts me still. Wish they’d tour this again

Stunned by how wonderful these covers are. Thank you for this.

I love the slight country twang they added to Fond Farewell.

Love Jessica Lea Mayfield and Seth Avett.

Cheryl does such an amazing job interviewing these two, as always. Her love of music shines through her questions, and she has an amazing ability to get musicians to open up. The interviewer is never the star, but boy, I'm impressed in her case.

There are no words to explain how much I enjoyed this. Not only because of the fact that they sound great together, but also the fact that Seth was the one who decided to make a tribute record to ES. If it had been some indie band, it would have been good also, but I am a huge Avett Brothers fan and an ES fan of course, Needless to say, ES is my favorite artist ever. I have been obsessed with his music ever since I found out about him back in 2007. Thank you soo much for sharing this, I really cannot thank you enough.

Wish I could like this video 4 times, once for every song, this was awesome .

Great performance and great interview. A joy to watch all the way through.

Her singing seems so effortless. Great renditions. RIP Elliott.

I’ve continued to listen to this song for longer than I can remember. A fond farewell to a friend couldn’t be more of a perfect intended inuendo to treat everyone equally and positively.

I never realized how nice and unique that verse melody is over those chords in Pitseleh until I heard this version for some reason. Thanks guys

glad i bumped into this... awesome...

I'm just finding this and my heart feels very full

amazing... I come back to this performance once a year

Discovered this because of The Educated Barfly and his ‘fond farewell’ cocktail. Absolutely beautiful music, I love it, it’s so poetic.

I had no idea this album existed. Thanks guys, you done him proud.

I know very little about Elliot Smith or his music and came to this through my familiarity with Seth Avett and his brothers musif. I have the album Seth and Jessica recorded and it quickly became one of my favorites. I hope these two collaborate more often and I’m sure Elliot would be extremely pleased with this.

I think they got the melodies perfect. I'm the biggest Elliott Smith fan and I don't think most people get why he was so great, I feel like they got it.

I first heard this set when uploaded here and it continues to remain relevant in so many ways.

Really awesome! Covers are great. But it's sad nobody covers "all cleaned out" - one of the best songs ever!

First time I've heard of these guys, definitely have to check them out

pitsileh was beautiful.

This is awesome.

Amazing!

Love it! And love Elliott!

Wow! Got super lucky with this one. Please come play in Chico CA.

so good, what an amazing groupo!

So good!!

that guy looks a bit like dave gilmour when was young

lovely

I love how much of a diva Seth Avett is. In every positive sense of the word. Like, if he wasn't slashing through guitar solos, he'd be using his finger to track the notes he sings like any iconic female diva. Such a talent.

Amazing

Stunning.

This is super good. Especially when the guy does the low harmonies, John-style. 👏

This version of Fond Farewell is incredible

Kind of makes you wanna cry a bit.

this chick rocks

This is so much better then the album

have to listen with eyes closed, and head phones on

Being a RI native and current resident of WA I'm a bit of a guilty bystander. I've been through Aberdeen while there was overcast en route to Ocean Shores. Even stopped by Chicago Ave and E. First for good measure. I've been through Issaquah on I-90 coming home from the mountains. My eyes have seen the custom concern from both ends of PNW''s most influential humans of our generation. I get it. Chill out Cheryl, damn. But to watch Seth laugh off the "Seattle Niceness" and just slay that classic from the moment she gave them the mics, wow. Carolina's Finest, you knew that already. The boy is nice.

This Pitseleh version really stands out. It's much better than their album version.

Cool ✊

Great for my own self seeking illumination

Elliot would love this

yes

This is all the things.

I don't understand this collaboration of artists. I love him. I'm learning to not say anything unless it's positive, so that's all I can say right now.

elliot smith

Nice band, good video! KEXP, when will you upload The Dodos live, please?

KEXP es como un paraíso mientras intento sobrevivir al Lunes.

こんな風に、ふたたびエリオットスミスの名曲と出会えるなんて！　司会はフォークアレイのアナウンサーの人だね。

Nice rendition of some of Elliott's fine songs. However I feel a tribute is not complete without paying homage to Elliott's brilliant work with Heatmiser. Such work is often unjustifiably overlooked.

Elliott Smith

People keep saying there back, I never left baby.

great music but where are her eyebrows? lol

Looks like Seth misses his hi-hat.

Why are they wearing headphones ?

Several times I have tried and failed to get into Elliot Smith. I just cannot get interested in any of his songs. Anybody got any recommendations for interesting ES songs (no love songs please).

Anyone know what kind of guitar Seth is playing in this video? Beautiful

more rock less talk....

Where did her eyebrows go?

this will be my first time hearing Jessica Mayfield and im not really getting anything from her. But Seth Avett makes up for what she lacks.

If I was ever abducted by aliens and they asked me: " Okay 👌, I understand this concept of Black Excellence you have spoken on for almost 4 Earth hours, but is there a White Excellence?" and after questions of their knowledge of Elon and Bowie and Bach and shit, I'd say, "This."

I remember reading about some of Elliott's friends remarking on how difficult it is to play his songs during one of those fundraisers after his death where there were covers. Maight have been Mary Lou Lord. I think Beck even remarked how nobody can really do his songs justice. There was some magic to Elliott's music and lyrics…something that went beyond just the lyrics and just the chords. No offense to these musicians but they simply don't do his music justice with the manufactured twang. I hope some of the money from this tour/album makes its way to Outside/In in Portland or the Free Arts for Abused Children in LA…Organizations that Elliott supported during his life and his family have supported since his death. If they want to honor Elliott, that's a great way to do it.

Wow, the guy does better high harmonies than she does! He's pretty good... EDIT: with the shaved eyebrows and the wax-like skin she really freaks me out though

Where in the hell are that girls eyebrows?

This is obviously a very loving tribute, but going for that Am instead of A7 (or at the very least A major) in A Fond Farewell took pretty much all of the zing out of the song. It's one of those moments that serve to accentuate Elliott's brilliant and intrinsic understanding of melody, where that one chord breaks away from the key of G mold and instead of sounding dissonant it sounds perfect. This is just one specific example of the bigger issue at hand- the covers are kinda vanilla.

She talks like Elliott Smith xd

So erm... Who's Elliott Smith?

Elliott is arguably the best writer of generation x and I think everybody should learn and study his work, but neither of them are good enough guitarists to do these songs justice on record. I really appreciate Mayfields solo work and Avett has great pitch but I don't know why they had to put out an entire record/supporting tour. RIP Elliott Smith, hope Mayfield makes a new slapper soon.

I don't get Elliot Smith

They got the chords in the chorus of Between the Bars wrong which sucks because the chords are so nice, the ones they play here are simplistic and wrong. What a bummer.

Seth should have done this project solo

To really understand Elliott's music, you need to have a really messed up and sad life... I feel like these two have been fortunate enough not to reach the depths of despair that enables them to play Elliott's music with honest emotion

she song fond farewell with absolutely no soul, the rest of the performance was good but god was that flat

elliott smith is one of my favorite artists ever. i dont usually leave negative comments but i dont like their versions at all.

How is this girl popular?

guitar picks for elliott smith covers? Sacrilege!

Seth Avett is great, really not into Jessica Lea Mayfield, her shaved off eyebrows freak me out and she's just a bit emotionless, he definitely makes up for it though.

I love Seth and The Avett Brothers SO MUCH! But... Jessica Lea Mayfield is just ugh! Mediocre talent and VERY creepy looking. Saw her in concert a long time ago and didn't like her then either.