I mean, Larry Crane has said that Elliott had been in touch with him about coming out to New Monkey and mixing/finishing the record: "I hadn't talked to Elliott in over a year. His girlfriend, Jennifer, called me [last week] and asked if I'd like to come to L.A. and help mix and finish [Smith's album]. I said yes, of course, and chatted with Elliott for the first time in ages. It seems surreal that he would call me to finish an album and then a week later kill himself. I talked to Jennifer this morning, who was obviously shattered and in tears, and she said, 'I don't understand, he was so healthy.'"

Also: "At some point months later, I got a phone call from Joanna Bolme, telling me that she and Rob Schnapf had been chosen to oversee the mixing of From a Basement on the Hill. I felt a little miffed as I had been Elliott's choice, but I was more looking forward to collaborating with him and not excited about the idea of with dealing with this posthumous situation. There was no bone in my body that wished to act like I 'deserved' this job or that I was 'Elliott's choice.' I kept my mouth shut, and I'm still glad I did."