The PBS Digital Series Blank on Blank unearths old interviews with a wide variety of icons- actors, musicians, writers, and beyond- pairing the clips with animation to give us an insight into the lives of these larger than life figures and shed light on material that may otherwise be lost to history.

This week, the series found previously unreleased audio from a conversation between Elliott Smith and rock critic Barney Hoskyns. Paired with surreal animation, the short clip from the longer interview offers a tender glimpse into Smith’s state of mind, the music that influenced him, his views on happiness and addiction and his dream to move out of the United States.

Check out Blank on Blank’s, “Elliott Smith on Freaks” below.