Liz Phair

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Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Born Elizabeth Clark Phair on April 17, 1967, in New Haven, Connecticut, she grew up mainly in the Chicago area. After finishing Oberlin College in 1990, she tried to start a music career in San Francisco but returned to Chicago and began self-releasing tapes under the name Girly-Sound. Those tapes helped her land a deal with Matador Records.

Her debut album, Exile in Guyville (1993), was highly praised and is often listed among the greatest albums. Its indie rock, lo-fi sound and blunt lyrics helped define her, and it was followed by Whip-Smart (1994), which earned a Grammy nomination. Whitechocolatespaceegg came out in 1998.

In 2003, Phair released a self-titled album, Liz Phair, on Capitol Records. It moved toward pop rock and brought mainstream attention, including the hit single Why Can’t I? Her fifth album, Somebody’s Miracle, followed in 2005. After leaving Capitol, she released Funstyle independently in 2010.

Matador reissued Exile in Guyville in 2008 with extra material. In 2018, Matador released Girly Sound to Guyville, a collection of remastered Girly-Sound demos. Her seventh album, Soberish, was released in 2021, produced by Brad Wood.

Phair has also worked in film and television, including scoring and acting, and won an ASCAP award for TV composing. She has toured extensively, performing material from her early records as well as newer work. Capitol released a greatest-hits collection, Icon, in 2014. In 2019 she published Horror Stories, a memoir; a second memoir, Fairy Tales, is planned.

Personal life: Phair married editor Jim Staskauskas in 1995; they have a son born in 1996 and divorced in 2001. She has lived in California and, more recently, in Manhattan Beach. She identifies as a feminist, and her early work is known for its honesty and raw sound. In 2024 she signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.