Liz Phair has released the music video for “Spanish Doors,” the latest single from her upcoming album Soberish. The LP is her first studio release in 11 years, following 2010’s Funstyle, and arrives June 4th via Chrysalis Records.
“Spanish Doors” was released on April 14, and it’s the album’s third single following “Hey Lou” and “Good Side.”
In a statement, Phair says she found inspiration for Soberish in the art-rock and new wave music she listened to while in art school: “The English Beat, The Specials, Madness, R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People, Yazoo, the Psychedelic Furs, Talking Heads, Velvet Underground, Laurie Anderson, and the Cars.
The city came alive for me as a young person, the bands in my headphones lending me the courage to explore.” Phair produced Soberish with Brad Wood, the producer, and drummer who previously worked with her on her albums Exile in Guyville, Whip-Smart, and Whitechocolatespaceegg.
Phair also shared some insight into the meaning of her title back in mid-April: “Soberish can be about partying. It can be about self-delusion. It can be about chasing that first flush of love or, in fact, any state of mind that allows you to escape reality for a while and exist on a happier plane. It’s not self-destructive or out of control; it’s as simple as the cycle of dreaming and waking up.
“That’s why I chose to symbolize Soberish with a crossroads, with a street sign. It’s best described as a simple pivot of perspective. When you meet your ‘ish’ self again after a period of sobriety, there’s a deep recognition and emotional relief that floods you, reminding you that there is more to life, more to reality and to your own soul than you are consciously aware of. But if you reach for too much of a good thing, or starve yourself with too little, you’ll lose that critical balance.”
Liz Phair’s Soberish is out June 4 and available for pre-order.