Liz Phair finishing up record

Tag : Hands On Tools
NEW YORK -- Although it's still without a title or track listing,Liz Phair's new album is in its final recording stages. "This I cantell you: All my sloppiness is in there," she said of her ATOdebut, due in the fall. "I fought all the way through, and I'm notletting anyone take it to a perfected style.

"It's not going to be '(Exile in) Guyville' again, but I'm usingall my tools," she continued. "I keep pulling it out of producers'hands, before they can do anything."

Phair said that so far she's confident in about "half of it," butwill be busy with the album all through August. The best way I candescribe it is 'natural,'" she said. "It has mistakes in it. It haslayered background vocals of mine that just make an overall slop,but it's perfect slop."

Having split with Capitol this year, Phair is finding that workingwith ATO is a breath of fresh air. "They literally look at me andsay, 'Here's your budget, don't go over, bring us something good,'"she said. "It's a f***ing mind-bending experience after the last 14years. Even when I was with Matador, combined with other labels,there were so many chefs in the kitchen. I'm working exactly theway I want to work."

ATO recently reissued Phair's classic 1993 debut, "Exile inGuyville," which she's been performing in its entirety at a handfulof recent shows.

"I remember being kind of aggravated, because I was supposed to berecording my new record, and I had to go back and figure out how toplay all these songs," she said of the "Guyville" shows. "It was 20years ago when I was writing all these. And one thing I found out,which is really lucky for me, is that I've become a better guitarplayer now, and as bizarre as they are, they're not technicallyhard to play."

Beyond three upcoming "Guyville" gigs next month, Phair said therearen't any plans for more, but she isn't ruling it out. Shereports, "If people are into hearing it, I'd like to play it, untilit becomes the 'Yeah, yeah, the old traveling 'Guyville' show."