After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career in San Francisco, but returned to her home in Chicago, where she began self-releasing audio cassettes under the name Girly-Sound.

Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998).

[6] She was adopted at birth by Nancy, a historian and museologist,[7] and John Phair, later an AIDS researcher and head of infectious diseases at Northwestern Memorial Hospital;[8] her mother later worked as a professor at the Art Institute of Chicago.

[12] Phair spent her early life in Cincinnati until age nine, when her family relocated to the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, Illinois.

During high school, Phair was involved in student government, yearbook, and the cross country team, and took AP Studio Art her senior year, among other advanced-level classes.

[15][7] Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come.

After living in San Francisco for a year, Phair went broke and returned to Illinois, moving back in to her family's home.

Coincidentally, Cosloy had just read a review of Girly Sound in Chemical Imbalance that very day and told Phair to send him a tape.

By contrast, her trademark low, vibrato-less monotone voice[18] gave many of her songs a slightly detached, almost deadpan character.

Whip-Smart debuted at #27 in 1994 and "Supernova," the first single, became a Top 10 modern rock hit, and the video was frequently featured on MTV.

Following Whip-Smart, Phair released Juvenilia, a collection of some early Girly Sound tracks and several B-sides, including her cover of the 1980 song by The Vapors, "Turning Japanese."

She also appeared on the MTV alternative rock show 120 Minutes performing "Never Said", "6'1", "Cinco de Mayo" and "Supernova" live at various times during 1994 and early 1995.

Phair performed on the main stage along with acts like Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow and Missy Elliott.

[20] Phair portrayed the role of office manager Brynn Allen opposite Robin Tunney in the 2002 film Cherish.

[30] The album received mixed reviews, with Amy Phillips of Pitchfork writing: "Now this is a terrible Liz Phair record.

Somebody's Miracle is mostly generic pap that any number of next-big-has-beens could have cranked out, a useless piece of plastic poking a pointy heel in the eye of the carcass of the artist Liz once was.

[31] A review published by MSNBC found the album "less blatantly commercial [than her previous], but still smooth, reflecting her increasing shift toward a clearer sound".

"[34] In May 2009, Phair released a new song, "Faith and Tenderness," sold exclusively at Banana Republic on a compilation disc featuring other artists.

[35] Also in 2009, Phair began working as a television composer, following an invitation by her childhood friend Mike Kelley to score the show he was creating for CBS, Swingtown, given it was based on the life in their hometown.

Ill keep sending you postcards.Phair revealed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the falling out with her record label, ATO, occurred after a change in management.

[43][44] It was confirmed via Twitter that Phair was working on a double album, produced by fellow singer-songwriter Ryan Adams in his PAX-AM recording studio.

In April 2019, Phair announced on Instagram that she had been working on new studio material with Brad Wood, who produced Exile in Guyville, Whip-Smart, and parts of whitechocolatespaceegg.

[49] In April 2020, the release of a cover version of "Hanging on the Telephone" by Phair with former friend and collaborator Jim Ellison of Material Issue was announced.

[50] In February 2021, Phair announced she had signed a contract with newly re-formed Chrysalis Records to issue her album Soberish later in the year.

Pitchfork called the album "a solid, sharply written record of sturdy, enjoyable songs that gradually unfold to reveal new depths of feeling.

"[52] In Rolling Stone, Jon Dolan wrote that Soberish "brings to mind the glory of Guyville and its 1994 follow-up, Whip-Smart, without feeling at all like self-conscious recapitulation.

"[53] A review by El Hunt in the NME stated that "Soberish serves as a reminder of Liz Phair's brilliance after years of underestimation.

She did end up touring in the fall of 2023 for the 30th anniversary of Exile in Guyville, where she would perform the album in its entirety alongside several other fan favorites.