Songfacts®:

• The title track from Liz Phair's seventh studio album, "Soberish" finds her detailing an on-again of-again love affair. The singer named the song after that not-quite-drunk feeling that grants you just the right amount of confidence. "A lot of people felt the need to stay connected with reality without actually being entirely sober," explained Phair to Apple Music. "How much of reality can I stand to absorb and how much do I need to push away from me and keep myself insulated from? 'Soberish' is just a more romantic and innocent way to look at that. I used to be the kind of person that could do this sober, but right now I need a shot."
• The Soberish album finds Phair reunited with Brad Wood, who produced her seminal 1993 record Exile in Guyville. The singer revealed to Uncut magazine the song wasn't working until she and Wood pulled out her guitars, "That awkward anticipation of meeting someone you know you're going to sleep with but you're really nervous because you haven't slept with them many times... That suddenly just came alive," she said. "That song hangs you in that space of anticipation and awkwardness and vulnerability in a way that we just had to take out all the crunchy guitars."
• Soberish is Phair's first studio album since 2010's Funstyle. During the 11-year gap, she concentrated on raising her son, James, scoring TV shows and some live performances. In April 2019, Phair announced she'd started working on new studio material with Brad Wood.
• Phair debuted the song for XPNFEST on August 4, 2020. She live streamed it from home, after the 2020 XPoNential Music Festival was canceled because of the pandemic.