More Swan Songs (from Phantom Cats) with Liz Shar

Phantom Cats singer/lyricist Liz Shar shared some insights to three songs featured on the now defunct Detroit quartet's final album.

"I grew so much as a singer and artist through the golden years of this band, and I'm eternally grateful to have been a part of it. Nick (Landstrom) doesn't even realize how much he has influenced my life and changed me for the better as a person, within the realm of music, and otherwise. I always felt so honored to be his lead singer, and be able to sing to such moving, and entirely magickal compositions..."

"Words"

Liz Shar: ...simply about feeling something so intensely that you can't express it properly with words. Sometimes the only way I know how to express myself and to purge overbearing feelings is to sing or growl or yell, as if the animal part of my humanity is the one  processing emotions.

"My Body"

Liz Shar: ...about the back and forth of being confident in yourself, and then letting societies standards weigh you down. I've been a big girl my whole life, and society is always telling me I'm wrong for it. I have this anchor in my heart that says, "no I love my body, I don't need to lose weight for them," but then I'll find myself letting society's standards put me down, but then I'll back track again and ground my feet in what I know is true--that beauty standards are created by society, by men, by the media, to make money and control people's minds, in many ways. I'm not about that life. This is my body!

"Lil' Demon"

Liz Shar: ...about my experience being bi polar. The lil' demon is the mental illness, which I've been managing since middle school. I've been on and off meds, been in the psych ward, getting into and out of addictive/compulsive behaviors, and after all this time, when that lil demon strikes, it makes me feel 18 again.. Out of control, indecisive, impulsive, confused, and crazy

Shar is currently finishing up a Master's Degree in Linguistics at Georgetown University. She and guitarist Nik Landstrom haven't ruled out another "final" recording (for a possible release) for the songs they wrote together as Fancy Street. No official word on that... In any case, as you can hear on these recordings, Shar pours her heart and soul into her singing and her live performances with Phantom Cats will be missed. Though, I heard a rumor she's picked up the guitar, lately... So, I"m sure we'll be hearing more from her soon. 

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