Guess That’s What She Get’s;
Liska Talks Acting Above Your Station
Photos and words by: Shea Roney
“How am I going to celebrate?”
Liska repeats the question, pondering the possibilities that haven’t been lent much attention yet. After a pause, she says, “it's either going to just be me ordering Chengdu Impression and getting stoned as fuck and being glad it's all behind me, or if I'm feeling flashy, then maybe I'll invite everyone out to a bar and have a night out.”
Liska is the stage alias of Chicago-based pop artist Annelise Steele, and the creative stamina behind her latest EP, Acting Above Your Station.
Ever since the beginning of the project in 2020, Liska has been a persona for Steele, blending the glitter, glam and bratty attitude with rambunctious heart and a catchy melody. “I definitely put on a flashiness when I'm in Liska mode,” she shares.
But as she gets older, the personification of Liska has begun to intertwine with her real life, finding more comfort and excitement in who she is and what she has to share.
The EP’s title is a phrase relating to someone acting pretentious, but can also be used as a deliberate means, as Liska says, “it’s when someone thinks they're more than who they think they are. I want to act above my station to manifest new shit.”
“I think whatever's happened in my personal life has made me more confident in general. So as a performer, I just have become a little bit more carefree,” Liska says. “I feel like in terms of style, I used to love to wear hot pink miniskirts and heels and look crazy with bleach blonde hair. And now I'm not so much into that, but I still want to be poppy and girly and bratty. Where the confidence is actually coming from me and not a crazy outfit.”
How this new confidence came about, Liska acknowledges one show in particular, saying, “I was at such a low point in my personal life that I was like, I just need to fucking rock it out at this show.” Sweaty, rolling around on the floor, she realized, “I can just be me and on my own and be fine. Change is okay — I can still be cool Liska.”
Following her last two EPs It Girl and Le Boom, Liska admits, “I think I was just feeling burnt out. I wanted to wait for the inspiration to come back,” revisiting the amount of pressure she placed on herself. “I was trying to do the pop thing to the fullest extent. But it was just so much fucking work for no reason.”
When it came time to record Acting Above Your Station, Liska brought in an entirely new crew and made it clear that this approach would be different. “I was just trying to lean into the vibe and not just be too focused on my own insecurities,” she says. “During most of the recording, I was still feeling a little bit unsure about everything. But by the time I came out of the process, It was clear that I can do this shit. I can call the shots.”
Acting Above Your Station rolls with the punches. It’s a collection that isn’t passive in its deliverance, but rather one that embraces whatever happens. Its rock n roll prowess feels invested in the emotional aptitude that Liska now embraces, to where a choice that will be made for the moment is whatever feels best to her, and that is as honest as you can get.
Follow Liska on Bandcamp and Instagram!