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Ani DiFranco preps for new record, fall tour
Ani DiFranco , who is getting ready to wrap her summer outing, is already looking toward fall, when she'll support her forthcoming album with another round of US dates and a short European tour.
The singer/songwriter is scheduled to finish her current North American jaunt July 28 in Edmonton, Alberta. After taking a breather, she'll hit the road again in mid-September for a three-week run that stretches from Arizona to Michigan, and then she's off to Europe for a week and a half. North American dates are included below and overseas shows can be found at DiFranco's website.
The self-described "Little Folksinger" has set a Sept. 30 release date for her 20th studio album, "Red Letter Year," according to Billboard. DiFranco has been previewing some material from the set, including the song "Present/Infant," on the road.
The Grammy-nominated performer returned to touring last fall after the January 2007 birth of her first child. During her time off, she put together the material for her first career retrospective, "Canon," which surfaced in September. That 36-song collection delves into material spanning from DiFranco's 1990 debut to 2006's "Reprieve," and includes five re-recorded tracks of old favorites, including "Both Hands."
In April, DiFranco followed "Canon" with the "Live at Babeville" DVD, which captures her inaugural sold-out shows at her own Buffalo, NY, venue last September.
The fiercely independent musician, known for her outspoken, humorous, intimate shows, has built her career through relentless grassroots touring and a DIY ethic that has not wavered in 18 years. Her 20 albums on her own Righteous Babe Records label have sold more than 4 million copies without radio play or marketing campaigns, according to her bio. The label is also home to about a dozen other genre-bending artists.
