Natalie Merchant plans tour, new album on the way

Dates have begun to emerge for Natalie Merchant's tour behind her new record "Motherland," due in stores on Nov. 13.

The multi-platinum artist will spend the latter part of October and early November playing clubs and theaters on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

"Motherland" (Elektra) is Merchant's fourth solo album since leaving 10,000 Maniacs, and her first studio album in three years. The album was produced by T-Bone Burnett (The Wallflowers, Counting Crows).

A track listing and a clip of the album's first single, "Just Can't Last," is available on the Elektra Records website.

Merchant's last effort was the 1999's "Natalie Merchant Live in Concert" (Elektra), which featured a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." It was recorded during a four-night stand at New York's Neil Simon Theater.