Fiona Apple Debuts New Songs at SXSW Showcase

Fiona Apple's fans know not to hold their breath between releases -- it's the kind of thing you learn when one of your favorite artists releases three albums over a 16-year span -- but she looks like she's finally ready to return with her long-awaited fourth full-length studio LP, and she whetted appetites during her recent SXSW showcase by debuting three new songs.

Delivering a 12-song set, Apple initially appeared ill at ease on stage -- Antiquiet's concert review described her as "overwhelmed with anxiety and battling stage fright" -- but she eventually warmed up, working her way through a blend of hits and new material (and, at one point, yelling at the audience that they weren't real).

The three new tracks are titled 'Valentine,' 'Every Single Night,' and 'Anything We Want'; Stereogum founder Scott Lapatine grabbed video from the latter performance, which is embedded below.

Though it's hard to take anything for granted when it comes to upcoming Fiona Apple records, her decision to include them in her SXSW set would seem to indicate that we can expect to hear studio versions when her long-gestating fourth release reaches stores. Currently saddled with the unwieldy title 'The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do,' the album is scheduled for a June release.

Fiona Apple performs 'Anything We Want'