As we announced yesterday in the Nonesuch Journal, Nonesuch Records will release Natalie Merchant’s new album, Leave Your Sleep, on April 13, and the album is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store. In a Nonesuch Store exclusive offer, the first 500 orders of the album were made available with a print of a Natalie Merchant photo taken by Mark Seliger and signed by Natalie. Given the overwhelming interest in the print—the first run of which has already sold out—Natalie has graciously agreed to sign an additional 500 copies, which are now available in the Nonesuch Store. [Update: This second print run has also now sold out.]

Leave Your Sleep is the culmination of six years of research and collaboration. It is Merchant's first studio album since 2003 and her first for Nonesuch. To coincide with the release, she has announced a European tour in May—her first in eight years—including seven dates in the UK that have previously been announced and now an additional seven dates on the Continent, beginning in Brussels and heading next to Amsterdam, followed by four nights in Germany, and one in Paris.

During an earlier visit to the UK, Natalie recorded four tracks for the BBC Radio 2 show with Bob Harris. For each of the past four weeks, the show has aired one of the tracks. The fourth and final track, "The Sleepy Giant," off the forthcoming album, aired this past Saturday. You can listen online at bbc.co.uk. Natalie’s segment begins at around 2 hrs 23 mins.

All of the currently scheduled European dates and venues are listed below. For more information and links to purchase tickets, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

NATALIE MERCHANT MAY 2010 EUROPEAN TOUR