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Well, even though we were teased by L.A. Reid’s tweet a few weeks ago that we could expect a new Fiona Apple record in a “few weeks,” it looks like we will officially be getting some new Apple tour dates.

An Epic Records spokesperson said that Reid’s tweets were taken out of context, but that a new Apple album will be released later this year.

But onto more certain details… the singer-songwriter will be playing at least seven shows this year, which will be her first tour dates in five years. All currently announced shows take place from the middle to the end of March, beginning with a Pitchfork showcase at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 15. The last date is a Boston gig that will take place on March 27. In between, she will play Chicago, Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, Atlantic City and New York.

The singers’ last record, Extraordinary Machine, was released in 2005, and it had been six years before she released a record prior to that. Extraordinary Machine had a storied history long before it was ever released, including sessions with producer Jon Brion being scrapped before the entire album was recorded again.

That album was delayed so long that fans started a campaign against Epic Records parent company Sony Music to force the album to be released. Part of the strategy was a website called freefiona.com, which is still online.

Apple first came to prominence in 1997 with her hit “Criminal,” which was off her debut album, Tidal. Her performance on the song earned her a Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy at the 1998 awards ceremony. She was only 19 at the time. Apple’s second record, When the Pawn… was released in 1999. The title of that album actually contains more than 80 words and was the longest album title in the world when it was released.