Eleanor Friedberger signs to Merge Records, releasing solo LP titled 'Last Summer'

DOWNLOAD: Eleanor Friedberger - My Mistakes (MP3)

The Fiery Furnces frontwoman Eleanor Friedberger has just signed with Merge Records to release her debut solo effort Last Summer, available on July 12th in the US.

Last Summer, which was recorded, well, last summer, was born out of Take Me Round Again, a collection of cover songs from the previous Fiery Furnaces album. Both Eleanor and Matthew did their own inspired versions of songs they'd written together for their last LP I'm Going Away. Matt's were otherworldly affairs, while Eleanor's were lo-fi and lovely, all recorded in her home, the sound of an artist kicking off her shoes, settling into a big comfy chair with an acoustic guitar, a glass of scotch, and a four-track. She enjoyed the experience so much she decided to move forward with recording songs she had written in her spare time. Eleanor will be touring in support of Last Summer; dates will be announced further into the spring. [Merge Records]

Head to the top of this post to download the album's first single titled "My Mistakes".

In other Eleanor related news, The Fiery Furnaces will kick off a month long tour by playing two nights at NYC's Rockwood Music Hall on May 4th, and May 5th. The duo will grace Chicago's Schubas with the same two night gift on May 10th and 11th. Tickets are still available for both nights.

You can view all 2011 Fiery Furnaces tour dates below...