Always one to follow her muse wherever she may lead, yesterday Tori Amos announced her departure from Epic Records. Signed to the label for the past six years (after spending 15 at Atlantic Records), the fiercely idiosyncratic artist is finally taking the indie route:

“It is time for us as artists to stop being dependent, dependent on any system that has become undependable. Only then can we help to create a new system that propagates and secures independence for each creator.”

My first encounter with Tori Amos was on March 26, 1992.* Relaxing in my dorm room, I flipped on MTV, where John Norris was hosting an hour-long special featuring the flame-haired artist. I recall being instantly entranced by Tori. Moved by her performance, I wanted to discover more. (*Thanks, Google, for helping me pinpoint the exact date.)

From that moment forward, I followed the piano-straddling phenom on record (even tracking down a bootleg of her major label debut, Y Can’t Tori Read). But I’m no rabid fan, just a committed follower  who’s attended four concerts to date. At times, Tori has lost me along the way — 1996’s difficult-to-devour Boys For Pele, 2001’s Strange Little Girls cover album — but last year’s American Doll Posse was an exceptionally accessible work of art. (Aside from the five “personas” employed on the disc, that is. I did say she was idiosyncratic.)

With Tori parting ways with Epic, it would appear that thus ends any push for American Doll Posse, if there was ever much of one. And that’s really too bad, since several tracks deserved a bigger audience, like the album’s second single “Bouncing Off Clouds.”

Interestingly enough, Amos’ announcement wasn’t the original impetus for this post. Turning to my iPod’s shuffle feature this morning on the way to work, another Posse song, “Secret Spell” turned up. I didn’t recognize the track (“Bouncing Off Clouds” had been on InfiniteRepeat™ upon the album’s release), but “Secret Spell” is also worth sharing. Hear here:

As for Tori’s next chapter, she seems to welcome the challenge of going it alone:

“This is an exciting time. There will be many ways in the present and in the future for artists to cross what has become the new unchartered Music Frontier. Ways that may seem impossible today but in a month’s time will seem probable … Artists need not fear structure, we just have to design and partner with expansive ideas.”

One of those expansive idea arrives in bookstores July 23. Look for Tori’s Comic Book Tattoo, a 12″ x 12″ 480-page anthology adapting the “themes and ideas behind her songs into a lush volume of sequential art.” Yep, that’s pretty unique, all right.

Whatever path she next travels, I think Tori’s gonna be around for a long, long time. Following her muse (many muses, really) hasn’t failed her yet.

Purchase Tori Amos – American Doll Posse via Amazon, iTunes.