Petition Seeks to Free Fiona Apple Album

12/22/2004 9:10 AM, AP


Fiona Apple fans wondering when the artist's third CD would see the light of day might want to keep an eye on one enthusiast's online petition.

Dave Muscato, a Missouri musician and Apple afficionado, has founded the Web site www.freefiona.com in an effort to pressure Sony to release "Extraordinary Machine." Apple's follow-up to "Tidal" and "When the Pawn ..." reportedly has been finished since May 2003.

"They didn't think it had enough commercial appeal to justify the cost of promoting it and distributing it," Muscato recently told AP Radio. "So even though it was already recorded, they'd already spent the money to record it, they basically decided to just cut their losses and stick it on a shelf."

For every signature on Muscato's petition, the Free Fiona! campaign plans to send a fake apple to Sony CEO Andrew Lack, "as a symbol of protest and support for Fiona Apple." As of Dec. 22, the Web site has gathered more than 2,600 signatures.

A demonstration outside Sony headquarters in New York is also planned on Jan. 28.

Muscato says he had heard a couple of tracks from the album that were leaked on the Internet, so he's not worried he's going through all this trouble for an album that's no good.

"Even if it's no good, which I'm sure isn't the case, I would at least like to buy it and decide that for myself," he said.

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On the Web:

http://www.freefiona.com/