Ani DiFranco Brings Her 'Canon' to the Interface

Ani DiFranco was an idiosyncratic folk icon from the word go. The prolific singer-songwriter -- known as much for her percussive six-string picking as her tatted skin, once-shaved head and staunch DIY ethos -- fled her native Buffalo for New York City in 1989 at the age of 18, only to release her debut album on her own Righteous Babe Records from the trunk of her car within one year. DiFranco recently released her first career-spanning retrospective, the two-disc, 36-track 'Canon,' and stopped by our New York Interface studio to play us four songs, including the new track 'Present/Infant,' and an old favorite, 'Both Hands,' which undergoes a fairly radical reinvention.

"That was a funny story -- re-recording 'Both Hands.'" DiFranco recounted to Spinner. "We recorded it with [bassist] Todd [Sickafoose] and [drummer] Alison [Miller]. 'Canon' was all done, remastered and the graphics and the cover ... And we were going over the lyrics -- me and my manager -- and he's like, "Well, 'Both Hands' -- you sang that one really differently. Should we change the lyrics?" I was like, "What?" And he said, "Well, that verse you left out." The album was supposed to come out in a couple weeks. I was like, "Oh, no!" I forgot to sing the third verse or something. Through the miracle of technology, I went and dropped in the third verse."

Click below to download both the full performance and interview, where DiFranco discusses her near two-decade career, who she's supporting in the 2008 election, her newfound motherhood and just how many times she forgets her lyrics.