Singer/songwriter Colin Meloy [ tickets ] will take another short break from his day job as frontman for The Decemberists [ tickets ] to mount a spring solo tour.

The Montana-born, Oregon-based performer will hit 18 cities on the outing, which kicks off April 7 in Austin, TX. Singer/songwriter Laura Gibson offers opening support for all dates; the full schedule is below.

The trek will coincide with the April release of Meloy's first solo album, "Colin Meloy Sings Live!" The single-CD, double-gatefold vinyl release chronicles Meloy's 2006 solo tour, where the singer "stripped down to an acoustic guitar and was accompanied by a skull named Cheryl, a ship named Maya Angelou and a small stuffed sheep named Erick," according to Meloy and The Decemberists' website.

In addition to the live set, Meloy will make an EP available only to those attending the shows. "Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke," a five-track collection of songs by the legendary R&B vocalist, follows a pair of similar EPs available on earlier Meloy tours: 2005's "Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey," and 2006's "Colin Meloy Sings Shirley Collins."

Meloy's main outfit, The Decemberists, was forced to cancel most of its US and European shows late last year due to health concerns with one of the band's members. The group, which continues to support its 2006 major-label debut, "The Crane Wife," bounced back in January to play a few headlining shows in the Pacific Northwest.