"I was pretty burned out and there was a pretty rock-bottomy time there," said Morissette, whose relationship with fiance/actor Ryan Reynolds ended in 2006.

"I just needed to figure out who I was and step away from pretty much everything, including my career. So it was good. It was very mandatory and well used."

It was educational, as well. She learned she was "recovering actively from her childhood and from the wildness of the fame of the 1990s," when she scored hits such as "You Oughta Know" and "Ironic." All of this is addressed on her forthcoming album, "Flavors of Entanglement," due June 10.

"It speaks to the title of the record. I'm just really extricating myself from the super dynamic and somewhat dramatic liaisons I've been in romantically over the many years. I was just taking a breather and stepping back and really taking responsibility for my well-being and my healing."

Morissette talked to LiveDaily about her time off, her recently completed tour with Matchbox Twenty and Mute Math, and more.

LiveDaily: Are you looking forward to the tour? How long has it been since you were on the road?

Alanis Morissette: I am very much. Actually, I've been trying to think of how long it's been. I know it's been a year and a half, at least, has passed. So maybe two years?

Are you nervous about hitting the road again?

Yeah, I'm always nervous. Once I do four shows, I get my swagger back. [Laughs]

Why did you decide to tour with Matchbox Twenty instead of doing a headlining tour?

I was invited. I thought there's a cushy communal feel and it's less pressure and less stress on me to fill venues. It's just more fun. The less pressure there is on me, the better for my well-being. Also, the group-traveling thing is great. Mute Math and Matchbox Twenty together just sound like trouble waiting to happen. So bring it!

So tell me about the new record, "Flavors of Entanglement."

I love this record. I wrote in London and L.A. both equally. I wrote 24 songs. I recorded all of them and now I'm whittling it down to the final 11. I love it. It's a real chronology of the last many months of my life. It's an accurate snapshot, as all my records have been, frankly. [Laughs] Working with Guy Sigsworth. He's producing it and he co-wrote it with me. I remember hearing the Frou Frou song he did called "Let Go." I remember hearing that record and I thought, "This is a flawless piece of production. I would love to work with this person, whomever it is." I didn't know who it was at first. I tracked him down, called him and he was up for it and excited. We kicked ass together, I think. [Laughs]

Why did you name it "Flavors of Entanglement"?

It's describing that which I need a break from, to say the least. I'm taking a little breather on the old jumping into commitment thing. A lot of the songs, thematically, hover around that subject.

I think everyone is trapped by some type of entanglement.

Certainly, it's not all negative, right? That's what the "flavors" word denotes.

What did Guy bring to the table?

He's so beautifully meticulous and particular and his way of making records is completely different from how I used to do it. I say very loosely that I used to produce. I definitely produced my records but I don't consider myself a good producer. He's a pro. He's a magician. That's how he is with technology, and the kinds of people he has working with him and around him are all pure technological geniuses, I think.

How do you feel this album fits in with your catalog?

I think there's a consistency in terms of the honesty and directness and the lack of rhyming. [Laughs] Musically--certainly production-wise--it has evolved. It's where I am now. I think some of the chord choices as I've grown older--and I think that's a positive thing--are a little more textured and layered. For example, using diminished chords versus straight-off A-C-D chords. Just taking a few more risks in that area.

You've dabbled in acting a bit. Anything we can look forward to?

Yeah, I just shot a movie where I finally took on a lead role at long last. I've been keeping that at bay for a while. I portrayed a character named Sylvia in a movie called "Radio Free Albemuth." It's a Philip K. Dick book. We shot that in the fall. I just saw a rough cut of some of the scenes and I'm very proud.

Was it nerve wracking to see yourself on the big screen?

Um, yeah. But, thankfully, I had some objectivity. I think so many years of editing my own videos and stepping back from myself visually on screen has helped me be able to have more objectivity.

Your cover of the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" became a YouTube classic. Why cover that song?

I was writing these songs for this record and I have a tendency--to say the least--to really go quite in depth with my emotional landscapes. I remember at one point turning to Guy and saying "I wish I could write a really super simple song." We were talking about the kinds of songs that people have written that have been so beautifully simple. I was like, "Why can't I write a song like 'My Humps'?" Then there was this pregnant pause. I was like, "I can't write it but I can sing it." So there you go.