Following the conclusion of her current July tour, singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco [ tickets ] will take a hiatus from live performing until summer 2006, according to her publicist.

DiFranco, who typically performs more than 100 gigs per year, is suffering from inflamed nerves and tendons in her wrists and hands. Following her tendonitis diagnosis earlier this year, she took a three-month break from the road in an unsuccessful effort to treat the condition.

"If she were to continue to perform at this time, she would risk permanent nerve damage to her hands," said a statement issued Thursday (7/21) by DiFranco's Righteous Babe label. "Therefore, the decision was made to cancel upcoming tours, starting with the West Coast tour planned for late August and early September 2005, and provide Ani with a sufficient amount of time to make a full recovery."

During her downtime from the road, DiFranco will work on various recording projects with "longtime friends," and will also work on an album that should be in stores in 2006, the statement said.

DiFranco will also be a featured speaker at the New Yorker Festival, Sept. 24 in New York City.