 Amos negotiated an end to her contract with Epic following the release of "American Doll Posse", announcing in 2008 that she will be operating independently of record labels.In early 2009, Amos signed a distribution, or joint-venture, deal with Universal Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group, which granted her greater creative control over her work than traditional recording contracts.Amos released two albums her first year under the contract