This isn't a rare thing, though Dread. I'm sure it happens to more artists than we think. I don't think that Sony is too worried about not making cash through her since Sony has tons of cash-making artists backed up. But they can't just let an artist go when there's cash to be made. If you have cash in a bank account, you don't necessarily need to spend it or use it, especially not when you have tons of cash in other bank accounts.

In fact, often large companies have money in bank accounts that they don't know that they have... and they often forget about that cash until one of their accountant teams find that cash safely hidden away. I have a friend who is an accountant for Verizon (in Atlanta), and they find hidden cash all the time that Verizon "temporarily" lost track of.

Fiona is just like one of those unused bank accounts. She's unnecessary, but she's also money to be used later if they want to use it.

Anyway, I would be surprised if Ms. Apple wasn't doing something. Most likely she's just writing more songs. I doubt she wants to change the new ones. She may give someone else permission to remix or tool around with the songs, though.

Either way, I'm sure she's just not sitting around watching Friends re-runs.
:D