Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have just announced the dates for their 2013 summer tour, and now Petty is discussing some of the group's plans for both those live performances and an upcoming album they plan to release later this year.

The band's live schedule includes two multiple-night residencies; one in May at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, and another in early June at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. Petty tells Rolling Stone he's particularly excited about those dates, which are the group's first concert runs in smaller halls since a five-night stand in Chicago in 2003.

"This is a good thing to do every now and then," he says. "It gets the band members in tune with each other in a way that you don't get on a big tour. There's a different challenge than you're used to. We got together the other night, the band and I, and everybody is up for this. There's no telling what we'll do."

The group have been working on a new album, which they plan to return to the studio to finish after the tour winds up in July. The 62-year-old rocker says the new material is in the same vein as 2010's 'Mojo,' adding that it's "not as strict to the blues." Fans at this summer's multi-date shows just might get a preview of some of those songs.

"I'd rather people heard the record before we perform the songs, but I also like the songs and want to play them," Petty states, adding, "If they're sounding really good and I get the okay from the head office, I'll do it."

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers kick off their tour on May 16, in Evansville, Ind., wrapping up on June 29 in Minneapolis, Minn. They will perform at Bonnaroo in June.

More From Ultimate Classic Rock