Keith Richards Reaffirms Plans for New Rolling Stones Album

It's taken them more than 10 years to get around to it, but it sounds like the Rolling Stones are finally ready to record a new album.

Guitarist Keith Richards reaffirmed recent talk of a new LP, telling Mojo that after he releases and tours behind his own upcoming solo album, Crosseyed Heart, the Stones intend to return to the studio for their first full-length effort since 2005's A Bigger Bang.

According to Richards, singer Mick Jagger is the driving force behind the group's recording plans. "Will we record and tour again? I think we will. We’ll do this year, then go into the studio. I know Mick wants to record again – he blurted it out in a meeting: ‘It’s about time we went back and recorded.’ I was like, ‘We’re here to talk about a tour, right?’ So that will be interesting. End of the year."

Richards' recollections echo remarks made earlier this year by Jagger, who said he was hoping to convince the band to reconvene for some new material. "I’ve got a lot of new songs, and songs I’ve written over the last couple of years. I’ve done really good demos for all of them, which I would love to record," he mused. "I’d love to record a Stones album."

The subject came up several weeks later in another interview with Richards, who signaled his willingness to get back to work. "Just last week, the word ‘studio’ popped up while we were rehearsing," he recalled. "I said, ‘Well, let’s find a time. I’m ready!’"

In the meantime, Richards' Crosseyed Heart LP is set to arrive Sept. 18. You can listen to the first single, "Trouble," here.