Rolling Stones in “the early stages” of new studio album

Keith Richards has confirmed that the Rolling Stones are currently in “the early stages” of a new studio album.

While the band launched their covers collection Blue & Lonesome in 2016, fans have been waiting for their first record of original material since A Bigger Bang in 2005.

And in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Richards says things are happening behind the scenes.

He says (via UCR): “I’m going to sound like Trump – ‘It will happen, don’t worry about it’ – but it’s in the early stages.

“We have some stuff down which is very interesting. It’s more difficult for us to write together the further apart we are, but it also has its benefits in that we come back to it from a different angle.”

Richards adds: “I find it an interesting challenge to write for Mick. There’s no point in my giving him a song that’s beyond his range or that he’s not comfortable with.

“What I really like to do is write a song where Mick goes, ‘Yeah, right, I’m in!’ That’s what I try and do, because I’m writing for the lead singer of the Rolling fucking Stones, and that is my job – to give him a riff that he leaps on and goes, ‘Right, I know what to do with this.’”

Producer Don Was has also spoken about their new material, and adds: “The songwriting that Keith and Mick did recently was really something to behold.

“The three of us sat in a room, with them facing each other, five feet apart, with guitars, and there’s something magical that happens that’s still as fresh as when they started.”

Earlier this week, the Stones announced UK and Ireland dates on their No Filter tour – and they’ve now added a third show in London, which will take place at the London Stadium on May 25.

Find a list of their 2018 tour dates below.

Rolling Stones No Filter Tour 2018

May 17: Dublin Croke Park, Ireland
May 22: London Stadium, UK
May 25: London Stadium, UK
Jun 05: Manchester Old Trafford, UK
Jun 09: Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium, UK
Jun 15: Cardiff Principality Stadium, UK
Jun 19: London Twickenham, UK
Jun 22: Berlin Olympiastadion, Germany
Jun 26: Marseille Orange Velodrome, France
Jun 30: Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Arena, Germany
Jul 04: Prague Letnany Airport, Czech Republic
Jul 08: Warsaw Pge Narodowy Stadium, Poland

The story behind the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street album artwork

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.