Duran Duran gears up for next album

[©DURANMANIA Board Team]

[glow=red,2,300]Duran Duran gears up for next album[/glow]



LONDON, England (UPI) -- British rockers Duran Duran are looking for producers for the follow-up to their 2004 comeback Epic album "Astronaut."

Keyboardist Nick Rhodes told Billboard.com he and his bandmates have scheduled a series of songwriting sessions for August through December and plan to go into the recording studio in January.

"I`d like to work with a groove-master," Rhodes said, mentioning producer Dallas Austin, who worked with the band on "Astronaut."

Duran Duran, currently on a world tour, is scheduled to play July 2 at Bob Geldof`s Live 8 concert in Rome, which is designed to highlight global debt ad poverty. The band played at Geldof`s first Live Aid event 20 years ago, Billboard.com said.

"The band`s in great shape -- we`ve played a lot of shows," Rhodes said. "We did 45 shows across America in the first three months of the year. We`re ready."

[©DURANMANIA Board Team]

[glow=red,2,300]Duran Duran Plan Next Album[/glow]
^{—Angela Kozak/By: ChartAttack.com Staff}

Duran Duran are in the planning stages for their next album and say they would like "a groove-master" to produce it.

Keyboardist Nick Rhodes told Billboard.com the band will enter the recording studio in January, after spending four months in songwriting sessions.

The band are aiming for a summer 2006 release and are already discussing possible producers. Rhodes lobbied for Dallas Austin, who worked on Duran Duran's 2004 album Astronaut. Rhodes described Austin as "super high-energy and good to have around."

Astronaut's "Nice" is currently being considered as the disc's third single. "It's very identifiable as us — uplifting, simple, beautiful melody, cool groove," Rhodes said. "And it just felt like a good summer song."

Duran Duran will tour throughout the summer. They are set to headline the Rome portion of Bob Geldof's Live 8 event on July 2 — 20 years after they performed at the original Live Aid. Rhodes said the band aren't daunted by the prospect. "We did 45 shows across America in the first three months of the year. We're ready," he said.

When Astronaut was released in October last year, it debuted at #1 on the Internet album chart, #3 in the U.K. and #17 in the U.S. It later took the top spot on the Billboard Dance Chart.