For Deep Purple, 2016 will start in the studio.
The veteran British rockers plan to convene in Nashville with producer Bob Ezrin in January to work on the follow-up to 2013’s NOW What?!
“Right now, we have 14 or 15 songs ready,” says drummer Ian Paice, “but a couple more might be added and one or two others cut from the final list we’ll record. With luck we’ll have the whole thing wrapped up by late April.”
Purple hope to release the still-untitled album in the summer, to coincide with potential festival appearances. According to Paice, Purple’s next touring cycle begins at the end of May with shows in Japan, Israel and Russia. But the drummer refuses to be drawn on the rumours about a potential reunion of Deep Purple’s classic Mk3 line-up, featuring David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes and Ritchie Blackmore.
“It’s not something I think about. But I have gone onstage with a lot of tribute bands and played these songs regularly, so I am very familiar with them. And I am also extremely comfortable doing the Mk 3 material.”
