On the eve of the launch of the Black Keys 'Turn Blue' Tour, the duo is already thinking ahead to their next studio album. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney just released their eighth album, ‘Turn Blue,’ in May -- which topped the Billboard Top 200 chart -- and now the guys are already plotting their return to the studio.

Carney told Billboard, "I think if it were up to Dan and I, and we didn't have to consider the fact that we need to complete the full tour circuit, we'd probably be back in the studio in January." He continued, “I think by the time this record came out we were ready to make another one. We started the band because we wanted to make albums. We wanted to make one record, and then we found out we had to tour. We didn't play our first show 'til after our first record was recorded, so it's always been about making records, and it's been a process in growing to become good performers."

The Black Keys wrap their tour on Dec. 21 in Kansas City, Mo. and then have some downtime before heading back out on the road in Europe in mid-February. So a trip to the studio is possible but Carney did preface by saying the band "doesn't have an idea of what direction we want to go in or anything.”

The duo have been known to be quite prolific in the studio, recording their first three albums in three years and also laying down their classic efforts 'Brothers' and 'El Camino' one year apart in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Their latest album 'True Blue' marks the largest gap in time between albums at three years.

As mentioned, the Black Keys launch their 'True Blue' Tour tomorrow night (Sept. 5) in Columbus, Ohio. Check out The Black Keys tour dates here.

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