Butch Trucks Says New Allman Brothers Band Music Is on the Horizon

Courtesy of Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band hasn't put out an album of new tunes since 2003's Hittin' the Note, but the group apparently is finally considering returning to the studio in the coming months.  The Southern rockers have a relatively busy 2012 schedule planned in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their classic album Eat a Peach, but founding Allmans drummer Butch Trucks tells ABC News Radio he believes that "by the time this year is over, there'll be a lot of new material."

For his part, however, Trucks isn't very enthusiastic about The Allman Brothers recording a new album in the traditional sense.

"I know [frontman] Gregg [Allman] and [guitarist] Warren [Haynes] really want to go back to the studio [but] I never liked the studio in the first place," he admits.  Trucks also points out, "It costs us more to make a CD than we can recoup in the sales, so it's really not cost effective."

He adds, however, "If we've got a lot of new material and everybody wants to do [a new record], then, fine, I'll do it."

Meanwhile, Trucks has his own idea about how The Allmans might go about putting together a collection of new tunes.

"I kind of like the concept of, if we get a lot of new material this summer, next year we…record everything [during our annual residency at New York City's] Beacon [Theatre]," he suggests.  "Then [we] take it into the studio and let Gregg redo all the vocals or whatever, and come out with kind of a hybrid live-studio album.  It would be cost effective and a hell of a lot more fun."

In the meantime, The Allman Brothers Band is gearing up for a series of U.S. summer shows that begins with a July 21 appearance at the All Good Festival in Thornville, Ohio.  As previously reported, The Allmans also have a number of co-headlining gigs lined up with Santana during late July.  Log on to AllmanBrothersBand.com to find out all the details about the group's upcoming concerts.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio