Rolling Stones confirm new blues-inspired album for 2016

The Rolling Stones were speaking at the launch of a career-retrospective exhibition in London

The Rolling Stones have confirmed they're working on a new, blues-inspired album for release this year.

"We're actually in the studio in the moment cutting new stuff," Keith Richards told BBC 6 Music.

Guitarist Ronnie Wood added that the band recently "cut 11 songs in two days. Just 'bang' - like that."

"It was a surprise to us. We didn't intend doing it," he told Matt Everitt. "I wish I could play them to you now. I'm so excited about them."

The Rolling Stones haven't released a studio album since 2005's A Bigger Bang, although they wrote two new songs for the 2012 compilation record Grrrr!

The sessions have included new material and a series of blues covers, including songs by Little Walter and Howlin' Wolf.

"They sound so authentic it's frightening," said Wood.

"We didn't spend any time rehearsing them or anything. We just picked a song that suited Mick's harmonica or a guitar riff... and they worked out pretty good.

"It was like, 'this is what the Stones do, we play blues.'"

"It's sounding really good," added Mick Jagger. "We did one session before Christmas. We'll probably do more."

UK tour dates

"It's very easy and free," said drummer Charlie Watts. "Keith plays the same now as he ever did. He sits there and plays a song and if something comes to him, he'll put that into it."

Wood said the new music would be released "sometime this year", while Jagger said the band would be announcing more shows in the coming months.

"We'll come back to the UK, indeed," he said. "It doesn't feel very long since we played [here] but actually it's ages ago now."

"I think our main thing is playing live these days," Richards added. "Within the band, we always feel like the next show is going to be better.

"For a bunch of reprobates we have an incredible dedication to our job."

The band were speaking at the launch of Exhibitionism, a career retrospective at London's Saatchi Gallery.

Billed as the largest exhibition of Stones memorabilia ever mounted, it includes a recreation of the studio where they recorded Sympathy For The Devil, and the band's filthy first flat in Edith Grove, Chelsea.

It also includes key instruments, album art, diary entries, tour posters and the band's flamboyant outfits.

But, as Richards told 6 Music: "I don't remember wearing any of it."

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