Mark your calendars for June 18, Aerosmith fans.That’s when the band’s tour kicks off, according to frontman Steven Tyler. Tyler will be all done with his ‘American Idol’ judging duties by then and ready to hit the road hard!

“June 18th it starts,” Tyler said, according to Rolling Stone at Elton John‘s Oscar bash on Sunday (Feb. 26.) “So spread the word.”

But the next few months will be incredibly busy for the singer, whose pulling double duty as Aerosmith puts the finishing touches on their new record. “We’ve been in the studio for the last month,” Tyler explains. He also said that “we’re nailing them,” referring to both of his high profile gigs. (We think that’s what he’s referring to…)

As for the sound of the new Aerosmith? Well, it’s going to be familiar, and that’s what fans love. “We’re gonna have a vintage sound, ’cause we’re going to tape and a lot of good things like that,” said Tyler. “We’re keeping tracks lean, not a lot of overdubs, and like I said, we’re using [producer] Jack [Douglas] to his fullest. So you’re gonna hear some stuff where you might think Aerosmith’s back.”

Tyler is clearly happy with the progress on the new album, and he’s stoked about the process, too! “I’m having such a good time writing again,” he said. “You got the songs right now where they’re like shells, with no lyrics and no melody, and I get to fill in the blanks like I did with ‘Back in the Saddle’ when it was just a track.”

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