Tom Dumont says band hopes to work on new material during singer's tour breaks.
No Doubt have plenty of songs ready for their next album, they're just missing one thing: Gwen Stefani.
When their frontwoman hit the snooze button on the band's would-be sixth LP last year to prolong her solo career, the rest of No Doubt continued to amass music for their long-awaited follow-up to 2001's Rock Steady. Guitarist Tom Dumont said plans are in motion for the project, though he warns that fans shouldn't expect to see the finished work until at least the Fall of 2008.
"Tony, Adrian and I have been busy preparing material for the album since this time last year," he wrote in an e-mail to MTV News. "So we have a lot of instrumentals looking for words."
Dumont wouldn't reveal many details about their stylistic approach thus far, saying only, "We've written so much stuff that covers so much ground that it's hard to say what sounds will win out in the end." The guitarist denied recent gossip that bassist Tony Kanal had joined Stefani on tour to work on new material but said he and Kanal may meet up with her on the road later. Stefani's tour in support of The Sweet Escape has dates scheduled through October 20 in the Czech Republic.
"Gwen has a busy world tour all year, so obviously most of our writing this year would happen either separately or during a few off days here and there," Dumont said.
Stefani's original plan was to do one side project that she initially hesitated to term a solo album. That turned out to be 2004's massively successful Love, Angel, Music, Baby. Following a tour and the birth of her first child, Kingston, with Gavin Rossdale, Stefani released The Sweet Escape in December.


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