With 'And I Feel Fine', a retrospective album of their years on IRS Records out this week, REM are preparing to return to the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2004's 'Around the Sun'.
Speaking to Billboard.com, bassist Mike Mills said: "We'll start rehearsals probably some time in the next month or two. I think [guitarist] Peter [Buck] and I probably both have a ton of stuff, but we haven't sat down and played it for each other yet."
He continued: "I don't think in terms of directions, but I think this next record might have a little more rock to it. I like 'Around the Sun', but I think, honestly, it turned out a little slower than we intended for it to, just in terms of the overall speed of songs."
