It’s been four years since Def Leppard released their last album of new material, Diamond Star Halos, but it sounds like fans won’t have to wait much longer for a new record. Frontman Joe Elliott tells ABC Audio the band has recorded several songs for a new album, with plans to have it out by the end of 2026/early 2027.

“We've got a game plan, but it is kind of loose and we like it that way,” he says. “It's not like we're being told by management and labels it has to be delivered on this day.”

The band's been touring constantly, but thanks to new technology, recording an album has been a lot easier than in the past. Elliott says the days of them all having to be in the studio together are over, which is something they learned during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

“That's the beauty of the technology is that you never get a period where, OK, here's the start of a recording of an album and it's going to run for three months,” he says. “It’s just an ongoing process.”

Def Leppard wrapped their Las Vegas residency in February and will launch a European tour on June 13 in Sweden, and it doesn’t sound like they’re ready to slow down. But Elliott says the end isn’t something completely out of their minds.

“Sometimes you do think that maybe this could be the last tour, but there's no reason for that,” he says. “I think because we like each other so much, and we like what we do, and like being on tour and playing the songs.”

He adds, “The little guy on your shoulder that keeps going, ‘You know what, it's going to come to an end at some point,’ it's not based in logic.” 

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