Grammy award winning American hard rock band Van Halen is working on new music, and a new album is likely a year and a half away.

Singer David Lee Roth revealed in an interview with SiriusXM’s Jim Florentine that new music is on deck.

“I was up at Edward’s house, maybe three days ago, and we’re starting to put music together,” Roth said, adding, “We start way, way, way in advance, ’cause we are eminently art-centric, which is a really fancy way of saying we really do generate all the artwork, the graphics, etc. Same thing with the merchandise: If you buy a t-shirt, that was designed, literally, in my living room.”

Roth, who joined Van Halen in 1974, before being replaced by Sammy Hagar in 1985, and then Gary Cherone in 1996, says the band presently practices together about 3 times per week. The current lineup includes Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen.

Here is a copy of the full interview audio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrigqRihag

“Oh, yeah, we’re writing,” Roth said “I write lyrics routinely. It’s a perishable skill. And the band plays together routinely, at least three times a week. They’re up at Ed’s place, routinely.”

Diamond Dave, who has been repeatedly kicked out of Van Halen, was kicked out of Van Halen shortly after the filming of the clip below, at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-agRcJ0vz7I

Van Halen is still at its finest with Roth at the Helm.

Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” (1984) from the album “1984”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4GZFbCqx18

“Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” (1978) from the album “Van Halen”:

Image via Wikimedia Commons.