Tom Petty Planning Highway Companion

June 17, 2005

Just as Tom Petty is heading out on the road for a summer tour, he has also revealed that he's been working on a new solo album, dubbed Highway Companion. He told Rolling Stone that it will probably come out next year, or "in the last little bit of December." The album will be Petty's third under his own name. "I think it's a special one, I really do," he told Rolling Stone.

Meanwhile, Petty is also promising a mind-blowing stage show on the current tour with The Black Crowes. "We're doing plenty of hits, but also some hits we haven't done in a while," said Petty, citing examples like "Listen to Her Heart" and "Don't Do Me Like That." He added, "It's the greatest stage set we've ever had. It was inspired by Saul Bass, who did screen titles in the '50s and '60s, like Anatomy of a Murder. I can't describe it - you gotta see it. It's gonna crack your head."