After spending most of the past 10 months on the road to support its latest album, "El Camino," the Black Keys are eyeballing an early 2013 start for their next album.

Recently married drummer Patrick Carney told CBS Local that the duo will hit the studio in January and also plans to "tour a little more in the spring."

If all goes well, he says, "Our plan is the have the new album done by the end of spring or earlier, then hopefully take a few months off to do normal things like go to bed early and wake up early, walk the dog, that kind of stuff. Then we'll probably be back on the road starting next fall."

Singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach, meanwhile, tells us that he and Carney have no pre-conceived notion of the direction the album will take.

"We won't know 'til we get in there," Auerbach explains. "We don't get to practice together on the road. We're always trying to write and keep ideas going, but where we're most comfortable is in the studio. I can't wait to get back in there."

The group plans to begin recording at Auerbach's studio in Nashville.

The group has some touring left this year as well, starting Thursday (October 4) in San Diego leading up to shows at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 12 in Texas and the Corona Capital Festival on October 14 in Mexico City.

The Black Keys move on to Australia and New Zealand later in the month, then head to Europe in late November before winding up the year with a pair of shows December 30-31 at The Joint @ the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

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