Last week, the Strokes were booking an NYC studio to start recording a new album. Now, they’re booking live gigs: The New Yorkers have signed on to headline the June 12 date of the Isle of Wight festival in Newport, England.

The gig will be their first since the First Impressions of Earth tour concluded in 2007.

The flurry of activity comes after months of uncertainty surrounding the band’s future. Frontman Julian Casablancas, who just released a solo debut, Phrazes for the Young, told SPIN in October that the band had written about 20 songs, but the feasibility of a new album remained murky.

When asked whether the stalled album was a result of band members splitting time between their various side projects and splitting creative duties within the Strokes, Casablancas said, “Both.”

To read the complete article visit SPIN