The Roots and Elvis Costello Plot Collaborative Album

BY Alex HudsonPublished Jan 22, 2013

The Roots' work on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has given the hip-hop group a chance to appear alongside an array of artists passing through the talk show studio. This includes Elvis Costello, with whom the group are reportedly plotting a collaborative LP.

Roots drummer Questlove told Billboard that the album is due out sometime this year. "It was really love at first sight," he said of playing with Costello on Fallon. "The second time he came on, we surpassed the first one. So by the third time, he was like, 'Let's stop messing around and do something together.'"

The artists recorded around 20 songs together, and Questlove commented, "We have the tightest 12-14 song collection." The disc is being co-produced with frequent Roots collaborator Steven Mandel (K'naan, Erykah Badu, Common), who will also help with mixing and mastering. It's not yet confirmed which label will release it.

The Roots also have an album of their own called & Then You Shoot Your Cousin due out in late 2013 or 2014.

Questlove has also said that D'Angelo's long-delayed new album should be out this year, although we'll believe that when we see it.

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