Queen + Paul Rodgers nearly finished with new album

Already nine songs into their first studio album together, Paul Rodgers and Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor are collaborating so well, they anticipate having the CD out in stores "probably next year, the way things are going," according to Rodgers, with a tour to follow.

"With Queen and myself, it's a very organic thing," Rodgers told Billboard.com. "We're letting it sort of develop itself naturally and not pushing it or giving it any pressure. We go in, just the three of us. Rogers gets on the kit, Brian gets on the guitar, I get on the acoustic guitar and piano, either/or, and then we share the bass line afterwards... I can hear the song line and then (May) can hear all the harmonies on top of it. We can't hear them, but when we go out in the studio, he tell us what line we should sing. He knows exactly what he's doing and we don't know what it's going to sound like, but when we go back into the studio and the engineer puts everything up we all go, 'Holy smokes, listen to that!' So that's the genius of harmonies."

While Queen's earlier work was classically influenced, Rodgers -- whose work with legendary outfit Bad Company leaned towards bluesy rock -- says, "My own approach, of course is more of a bluesy thing. If you add those two together it makes something else, something brand new."

Queen & Paul Rodgers released a live album and DVD, called Return of the Champions, in 2006. Rodgers' solo CD/DVD Live In Glasgow was released in 2007 and he is currently touring with his own band.

Queen & Paul Rodgers plan to return to the studio in October to complete the album.