AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams has confirmed during a recent interview with BackstageAxxess that the writing process is underway on what will be the band’s first album since 2008’s Black Ice.

Although Williams admitted AC/DC are still far away from entering the studio, the bass player did reveal that brothers Malcolm and Angus Young have been working on new material:

“Nothing in the works right now [regarding recording]. We’re still getting over the last tour, so we’re just hanging out and doing stuff. The guys [Malcolm and Angus Young] are writing material and when they’ve got some stuff together, they’ll give us a holler.

“They [Malcolm and Angus] get a bunch of ideas together. Some are more together than others — and then we’ll all hit the studio or a little rehearsal room and we’ll kick it around with a producer. And then we get in a studio and record, and that’s kind of how it runs.

“The guys, I’m sure, are putting their time in — Malcolm and Angus — but they’re not ready for [the rest of the band to get involved] yet.”

The updates will come as a relief to AC/DC fans after work on the new was delayed at the beginning of last year due to an illness within the band. Last August it was reported that AC/DC would tour Australia in 2013 behind a new album but, based on Williams’ comments, this prediction now looks doubtful.

We live in hope.

Watch: Cliff Williams of AC/DC Interview 2013