Dashboard Confessional fans, rejoice. In a recent interview with Billboard, Chris Carrabba talked more about their upcoming record, hinting that their new music is reminiscent of their first few records.

“It's probably not savvy to say this, but I've begun to admit that I like my older records better—and I know why,” he tells Billboard.

“As time went on, people came along with good and different ideas, and one thing I kept hearing a lot is that lyrics don't matter—and I think I'm not the right guy to say that to. They might be completely right, but that's why I write songs. So this (upcoming) record, to me, is very much like the first three and a half records, where it's just like—I have something to say, not just a nice thing to sing.”

Read more: Dashboard Confessional release surprise EP—cover the 1975, Justin Bieber, Julien Baker, more

Of course, Carrabba is excited to release new music—and by the sounds of it, they have plenty of songs to pick from. Although, Carrabba admits that they are still trying to figure out when and how they'll release their new music.

“I would say we have 40 songs that I would actually pick from. Let's just say there's no shortage of songs, and I think there's a good record in there,” he says to Billboard.

“On the other hand I'm still writing… Not because I'm like, 'Oh, I've got to amass material,' but because I'm just inspired right now, and I don't want to stop writing just yet.”

And around the start of their intimate club tour, which is wrapping up now, they suprise-dropped a Covered + Taped EP, covering the likes of Justin Bieber (“Love Yourself”), the 1975 (“Sex”), Julien Baker (“Sprained Ankle”) and Sorority Noise (“Using”).

The EP comes from his own interest in songs that he enjoys—and it helped him approach releasing new music.

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“If a song strikes me, I'll do it,” Carrabba tells Billboard. “I had started becoming a little obsessive at some point about, 'What's the right approach about reintroducing music to the world after an official long absence?' Then, as I often do, I recorded some covers for fun, and I was like, 'Wait? I can just do what I like? Eureka!'”

Dashboard Confessional’s previous album, Alter The Ending, was released in 2009.

How excited are you for new music from Dashboard Confessional? Let us know in the comments below!

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