Amid the craziness of the season finale of American Idol, Steven Tyler took some time at a backstage press event to speak about Aerosmith and the status of their upcoming new album and tour.

Tyler said the band have written 20 songs for the as-yet untitled new album. They are using a variety of producers for the album, many of which have worked with them before.

One of the new songs will debut on tonight’s Idol finale, when Aerosmith performs on the show. Based on his comments, fans of classic Aerosmith tunes can get excited for the new material.

“Let’s just say we got Aerosmith back,” he said.

He also spoke about the band’s upcoming tour to support the new album, which kicks off June 16 in Minneapolis. He described the show as a “four-ring circus, not three” and including “monkeys jumping through hoops.”

Monkeys aside, Cheap Trick will open many of these shows, making it a classic rock package tour that is not to be missed.

– Matt Dolloff WZLX