ElPasoTimes.com's Doug Pullen has issued an interview with THE CULT frontman Ian Astbury. And excerpt follows:

I asked Astbury if The Cult, who are without a record label, had been working on material for a new album. The question brought a very blunt answer.

"There will be no new album. I don't think we'll ever see a Cult album. Albums are dead. The format is dead. iTunes destroyed albums. The whole idea of an album. Albums were established in the '70s and '80s and into the '90s, but they've been dead for a long time. Nobody buys albums. It's been proven. It's an arcane format, as much as the 78 rpm or writing sheet music for an orchestra. It's an old form and, for me, it's much more about if we have a great song we really believe in, then we'll record it and release it."

He's not ruling out collecting a bunch of those songs into some kind of album and makes clear that his views are in relation to The Cult more than anyone else.

"For me, the idea of making albums is dead. The idea of spending a year and a half in the studio arguing over agendas and trying to fit into a format that's settled before we started the creative process (is unappealing)."

Read the full report at ElPasoTimes.com.

The Cult recently announced the launch of The Cult - Love Live Tour, with confirmed dates in the US, Canada and Europe.

The Love album is viewed by fans and worldwwide media as The Cult's pre-eminent release. From the immediately recognizable opening notes of 'She Sells Sanctuary', through Billy Duffy's psychedelic guitar strains on 'Phoenix', to the resolve of Ian Astbury's haunting baritone on 'Brother Wolf, Sister Moon', The Cult created an album that maneuvers as a tour de force.

The Cult Love Live Tour will showcase the band's alternative roots as musicians and performers, and is sure to electrify new fans and devotees. Performing in diverse venues from the grand scale excitement of London's Royal Albert Hall, to the thrill of Los Angeles' Nokia Theater, to the intimate setting of Paris', Le Bataclan, the band will fulfill the ultimate dream of Cult lovers across the globe, performing the unimaginable; a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness one of alternative rock's most important records, Love performed in its entirety, live onstage.

"The band is redefining the live album experience with the Love Live Tour; nothing is comparable to witnessing The Cult, fully engaged in the live creation of arguably their seminal album. For fans this will be the greatest tour yet, and for those just discovering The Cult, this staging will envelop them in a pure performance experience," stated Cult manager, Tom Vitorino.

The Cult will be delivering spectacular production, along with the intense performances that fans have come to expect. The evening's finale will include an encore of The Cult's greatest hits, spanning the bands' storied career. The band has been working closely with their art/ design team creating an arresting set, with dramatic effects, using state-of-the art technology.

Fans will be able to enjoy special access tickets in certain tour stops, along with Love Live exclusive merchandise available at thecult.us. The band also has plans in the pipeline for delivering live select track audio and video streams, downloads, and hi definition video/audio capture for full show releases of select tour stops.

Continuing their historic creative partnership, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy began writing together this winter, and have since recorded several songs at The Sunset Marquis Villa Recording Studios, in Los Angeles, CA. Their highly anticipated new tracks will be the follow up to The Cult's 2007 release, the critically acclaimed, Born Into This. As of press time, the band is keeping options open to drop new tracks in conjunction with the tour.

The Cult's tour schedule is as follows:

July

4 - Street Festival - El Paso, Texas
10 - Ulrich City Center - Lockport, New York
11 - House of Blues - Atlantic City, New Jersey

August

19 - House Of Blues - San Diego, California
21 - Celebrity Theater - Phoenix, Arizona
22 - Nokia Theater - Los Angeles, California
23 - The Warfield Theater - San Francisco, California
25 - Roseland Ballroom - Portland, Oregon
26 - Moore Theater - Seattle, Washington
28 - AEG – REC Building - Abbotsford, British Columbia
29 - Flames Central - Calgary, Alberta
30 - River Creek Event Center - Edmonton, Alberta

September

1 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minnesota
2 - House of Blues - Chicago, Illinois
4 - House of Blues - Dallas, Texas
5 - Stubbs - Austin, Texas
6 - House of Blues - Houston, Texas
7 - Amos - Charlotte, North Carolina
9 - 9:30 Club - Washington DC
11 - Terminal 5 - New York, New York
12 - House of Blues - Boston, Massachusetts
13 - Massey Hall - Toronto, Ontario
25 - Lisbon Coliseum - Lisbon, Lisboa
26 - La Riviera - Madrid, Spain
27 - Tingalo 2 - Valencia
30 - Dom Sportova - Zagreb

October

2 - Le Bataclan - Paris, France
4 - DR Koncerthuset - Copenhagen, Sjælland
6 - The Academy - Leeds
7 - The Picture House - Edinburgh, Scotland
8 - Civic - Wolverhampton, Midlands
10 - Royal Albert Hall - London, England
11 - Heineken Music Hall - Amsterdam, Noord-Holland