Avett Brothers Next Record Might Be Produced by 'Very Good Friend' Rick Rubin

North Carolina's Avett Brothers have a knack for ignoring music's well-defined rules. Whether it's their chameleon-like ability to effortlessly cross bluegrass, country, honky-tonk, pop, punk and folk, or their refusal to rest on their laurels by constantly touring for nearly 10 years, the band -- brothers Scott and Seth Avett plus bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon -- have maintained their work ethic and made the music industry bend around them.

So it should come as no surprise that even while their major label debut, 'I and Love and You,' was being released, the band already had their sights set on its successor.

"We never stop writing songs so we're been well into the process since before the last record came out," Seth Avett tells Spinner during a recent tour stop in Calgary. "Now we're well into the process of recording demos, and there's more to come."

"The new record is on our minds," Scott concurs. "The biggest problem for now is how and when do we record it?"

As for whether or not über-producer and label boss Rick Rubin will end up behind the boards on their next record, the band is optimistic.

"[The record] could be [produced] with Rick Rubin," Scott says with a sheepish grin. "We're very good friends with Rick and we constantly share ideas. So, for example, if one of us is really into a musician these days we might let Rick know.

"He's just a great friend of ours, beyond just a business relationship."

At the moment the group is focused on touring and continuing to stay in the black before they embark on the expensive process of recording again. "We're pretty nervous about being broke," Scott laughs. "But the record should be done within a year -- definitely not two."