[artist id="975"]Bruce Springsteen[/artist] is heading back out on the road with the E Street Band, for their first string of shows since the [article id="1666007"]death of founding member Clarence Clemons[/article] earlier this year.

That's according to a new post on Springsteen's official site , which also mentions that the band is putting the finishing touches on a new album.

"Things are starting to heat up down on E Street," the post reads. "A lot of you have been hearing that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be on tour in 2012. That is absolutely correct. European dates run from the middle of May until the end of July ... info on the U.S. dates ... will be coming up shortly.

"In addition, we want you to know that the music is almost done (but still untitled), we have almost settled on the release date (but not quite yet), and that we are all incredibly excited about everything that we're planning for 2012," the statement continues. "That's all the info we have for right now, but we'll get back to you real soon."

It's not clear whether Springsteen and the Band plan on replacing Clemons, the much-loved "Big Man" who passed away in June after complications from a stroke (a spokesperson for Springsteen did not respond to MTV News' request for comment by press time), though in a tribute posted on his site, Springsteen made it clear that "Clarence doesn't leave the E Street Band when he dies. He leaves when we die."

Following [article id="1666213"]Clemons' death, Springsteen paid tribute[/article] to his longtime friend at a memorial service in Florida, calling him "a man of unconditional love ... when you were in his presence, it was like being in a sovereign nation."