Bryan Ferry is spending this year singing the songs of Bob Dylan. Next year it may be Roxy Music's turn.

The British icon tells Billboard.com that after he finishes touring in support of "Dylanesque," his just-released Virgin set of Bob Dylan covers, he hopes to return to the studio with Roxy Music mates Phil Manzanera and Andy MacKay to continue recording material for what will be the group's first new album since 1982's "Avalon."

"We did some bits of recording last year," Ferry says. "Not a great deal -- I'm still writing songs. I'd like to continue with that next year, with any luck."

Ferry says that after a reunion tour in 2001, the Roxy members "found we could work together again, and that was the main thing. That (tour) was a great success for us; we really liked that, and it was just great for the audience as well, who like what we do, to see a whole show of Roxy songs. I thought, 'Maybe we can do some more,' and I hope we can."

"Dylanesque" will keep Ferry -- who, in fact, has never met Dylan -- and his 10-piece band on the road into the fall, with concerts around Europe and in Australia, including the Concert For Diana and Tower of London Festival in England and major festivals in Turkey, Spain and Norway.

"It's such a terrible shame we can't get to America at the moment; we just can't afford it," Ferry explains. "It loses too much money, 'cause it's quite a big band, and the exchange rate being what it is ... Maybe we can find a great hedge fund sponsor for a tour."

There may be more Dylan in Ferry's future, too. There are another half-dozen songs left from the session; he won't identify them -- "'cause then it's more of a surprise" -- but says he would like to finish them for some sort of future release.

"There's just a few that aren't mixed yet," Ferry notes. "I think there were a few more good ones in there, so I'd like to go finish them after this current tour I'm on. Maybe we'll auction them on eBay or something."