London, Nov 14 (IANS): Atomic Kitten member Kerry Katona says the band will release a new album next year and are preparing to go on tour.

The 34-year-old says she and band mates Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton are working on a new album, reports contactmusic.com.

"Atomic Kitten are doing a new album. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say, but we are. There'll be a tour all over the world with just the Kittens and the album should be out next year," she said.

It will be the first record they have recorded since their debut album "Right Now" in 2000.

Katona left the girl band later that year and was replaced by Jenny Frost.

She told The Sun newspaper: "The new music will be the original signature sound, which is cheesy pop. That's what people loved. We can't try and go funky when we're competing with the likes of Rihanna and Beyonce".

She, McClarnon and Hamilton reunited in 2013 when they took part in reality-documentary series "The Big Reunion".