The Band Perry is in the midst of recording their sophomore album. As the trio hinted to The Boot earlier this year, they're working with legendary producer Rick Rubin, who is known for his work with the Dixie Chicks, Adele and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among a laundry list of other huge names in music.

"He's really brilliant. He was really fantastic," Kimberly Perry told The Boot. "He was basically half therapist, half producer."

Now that they're "about halfway finished" with the project, the lead singer cites the man behind the curtain with the ease of record making. "[Rubin] has just been a masterful mentor," Kimberly tells Billboard, "so we felt a little bit more of the sophomore jitters before we actually pushed the record button. Now we're feeling really, really excited about everything."

One difference in the new songs, as opposed those on their first record, is the vibe. "We've taken the second album to more of a live feeling; we are a band, and where we're at right now with this second album feels like a band, which we're pleased about," Reid Perry explains.

"Our melody has grown up so much, mostly our delivery and the melody that we hear in our heads and in our hearts," Kimberly adds. "Everybody we keep playing the rough mixes for is like, 'It sounds like you guys are standing on this really cool edge.'"

As for songwriting, the trio have grown immensely in the past two years, giving them plenty of inspiration for new material. They explain that the new songs will not only incorporate stories from their busy and thrilling lives on the road, but also stories they've heard from fans.

Two tracks fans can except to hear on the new CD when it hits shelves later this year are "I'm a Keeper," which Kimberly describes as "a relationship song about being a free spirit," and another in honor of the siblings' mother. According to the songstress, the album holds "a lot of themes that revolve around family and best friends," in addition to the emotions associated with being away from home.

While the group is watching their "Postcard From Paris" climb the charts, they expect to release a new single from their upcoming project in the fall.

Read The Band Perry's full interview with Billboard here.

Watch The Band Perry Talk About Their Goals for 2012

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