During a recent interview with Billboard, Chance the Rapper announced plans to release an album with his band The Social Experiment. Surf will be the group’s debut project and Chance’s first offering since his critically acclaimed 2013 mix tape Acid Rap.

“We’re working really closely with Francis Starlite from Francis and the Lights. He’s really been a big help on Surf,” Chance said. “Surf is the first project, which is coming out before the end of 2014. It’s the first Social Experiment project. It’s a big step for all of us, all putting our heads together and letting Nico [Segal, a.k.a. Donnie Trumpet] hold the reins and carry it. There’s a lot of great instrumentation. A lot of input from cool writers. I’m already saying too much. We’ve been trying to take in all these cool, different outside cultural experiences, and make that into a free listenable project. That’s the new thing.”

Shortly after releasing Surf, the band plans to tour and work on another project titled SOX. According to Chance, the trek will have a very interesting feel. “We’ve been really, really focused on The Lion King musical and stage design and use of props in the theater setting and trying to make a very cool musical-kinda thing. Like musical theater,” the Chi-town rapper said. “It’s still in the development process. I’m really excited; the band’s really excited. But the way the show goes right now, we’ve made it a little more refreshing.”

Don’t get your hopes up too high for a solo release any time soon, however. Chance said he feels no pressure to release a full project, and he plans to take full advantage of the flexibility of his independence. He and the band are working with other artists like Migos, J.Cole, Emily King and Frank Ocean. “I have a certain responsibility and I feel like conforming to the mixtape. To [record an] album would just defeat the whole purpose of not signing [with a major label],” he said.