It’s a return to the simpler days for alt-rock mainstays Jimmy Eat World on their upcoming seventh album, partially inspired by recording at the home studio of producer/musician Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Lanegan Band), as well as looking back at their classic 1999 album, Clarity.

As we recently reported, Damage is out June 11 on Dine Alone Records/RCA and features 10 new songs of the Phoenix band’s trademark emotional rock. The group recorded the upcoming album with Johannes in L.A. in the fall of 2012 — a welcome change of pace from their previous three albums, which were all recorded at home.

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“The longer that we are a band, I think, the longer that we will be playing music together,” says Jimmy Eat World frontman Jim Adkins. “Because we appreciate the goals that we reach even more the longer it goes on.”

Now into their 20th year, the Mesa rockers are expressing their gratitude through a series of Arizona dates in places that haven’t seen the boys since the Clinton administration, if ever.

“It’s been about 15 years since we’ve played Yuma, and even longer since we’ve played Sierra Vista. We’ve never played in Casa Grande or Wickenburg,” says Adkins. “We’re really excited for it. Some of the craziest, wildest shows we’ve played have been in places that a lot of people tend to skip over. So I’m not sure what to expect, but it’s a way to kind of say thanks to people that have commuted for hours to see us play.”

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