The Strokes plan to regroup in February, ending a hiatus that began after touring to promote 2006's "First Impressions of Earth," according to drummer Fabrizio Moretti.

Moretti -- who's about to tour in support of the just-released debut album of his new band Little Joy -- tells Billboard.com that the quintet has "plans of meeting up all of us together in February (to) kind of start noodling around and stuff." A new album and, presumably, more touring, is expected to follow.

Moretti says the five Strokes are "all pals" and relationships are good, but he did some have concerns about whether the group would indeed come back together. "I never had anything to base that anxiety on, but it crossed my mind," he confesses. "We all kinda knew we were just taking a bit of a break."

Moretti made the most of his time away with Little Joy, a group he formed with girlfriend Binki Shapiro and Rodrigo Amarante of Brazil's Los Hermanos, who Moretti met when both of their bands played at a festival in Portugal. The trio recorded its 11-track debut in Los Angeles -- where Moretti and Shapiro reside -- with producer Noah Georgeson.

The Strokes' Nick Valensi, Devandra Banhart (Moretti guested on the new album by Banhart's Megapuss) and the Moldy Peaches' Adam Green make guest appearances. Another two musicians will accompany the trio on its tour, and Moretti says shows will include covers and some unreleased and even brand new Little Joy songs.

"I think this is not a side project," says Moretti, who in addition to drums plays guitar, bass and piano and sings backing vocals on "Little Joy." "This would've been a side project had it been solely my songs and I was singing and I hired these guys. But it's really a band that evolved into an honest kind of three-part beast, I guess you can say. And I would like to continue with it, even when I go back to the Strokes."