Rolling Stone hits the studio with Avril Lavigne, who’s hooking up musically with husband Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 on her next disc, for a progress report in our new issue. The big news: Lavigne isn’t looking to repeat the success of 2007’s smash single “Girlfriend,” nor is she looking to maintain her status as punk-pop’s snotty princess. On the as-yet-untitled November disc, Lavigne says she’s aiming for a more introspective sound with a stripped-down rock record driven by acoustic guitars.

“Life, that’s what this record is about,” Lavigne tells Rolling Stone. “It’s so easy for me to do a boy-bashing pop song, but to sit down and write honestly about something that’s really close to me, something I’ve been through, it’s a totally different thing.” Even though Lavigne is stepping away from the power-punk, she still packs the catchy hooks on songs like “Darlin’,” which was the second song Lavigne ever wrote as a 15-year-old living in Napanee, Ontario. Butch Walker also worked on Lavigne’s fourth LP.

While Lavigne’s previous albums hid her voice behind walls of production, her vocals are front-and-center on new tracks like “Everybody Hurts.” Other titles include “Black Star,” which was originally going to be the theme song for Avril’s fragrance of the same name, and “Fine.” “My last record was about loud guitars and energy, but this I wanted to really feel my music,” Lavigne told RS.