YES Announces 24th Studio Album 'Aurora', Shares Title Track

Progressive rock legends YES will release their 24th studio album, "Aurora", on June 12 via InsideOut Music/Sony Music.

The current lineup of YES features guitarist Steve Howe, whose association with YES began in 1970, along with keyboardist Geoff Downes, a member of the 1980 "Drama"-era lineup. Jon Davison has been lead vocalist in YES since 2012 while bassist Billy Sherwood, who was hand-picked by original bassist Chris Squire, has been involved with YES since 1990s. Drummer Jay Schellen, who worked closely with Alan White on drums, completes the lineup.

When YES first began sketching out ideas for what would become "Aurora", the process was loose and exploratory. There was no preconceived concept at the start, just a collection of musical fragments that gradually began to find one another and take form. Among these early sketches was a piece titled "Aurora", and it quickly became clear that the name carried certain gravity. It suggested light, emergence, and a sense of vastness, qualities that resonated deeply with the band. Jon Davison remembers how "the title immediately resonated with Steve Howe and sparked visual inspiration for artist Roger Dean, setting a conceptual tone that would guide the project."

Work on "Aurora" began almost as soon as the "Classic Tales Of Yes" tour ended in 2024. The idea of a new album surfaced quickly and with the label's encouragement, the band had the time to develop material organically. Rather than gathering in a single studio for months, they embraced a modern workflow; ideas were born in home studios, shaped independently, and then woven together through constant collaboration. Downes and Howe often acted as the central creative axis, with Howe, as producer, serving as the point through which all ideas eventually flowed.

Across "Aurora", each track carries its own character. Some echo the classic YES approach, others push into new territory, but together they form a cohesive whole that honors the band's heritage while embracing forward motion. With their 24th studio album, YES demonstrate not just longevity, but a sustained curiosity, a desire to keep exploring, keep refining and keep discovering their capacity to create.

Howe comments: "Making this record was joyful, a chance to play, explore and give everything to the music. It's always been about collaboration, somebody can write a song, but until everybody puts their contribution in it isn't really a YES song. We're not trying to echo the past; we're carrying the spirit of YES forward and turning it into something new".

YES has launched the first single from the album, and you can watch the beautiful animated video for the title track, created by Matt Hutchings (Greg Lake, OASIS, IRON MAIDEN),below.

"Aurora" will be available as a limited deluxe 180g light green 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray artbook and poster, as well as a limited deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray artbook, both featuring the stunning artwork of Roger Dean and Freya Dean, as well as a bonus disc of instrumentals, and a Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound and 24-bit stereo mixes (by Curtis Schwartz). The album is also available as a gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet, special edition CD digipak and as a digital album.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Aurora (07:27)
02. Turnaround Situation (05:50)
03. Love Lies Dreaming (06:24)
04. Countermovement (13:48)
05. Ariadne (06:18)
06. All Hands On Deck (03:04)
07. Outside The Box (04:20)
08. Emotional Intelligence (03:30)
09. Jambustin' (bonus track) (04:24)
10. Watching The River Roll (bonus track) (04:42)