Article Contributed by SRO
Published on 2026-04-10
YES—Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood, and Jay Schellen—are proud to announce their 24th studio album AURORA will be released on June 12 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. As Howe explains: “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.”
The band have also launched the first single from the album, with a beautiful animated video for the title track, created by Matt Hutchings (Greg Lake, Oasis, Iron Maiden), posted here: https://youtu.be/ETEGJTM6plw
Aurora will be available as a Limited Deluxe 180g Light Green 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook & Poster, as well as a Ltd 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 & 24bit stereo mixes (by Curtis Schwartz). The album is also available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet, Special Edition CD Digipak & as Digital Album. Pre-order now here: https://yes-band.lnk.to/Aurora
The tracklisting is as follows:
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 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, refining and discovering their capacity to create.
