Yes have released ‘Aurora’, their 24th studio album, on June 12 via InsideOut Music and Sony. The record is the band’s third studio album in five years, following ‘The Quest’ (2021) and ‘Mirror to the Sky’ (2023), and was recorded across 2024 and 2025 with guitarist Steve Howe producing the music. Work on the album began almost immediately after the ‘Classic Tales of Yes’ tour that wrapped in 2024, with the band developing material through home studios before bringing their ideas together.
The lineup remains the same five-piece as has always been, with Howe on guitar, Geoff Downes on keyboards, Billy Sherwood on bass and vocals, Jon Davison on lead vocals, and Jay Schellen on drums.
Two singles came before the release of the album. The title track came out this April with a music video created by Matt Hutchings, who has previously worked with Greg Lake, Oasis and Iron Maiden. ‘Turnaround Situation’ followed this May, spotlighting the anticipation for the album release. The title track features orchestral arrangements performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, making the sound a strong collaboration of musical strengths and genres.
The album runs eight main tracks at just under an hour that set the tone for their live performances to come, the tracks include:
- Aurora 07:27
- Turnaround Situation 05:50
- Love Lies Dreaming 06:24
- Countermovement 13:48
- Ariadne 06:18
- All Hands on Deck 03:04
- Outside the Box 04:20
- Emotional Intelligence 03:30
- Jambustin’ (Bonus Track) 04:24
- Watching the River Roll (Bonus Track) 04:42
In terms of the tour, Yes have planned a nine-date UK ‘Fragile‘ Tour for April and May 2026, but postponed it after Howe required some urgent surgery and recovery time. The rescheduled dates are now confirmed for May 2027, with tickets from the original run remaining, with a new date at York Barbican on May the 15th has been added. The tour will feature ‘Fragile’ performed in its entirety alongside material from across the band’s catalogue, including tracks from ‘Aurora’.
Howe spoke about new album, stating that: “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.”
‘Aurora’ is out now for download on digital, but also CD and gatefold 2LP with a limited deluxe box set with Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound mixes for fans to enjoy.
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