Aurora (Yes album)

During an interview in early 2024, Billy Sherwood confirmed work had begun on Aurora, telling Rolling Stone, "We're making a new album as we speak. When was the last time Yes made so many albums in a row in such a short period of time? That's driven by Steve's inspiration to produce it and to go forward".^[4]

Once The Classic Tales of Yes tour finished in late 2024, the band started fully working on the album by developing ideas in home studios and then bringing them together through ongoing exchanges.^[1]

Before this album, Billy Sherwood and Jon Davison lived fully in the United States, but they started living part time in the United Kingdom. Steve Howe said, “Jon and Billy have English partners now, which is very good. Of course, we still do a lot of file sharing, and I’ve a base that Jon comes to, but we don’t force people to be in the same room all the time just because they live here”.^[5]

Jay Schellen, as the only member to not have residence in the United Kingdom, said of the recording process, "We've been doing this for the last three records. It's remote recording. Billy and I had many sessions together, here in Los Angeles, where we put forward quite a bit of material. Billy splits his time between Vegas and London. So he is here in the US and that's when we get together. In the UK, there's the studio where Jon, and Geoff rendezvous. Billy as well".^[6]

In early 2025, Geoff Downes said, "It's a lot more progressive sounding than the last few albums. It's an album with attention to details and musicianship, which is what Yes is all about".^[7] In another March 2025 interview, when asked what is going on with Yes, Downes replied, "We've been working on an album for the past six months".^[8]

Davison described the album as, "very much part of a trifecta with the last two albums. There is a continuity from The Quest to Mirror to the Sky, then to Aurora. Just like we evolved from The Quest and did Mirror, we’ve gone another direction with Aurora. So there’ll be enough familiarity there".^[9]

The album's title emerged early from the writing process, with Davison recalling that the name immediately resonated with Howe and helped spark visual inspiration for artist Roger Dean, who designed the album artwork alongside Freyja Dean.^[1]

Previously unknown information about the album was leaked a few days before its official announcement, with the names of album, tracks, and the album cover being leaked alongside photos of the physical cartridge and information about the deluxe physical edition.^[10]

Rock Cellar Magazine described the title track as a "fittingly epic sonic experience".^[11] Consequence of Sound said, "The piece showcases symphonic elements not seen since 2001’s Magnification, underscoring a spritely and bright piece of music befitting the Yes legacy".^[12]