Fans of Jon Anderson who are hoping for a new album with the Band Geeks will be pleased to hear that he is currently working on his next record, with plans to release it in the second half of 2026.

The former Yes vocalist and songwriter, a cofounding member of the legendary progressive rock group, began touring with the Band Geeks in 2023. The group is aptly named, featuring Blue Oyster Cult guitarist Richie Castellano as the musical director. Anderson quickly discovered that they were well-equipped and deeply knowledgeable about the music of Yes, allowing him to perform anything from the band’s catalog, even the most intricate epics. Nothing was off-limits.

2024’s True quickly followed and was a dream for Yes fans. It seamlessly combined the best elements of what fans have enjoyed from the band over the years. The music included aspects of classic Yes tunes, blended with influences from albums like 90125 and Big Generator, sometimes within the same song.

READ MORE: All 22 Yes Music Videos Ranked

This brings to mind what the singer told this author in 2018 about his desire to reach the “top of the mountain” one last time and create a final great Yes album. When I inquired about what that vision looked like for him, he was quick to respond. “We’re always climbing mountains and I always felt that Close To The Edge was that first moment when I thought, ‘Oh my God, we’re doing something very, very unique and very different.’ It’s all based on performance,” he explained then. “Because Yes was always a performing band. It was never about ‘Let’s write a hit!’ That’s not what Yes was about and still isn’t. In my mind, the last thing I think about is trying to get a hit, even though I want my music played on the radio somehow.”

READ MORE: How Yes Reached a Prog Mountaintop with ‘Close to the Edge’

With True, it felt as though Anderson had finally accomplished his goal, even if it didn’t say Yes on the cover. And as it turns out, the frontman shares this sentiment. “You know, I was fortunate enough to meet the Band Geeks. A friend of mine sent me a video of them performing ‘Heart of the Sunrise,’ which is quite a piece of music from Yes,” he recalls now. “So I thought, I’ll call them up. I called Richie and said, ‘What are you guys up to?’ He replied, ‘Oh, we’re just doing our stuff.’ And I said, ‘Well, you sound very happy, you look very grateful and you play the hell out of the music. So let’s go on tour.’

Listen to Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks Perform 'Heart of the Sunrise'

How Jon Anderson’s Next Album Started Taking Shape

“That started everything rolling. We went on tour and at the end of it, I said to Richie, ‘We’ve got to make an album.’ So we made an album and it’s very straightforward; you just do what you want to do,” he adds. “We finished that album and we loved it so much. Performing it was quite a treat for us as well as for the fans. After we completed this last tour, I looked at Richie and asked, ‘Do we have another album in progress? [Anderson chuckles] And he said, ‘Let’s see what happens.’ So we’ve been making strides toward a new album over the past four months.”

READ MORE: Listen to Jon Anderson’s ‘Shine On’

True added more great Anderson epics to his catalog with tracks like “Counties and Countries” and especially the expansive “Once Upon a Dream,” which exceeds 16 minutes in length. “Gosh, I was in musical heaven. Especially ‘Once Upon a Dream,’ which was put together very interestingly as Yes would have done it 20 or 30 years ago. You start off with one idea, then bring in another idea, then another idea until you realize you’ve got too many ideas here,” he explains. “But eventually, if you just relax and keep working on something, all of a sudden it blossoms like a flower.”

“You simply sit back and play it repeatedly. By the time you’re mixing it, you’re thinking this is such a great song,” he continues. “And during tours, audience reactions were similar; it felt like a new expression of what I’ve been doing for years now with help from an excellent group of musicians who are very dedicated to creating great music.”

Listen to Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks’ ‘Once Upon a Dream’

What Can Fans Expect From Jon Anderson’s New Album?

Anderson is now channeling his experiences from True and their performances into his next record. “It gives you so much more energy to travel around and perform when you know you’re working on new music that’s just been born,” he tells UCR. “Here we are diligently working in a very English way on this new album; it’s equally as exciting as True. I think it’s natural to collaborate with musicians; we meet every Tuesday at two o’clock on Zoom to work on songs we’ve tried maybe last year or song ideas I’ve had for ten years. We’re still building another skyscraper of music.”

While Anderson and the Band Geeks work towards completing that musical skyscraper, fans can anticipate a fresh set of tour dates kicking off in the new year. Below are the first leg of shows revealed so far; tickets are available now.

Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks, 2026 Tour Dates
April 17 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
April 19 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
April 21 – Patchogue, N.Y. @ Patchogue Theatre
April 23 – Red Bank, N.J. @ Count Basie Theatre
April 26 – Rochester, N.Y. @ Kodak Center Theater
April 28 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theater
April 30 – Landsdowne, PA @ Landsdowne Theater
May 02 – Landsdowne, PA @ Landsdowne Theater
May 05 – Troy, N.Y. @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
May 07 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Theatre