The Sort of Return Of Legendary Prog Supergroup Asia

2024 was the Year of the Dragon – and with it came a powerful rebirth: a new Asia lineup featuring founding member, keyboardist Geoffrey Downes, acclaimed drummer Virgil Donati, virtuoso guitarist John Mitchell, and stunning vocal newcomer and bassist Harry Whitley. This new chapter promises to reignite the band’s iconic spirit, stepping into a promising new creative era.
 
Founder member, songwriter, producer and keyboardist Geoff Downes expressed his excitement for the signing: 
 
“Asia is thrilled to have recently signed a new deal with Frontiers Music Srl. Having been loyally supported by the label throughout the Asia reunion period from 2005-2015, we are now entering an exciting new chapter in the band’s 45-year history with a sequence of live albums, DVDs & a brand new studio album scheduled for a 2026 release. It’s very much a homecoming for the band, and so we are greatly looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with them in the future. Watch this space!”

In 1982 John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe became the founding fathers of super group Asia, responsible for a string of multi-million selling albums and chart-topping hits across the globe. Asia’s self-titled1982 debut album was the biggest selling album in the world in that year. The band dominated the airwaves and for many “Heat Of The Moment”, “Only Time Will Tell” and “Sole Survivor”, amongst others, were the soundtrack to their youth.

In 2006, the founding members reformed Asia and released several new albums before John Wetton’s untimely passing in 2017.  Since John’s passing, Geoff and Carl have toured with Sam Coulson, Billy Sherwood, Ron Bumblefoot Thal and Steve Howe guesting.

Busy touring the globe, Carl Palmer is now immersed in a project very dear to his heart, the Return Of Emerson Lake & Palmer, while the legendary Steve Howe remains at the helm of progressive rock legends, Yes. So, Geoff made the decision to take a fresh, new-looking Asia back out on the road, recruiting Mitchell and Whitley as new members and bringing in the drumming excellence of the incomparable Virgil Donati, who had played with Wetton in UK.