Why Did Bob Dylan and His Band Recently Spend Two Days at an Upstate New York Record Studio?

Could Bob Dylan be recording his first studio album in more than five years? There’s no confirmation of this, but a recording studio in the Albany, New York, suburb of Colonie revealed in a press release that Dylan and his band spent two days this past week working there.

On Friday, August 8, White Lake Studios posted a statement on its Facebook page that reads, “Legendary music icon, Bob Dylan, along with members of his band, spent [August 5 and 6 at the studio]. … The studio team had been preparing for the visit in advance and work diligently to ensure discretion and privacy throughout the sessions. … Details of Dylan’s two day visit were not publicly disclosed.”

[RELATED: Bob Dylan Will Hit the UK and Ireland for a String of Shows This Fall]

David Bourgeois, White Lake Studios’ CEO, added, “We want every artist and guest to feel relaxed and at home. We’ve had the privilege of working with many remarkable talents over the years, but this visit was truly special. I am incredibly proud of our team.”

Dylan’s most recent studio album, Rough & Rowdy Ways, was released in June 2020. The folk-rock legend also released another new album, Shadow Kingdom, in 2023. That record is the soundtrack to a concert film of the same name, which featured Dylan performing various songs from the early part of his career live on a soundstage in Los Angeles.

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More About White Lake Studios

The press statement also included details about White Lake Studios, noting that it’s “a multi-room recording and audio post-production facility. The studio has a staff of 18 people. The studio has provided audio-production services to a number of major television series, including White Lotus and Stranger Things.

More Recent Dylan News

Dylan’s visit to White Lake Studios took place during a short break in the 2025 Outlaw Music Festival Tour. Dylan is performing at all stops of the multi-artist trek, which is headlined by Willie Nelson.

The traveling festival’s two most recent shows were held on August 3 in Gilford, New Hampshire, and August 8 in Darien Center, New York. At the August 8 concert, Dylan began his set with a rendition of his 1963 song “Masters of War.” This marked the first time he’d played the tune live since 2016. You can check-out fan-shot video of the performance on YouTube.

The current leg of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, wraps up with performances on August 9 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and August 10 in Syracuse, New York. The trek resumes on September 5 in Bangor, Maine, and runs through a September 19 performance in East Troy, Wisconsin.

Dylan then will launch a fall European headlining tour. That trek kicks off October 16 in Helsinki, Finland, and is plotted out through a November 25 show in Dublin.

Dylan’s Most Recently Released Recording

Dylan appears on Barbra Streisand’s recently released duets album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two. Bob and Babs teamed up for a classy, jazzy version of the 1934 pop standard “The Very Thought of You.”

(Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)