Avsec announced in a March 2012 interview that the band had begun working on their twelfth studio album, due out in 2013 to commemorate Iris's seventieth birthday. However, this project has turned into a special release to celebrate the thirty-fifth anniversary of the formation of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, which was expected to be released in 2014. On June 17, 2014, Iris and the Cruisers leaked a new song, "Sing the Songs of Summer (All Night Long)," the first track to be released from the band's intermittent time in the studio in the previous two years. This was followed by "Pittsburgh Made," released on Spotify and for free download in October 2016. On the April 2, 2015 episode of Jim Krenn's "No Restrictions" podcast, Iris mentioned that he and the band hoped to have the often-delayed album out by the end of 2015. As of November 2018, there is still no release date known for the new album.