Did Taylor Swift Record The Tortured Poets Department in Hudson, New York?

It's here!

Taylor Swift's much anticipated 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department was released at midnight on April 19th, 2024. 2 hours later the popstar announced that it was in fact a double album with over 30 songs.

The Swifties (read: me) lost their minds.

But what's a Taylor Swift album drop without a little bit of detective work? I saw a bit of an easter egg when it came to where Taylor recorded TTPD. Hudson Valley Swifties, get your detective hats on.

Where Did Taylor Swift Record The Tortured Poets Department?

Did the Hudson Valley play a part in the latest Taylor Swift album? I believe the answer is yes, but let me explain...

On Friday, April 19th, 2024 shortly after The Tortured Poets Department was released Aaron Dessner of the band The National and a close friend of Taylor Swift posted the following photo on Instagram:

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A post shared by Aaron Dessner (@aarondessner)

In the lengthy caption, Dessner wrote: "I'm so excited and honored to share that I have contributed to my dear friend and collaborator @taylorswift's brilliant 11th album -- a 31-song double album/anthology called The Tortured Poets Department."

Dessner famously records at his personal studio called Long Pond Studios which we as Hudson Valley Swifties know is located somewhere in Hudson, New York.

Tortured Poets at Long Pond Studios?

The photo that Dessner posted looks strikingly similar to the backdrop of Taylor Swift's Disney + documentary that went along with her Folklore album called Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions.

Take a look at the trailer for the documentary below and see if you can spot the similarities with Dessner's latest IG picture:

I mean, come on! It's gotta be the same place right?

Dessner adds on Instagram that he and Swift wrote some of the songs off of The Tortured Poets Department over 2 years ago and in total, they have "recorded over 60 songs together (17 across this anthology!!)" since they started working together on Swift's 2020 album Folklore.

We'll continue digging to get more confirmation, but the photos and general information that we already know about Aaron Dessner, Taylor Swift, and Long Pond Studio seem to be all the confirmation we need.