Last month, Neil Young dropped his inaugural single with his new The Chrome Hearts backing band, “big change“, on the precipice of Donald Trump‘s Presidential Inauguration. According to a recent post on the Neil Young Archives, there’s more on the way and fans can expect a full-length album with the Chrome Hearts coming in spring.
Young took to his curated website and newsletter on Tuesday to let fans know he just finished recording his new album with producer Lou Adler and longtime collaborator John Hanlon. Young wrote the songs in November and December and recorded them with The Chrome Hearts—guitarist Micah Nelson, bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo, and organist Spooner Oldham—at Rick Rubin‘s Shangri-La studio in Malibu, calling the process “a joy.”
“It is a happy feeling I have today, knowing I have made an album I think people will enjoy,” Young wrote. “I hope it’s out in April. That would be pretty fast.”
Though Young doesn’t currently have any tour dates scheduled, he wrote that “it will be great to have new songs to play on the road this summer in Europe, the USA and Canada. We are looking forward to that!” While the lineup hasn’t been revealed yet, Glastonbury Festival confirmed that Young will be there this summer, though only after he mistakenly dropped off the yet-unannounced lineup.
The 79-year-old folk-rock icon launched The Chrome Hearts last year shortly after he abruptly canceled Crazy Horse‘s summer tour midway through. After introducing audiences at Farm Aid to the band partially culled from Lukas Nelson‘s on-hiatus backing band Promise of the Real, Young and The Chrome Hearts staged a two-night run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.
Read the full note from Neil Young about his upcoming album with The Chrome Hearts and check out the single “big change”.
neil young and the chrome hearts — “big change” [Official Video]
Hi everyone. I just finished my new album with Lou Adler and John Hanlon. It is in mastering now to make the vinyl, CD and digital copies. I am very happy and relieved to have ths done in the short time it took. The album art has been completed and handed in with Jenice Heo. I am working on the lyric sheets now, hoping to hand-write the words and get them in, in time..
It is a happy feeling I have today, knowing I have made an album I think people will enjoy. I hope it’s out in April. That would be pretty fast.
Playing with the Chrome Hearts was a joy as we recorded song after song at Shangrila in Malibu. I wrote these songs in November and December. They feel fresh to me and I am very happy to have this all ready for you. It won’t be long now and it will be great to have new songs to play on the road this summer in Europe, the USA and Canada. We are looking forward to that!
Today I will be playing at one of the shelters in Pasadena where many newly homeless people are staying, having lost everything in the fires. Daryl will be with me and we are bringing our two miniature horses, Romeo and Ziggy. They are so friendly and people love to see them with us. So that’s what’s going on. Sending Love and Peace to you all. N and D