Neil Young Revisits Early Work as New Album Blends 1960s Songs With Fresh Material

Veteran singer-songwriter Neil Young has completed work on a forthcoming album with his band, the Chrome Hearts, combining newly written material with songs that date back more than six decades. The project, which follows his 2025 release Talkin’ to the Trees, includes three previously unreleased compositions that Young originally wrote in 1963.

According to posts shared through The Neil Young Archives, the recording sessions took place at producer Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studio in Malibu, California. Young entered the studio with five new songs and recorded most of them in rapid succession. Four tracks were completed on the first day, with the fifth finished the following day. However, once those songs were recorded, Young said he found himself short of additional material to complete the album.

The solution came from an unexpected source. “The next morning I had a song going through my head,” Young wrote. After searching his archives, he discovered that the piece dated back to 1963 and had never been released. Further exploration uncovered additional songs from the same period. “I found three others with it… also unreleased,” he said, ultimately selecting three of those early compositions to include alongside the newer recordings.

In 1963, Young was 17 years old and performing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with his high school band, the Squires. Only a small number of recordings from that era have ever been made public. Instrumental tracks such as “Aurora” and “The Sultan” were issued at the time in a limited vinyl pressing, later becoming sought-after collector’s items. Those songs, along with additional Squires recordings from the mid-1960s, were eventually compiled in Young’s 2009 box set The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972.

It remains unclear whether the newly uncovered tracks included on the upcoming album are connected to the Squires or represent solo recordings from Young’s early years. Their format, whether instrumental or vocal, has also not been disclosed. Similarly, the album’s title has yet to be confirmed. In separate posts, Young referred to the project as both untitled and as “Second Song,” though it is uncertain whether the latter refers to the album itself or an individual track.

Young has also indicated that the album was produced using both analog and digital recording methods, resulting in two distinct masters. This dual-format approach marks a first in his career. He explained that the decision was made to highlight differences in sound quality between the formats. “Analog was the beginning, and it never sounded better,” Young wrote, while describing high-resolution digital as a secondary alternative. He added that listeners would be able to compare the two versions directly when they are released.

Beyond the recording process, Young has emphasized his ongoing interest in sound fidelity and recording techniques, noting that analog recording offers a depth he believes is often absent in modern formats. The project reflects both a retrospective look at his early songwriting and an exploration of production methods that have defined his career.

Young had initially planned to tour Europe with Chrome Hearts in the summer but canceled those dates in February. In a message to fans, he expressed regret over the decision, stating that “this is not the time” while reaffirming his enthusiasm for performing live. In a separate response to a fan letter, he suggested that he intends to return to touring in the future, saying he would be back on the road “in a while” and plans to perform widely.

While a release date for the new album has not yet been announced, Young indicated that the record has already been completed, mixed, and mastered, positioning it for eventual release.