Listen to Neil Young’s New Song, ‘Big Change’

Neil Young has released a song with his new band the chrome hearts (stylized as lowercase). “big change” (similarly stylized) for now isn’t attached to a new album but is a stand-alone single from the prolific artist.

Coproduced by Young and Lou Adler, the stomping electric track reflects current political and social issues, as Young sings, “Big change is comin’ / Could be bad and it could be good / … Looks like a collision / Ain’t the worst that you can do.“

You can watch the video below.

For now, “big change” is available digitally at the NYA Download Store and all digital retailers.

READ MORE: Top 30 Albums of 1975

Young already seems to have another busy year ahead of him. In addition to “big change,” the veteran singer-songwriter will release Oceanside Countryside on March 7. The “lost” album was recorded in 1977 and originally intended for release before 1978’s Comes a Time replaced it.

He’s made a habit of cleaning out his archives over the past several years. Oceanside Countryside was partly released on last year’s Archives Vol. III (1976-1987); the upcoming release marks its first issue as intended in the late ’70s.

Who Is in Neil Young’s band The Chrome Hearts?

Young recorded “big change” with the chrome hearts, a band featuring keyboardist Spooner Oldham, guitarist Micah Nelson, bassist Corey McCormick and drummer Anthony LoGerfo. The rhythm section has worked with Young in Promise of the Real, the group led by Nelson’s brother Lukas. (Both Nelsons are sons of country legend Willie Nelson.)

While Young’s last new music, the album All Roads Lead Home, came out in 2023 and credited individually to Young and his Crazy Horse bandmates Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot and Nils Lofgren, he and the band previously recorded World Record in 2022. Young also released new recordings of some of his old songs on 2023’s live LP Before and After.

Since then, in addition to the third volume of his Archives box and several live sets, Young has combed his vaults for previously shelved works such as Early Daze and Chrome Dreams.