45 years after it was completed, Neil Young’s ‘Homegrown’ album coming in June

It seems Neil Young has dug deep, deep into his musical vaults as he announced the long-awaited release of the “lost album” Homegrown on Tuesday via the Neil Young Archives (NYA) website.

After 45 years, the 74-year-old rock veteran is set to release the acoustic album that was initially intended to come out “a couple of years” after his breakthrough 1972 album Harvest.

“I apologize,” wrote Young in a statement on the delay. “[Homegrown] is the sad side of a love affair. The damage done. The heartache. I just couldn’t listen to it. I wanted to move on.”

For the most part, the songs were written and recorded shortly after the Winnipeg-born musician’s breakup with actor Carrie Snodgress, who died in 2004. As a result of his feelings, he decided to shelf the album and release 1975’s Tonight’s the Night instead.

Young continued: “I kept [Homegrown] to myself, hidden away in the vault, on the shelf, in the back of my mind … but I should have shared it. It’s actually beautiful. That’s why I made it in the first place.”

“Sometimes life hurts,” he added, “You know what I mean. This is the one that got away.”

The record was initially scheduled for an April 17 release worldwide, however, was postponed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Though 12-track album has not yet been released, Young repurposed some of its songs — including Star of Bethlehem (1977), 1979’s Little Wing and This Old Homestead, as well as White Line from the Hawks & Doves album (1980).

Young revealed that other than being restored from the original master tapes by John Hanlon that the songs were untouched.

To celebrate the upcoming release, he also released Try as a first taste of the unheard album.

Homegrown features contributions from drummers Levon Helm and Karl T. Himmel, vocals from Emmylou Harris and Ellen Talbot, bass tracks by Tim Drummond, guitars by Robbie Robertson and piano work from both Stan Szelest and Joe Yankee.

“Anyway, it’s coming your way in 2020, the first release from our archive in the new decade. Come with us into 2020 as we bring the past,” concluded Young in his statement.

The lead single, Try, is now available through all major streaming platforms.

Homegrown will be released worldwide via Reprise Records on June 19.

For additional details, you can visit the official Neil Young Archives website.

Homegrown tracklist:

1. Separate Ways
2. Try
3. Mexico
4. Love is a Rose
5. Homegrown
6. Florida
7. Kansas
8. We Don’t Smoke it No More
9. White Line
10. Vacancy
11. Little Wing
12. Star of Bethlehem