Neil Young was reportedly feeling “really sick” and “drained” before he formed the Chrome Hearts, according to a bandmate.
The comments were shared by Micah Nelson, who is a longtime bandmate of Young, and played with him in Promise of The Real and Crazy Horse before joining him in as part of the Chrome Hearts.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Nelson – who is also the son of country icon Willie Nelson – revealed that the ‘Harvest Moon’ singer was going through a rough patch towards the end of 2024, and seemed to be taking a step back from music.
This was due to his tour with Crazy Horse being halted due to a number of health issues among members.
Sharing how it took a toll on the frontman, Nelson shared: “I knew how bummed out Neil was. He wasn’t feeling like making music. He was really sick. He was trying to get over that and just get his energy back.
“Then he was really bummed out about what happened and how it all went down. And that just kind of drained him a lot, and doused this flame. I was like: ‘Is Neil fading away? This is unacceptable’.”
The musician then shared with RS that he was adamant to rekindle Young’s love of music and encourage him to pursue a new project – ultimately helping lead to the formation of the Chrome Hearts.
“I’d call him a lot and check in on him and remind him how he’s not old,” he told the outlet. “I was like: ‘Do whatever you got to do, man. Take your time. I get it. Recharge. The tank has got to fill back up, and that can take time, but whenever you want to do the thing again, just call me up and I’m ready to go’.”
“I kept that idea going and reminding him that he didn’t play for four years, and he felt the rust,” Nelson continued. “And then it took a few years once he started again to really, really get back in the groove.”
The Chrome Hearts would later form with Nelson, and Young’s Promise of the Real bandmates Corey McCormick and Anthony LoGerfo. Organ player Spooner Oldham completed the line-up and they went on tour earlier this year – with dates including a headline slot at Glastonbury.
“It took a minute of sort of just micro-dosing with this idea of: ‘We don’t have to stop. I know you’re not done’,” Nelson concluded. “Then the natural organic process of seasons of inspiration, how they come around. But I was just planting those seeds so that when that started coming around, he had something to pick out of the ground and harvest… That’s what became the Chrome Hearts. It just feels right.”
Young’s headline slot at Glastonbury was given a four-star review, and described by NME as “a headline set that proves that sometimes, there’s still power to be found in an old-school approach.
“It is, in short, the definition of no frills,” it read. “It’s testament to the power of Young’s songwriting, then, just how brilliantly it all works, how little the momentum drops.”
Since then, the singer-songwriter has announced a 50th-anniversary re-release of his 1975 album ‘Tonight’s The Night’ and announced that he was removing his music from Amazon Music.
“The time is here. FORGET AMAZON,” he said, announcing the latter. “Soon, my music will not be there. It is easy to buy local. Support your community. Go to the local store. Don’t go back to the big corporations who have sold out America.”