Neil Young Tribute Series ‘Heart of Gold’ Adds Two New Volumes With MJ Lenderman, Kurt Vile, Ben Gibbard

Killphonic Records will release two new installments of its Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young covers series on November 6, 2026. Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, Vol. 2 – Out of the Blue and Vol. 3 – Into the Black will feature new Neil Young covers from MJ Lenderman, Kurt Vile, Ben Gibbard, My Morning Jacket, Lucinda Williams and Los Lobos, among many others.

• Both albums arrive November 6, 2026, via Killphonic Records.
• Vol. 2, Out of the Blue, and Vol. 3, Into the Black, each contain 12 tracks.
• Confirmed artists include MJ Lenderman, Kurt Vile, Ben Gibbard, My Morning Jacket, Lucinda Williams, Los Lobos, Jesse Malin, Devendra Banhart, Modest Mouse with Califone, Ann Wilson, King Princess and Draco Rosa.
• All proceeds from both compilations benefit Neil Young’s Bridge School.
• The series follows Vol. 1, released in April, which featured Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Eddie Vedder and Brandi Carlile.

What Is the Heart of Gold Neil Young Covers Series?

Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young is an ongoing charity covers project from Killphonic Records dedicated to reinterpreting Neil Young’s catalog through a rotating cast of artists. Vol. 1 arrived in April with contributions from Mumford & Sons covering “Harvest,” The Lumineers taking on “Sugar Mountain,” The Doobie Brothers with Allison Russell reworking “Comes A Time,” Eddie Vedder tackling “Needle and The Damage Done,” Sharon Van Etten covering “Here We Are In The Years,” Stephen Marley reimagining “Old Man” and Brandi Carlile performing “Philadelphia.”

Every dollar raised from the series supports The Bridge School, the organization Neil Young and his former wife Pegi Young founded to serve children with severe speech and physical impairments. The “Vol. 1” label on the first release signaled that more volumes were likely, though the announcement of two simultaneous follow-ups, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, expands the scope of the project considerably.

King Princess and Draco Rosa Preview New Covers

Two early tracks from the upcoming volumes have already surfaced. King Princess covers “Helpless,” a song Neil Young wrote for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 1970 album Déjà Vu and later performed in The Last Waltz. She recorded the track with Brad Oberhofer at her father’s studio, playing drums and keys while Oberhofer handled guitar, and the pair completed it in a single take off click track.

King Princess has called “Helpless” both her mother’s and her own favorite Neil Young song, saying she can still hear her mother singing it in the car during childhood road trips. She said the two musicians aimed to keep the recording as simple and intimate as the original Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young version, with the only real change being a longer runtime than Young’s original.

Draco Rosa, the former Menudo member who transitioned into a rootsy folk career, contributes a slow, grave rendition of “After The Gold Rush,” the title track from Neil Young’s 1970 solo album. The two preview tracks give an early sense of the emotional range the new volumes are aiming for, spanning intimate acoustic reworkings to more somber, deliberate reinterpretations.

Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, Vol. 2 – Out of the Blue Tracklist

1. My Morning Jacket, “Like A Hurricane” (feat. the Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
2. Ann Wilson, “Walk With Me”
3. Draco Rosa, “After The Gold Rush”
4. Peter Frampton & John Jorgenson, “Heart of Gold” (feat. Jay Dee Maness, Herb Pedersen, Steve Duncan, & Mark Fain)
5. Lucinda Williams, “Don’t Be Denied”
6. Los Lobos, “Cinnamon Girl”
7. Edie Brickell, “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”
8. Tyler Ballgame, “Tell Me Why”
9. Sharlotte Gibson, “Ohio”
10. Jesse Malin, “Pocahontas”
11. Southside Johnny & Bobby Bandiera, “Rockin’ In The Free World”
12. Dramarama, “Kinda Fonda Wanda”

Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, Vol. 3 – Into the Black Tracklist

1. Briston Maroney, “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)”
2. LP, “Harvest Moon”
3. King Princess, “Helpless”
4. Modest Mouse, “Barstool Blues” (feat. Califone)
5. Ben Gibbard, “Don’t Cry No Tears”
6. MJ Lenderman, “Separate Ways”
7. Cold War Kids, “Tonight’s The Night”
8. Kurt Vile And The Violators, “When Your Lonely Heart Breaks”
9. Devendra Banhart, “Pardon My Heart”
10. Emily Hackett, “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”
11. RAC, “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” (feat. Kelcey Ayer)
12. New Constellations, “Unknown Legend”

FAQ

When do the new Neil Young tribute albums come out?

Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, Vol. 2 – Out of the Blue and Vol. 3 – Into the Black are both scheduled for release on November 6, 2026.

Who benefits from the Heart of Gold covers series?

All proceeds from the Heart of Gold compilations go to The Bridge School, the organization co-founded by Neil Young that serves children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Which artists are on the new Neil Young covers albums?

Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 feature MJ Lenderman, Kurt Vile, Ben Gibbard, My Morning Jacket, Lucinda Williams, Los Lobos, Jesse Malin, Devendra Banhart, Modest Mouse with Califone, Ann Wilson, King Princess and Draco Rosa, among other artists listed in the full tracklists above.

Sources

1. Kurt Vile, Lucinda Williams, MJ Lenderman, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Los Lobos, Ann Wilson Cover Neil Young on Benefit Albums (Relix)
2. Neil Young Covers Series Heart Of Gold Adds MJ Lenderman, Kurt Vile, Ben Gibbard, More: Hear King Princess Draco Rosa’s Tracks (Stereogum)