Neil Finn has tapped his Fleetwood Mac bandmates Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie for a new charity single.
The Crowded House frontman – who joined the ‘Go Your Own Way’ legends as a full-time member in the wake of Lindsey Buckingham’s departure from the band in April 2018 – penned the track ‘Find Your Way Back Home’ about the homelessness in the city of Auckland in his home country of New Zealand, with money raised from sales of the song benefiting the Auckland City Mission.
And he got Fleetwood’s frontwoman Stevie to add her vocals to the song, whilst Christine has a writing credit.
Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Neil said: "I live in a pretty fortunate situation, and I move in circles that are not in daily contact with homeless people.
"So, it’s good to be able to find a pathway in your head to relate to some degree.
"I haven’t felt compelled to go down that path in terms of speaking out.
"But in terms of trying to do some kindly acts as you strike situations, I think that’s compulsive and we should all be trying to do that."
The 62-year-old musician admitted it was a "challenge" to be "direct" about the issue at hand and avoid sounding "nebulous and abstract".
He added: "I had every incentive to make sure that the words were evocative, simple, relatable, truthful and not crass or message-y.
"It’s easy to be nebulous and abstract … So, to be direct in a way is a real challenge."
The single’s release comes after Crowded House were forced to cancel their first European tour in a decade, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The ‘Weather with You’ hitmakers’ founding members – Neil and Nick Seymour – were due to hit the road with Mitchell Froom and Neil’s sons, Liam Finn and Elroy Finn, for their first dates in the UK and Europe since 2010.
The rock band were set to kick-off the UK leg of the run on June 16 at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena, and wrap with two nights at London’s Roundhouse in Camden on July 4 and July 5.
The ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ hitmakers – whose last studio album was 2010’s ‘Intriguer’ – have also been working on new music.