Seether Cover Neil Young's Classic "The Needle And The Damage Done"

Back in October, multi-Platinum South African post-grunge/alt-metal band Seether announced Rare On Air, a compilation of previously unreleased in-studio and on-air performances culled from the band's early days. The lead single was an acoustic version of the "Driven Under," the second single from their Gold-selling debut Disclaimer, and now the band is back with a cover of the Neil Young classic "The Needle and the Damage Done." The album drops November 20th via Fantasy Records.

Following 2024's The Surface Seems So Far, the first album from the band to include no acoustic tracks, the proverbial pendulum seems to have swung back in the other direction with this collection of intimate, acoustic renditions and covers. The track, originally from the Canadian-American singer-songwriter's 1972 smash-hit album Harvest, has cropped up in the band's live set over the years, going all the way back to 2006, but this is fans' first chance to hear an official studio recording of the cover.

See Seether Live (US/NA)

See Seether Live (EU/UK)

As the title suggests, "The Needle And The Damage Done" tells of the pain of heroin addiction on young musicians, in particular guitarist and songwriter Danny Whitten, who was a part of Young's backing band, Crazy Horse, and who would later die from an overdose seven months after Harvest's release. In the handwritten liner notes for the 1977 triple album compilation Decade, Young wrote the following about the song:

I am not a preacher but drugs killed a lot of great men.

The song's subject matter clearly resonated with Seether frontman Shaun Morgan, whose struggles with substance abuse are well-documented across the band's discography. Young had often been called "The Godfather of Grunge," and a clear line can easily be drawn from the original's direct, heartfelt lyrics and raw, unadorned guitar to the work of avowed Young acolytes like Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder, who, in turn, greatly influenced bands like Seether.

I hit the city and I lost my band / I watched the needle take another man / Gone, gone, the damage done

Seether recently wrapped the Break The Cycle: 25th Anniversary Tour with Staind and special guests Hoobastank and Hinder, but the tour was so successful that it's getting a second North American leg. Beginning next March, the entire tour lineup will head back out on the road, offering fans another chance to relive that 2000-era rock goodness. Seether was also recently announced as part of the lineups for the 2027 editions of Sonic Temple and Welcome To Rockville. Tickets to all of the above are on sale now.

Check out dates and the cover of "Needle and the Damage Done" below.

The Surface Seems So Far is out now on Fantasy Records.

Break The Cycle: 25th Anniversary Tour
03/04 Manchester, NH @ SNHU Arena
03/06 Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
03/08 Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
03/09 Reading, PA @ Santander Arena
03/10 Huntington, WV @ Marshall Health Network Arena
03/12 Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena
03/13 West Palm Beach, FL @ ithink financial amphitheatre
03/16 Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at the BJCC
03/18 Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
03/19 Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
03/20 San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
03/22 Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
03/24 Boise, ID @ ExtraMile Arena
03/26 Spokane, WA @ Numerica Veterans Arena
03/27 Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
03/29 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
03/31 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
04/01 Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
04/03 Billings, MT @ First Interstate Arena
04/06 Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
04/07 Fargo, ND @ Fargodome
04/09 Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center Omaha
04/10 Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
04/11 Moline, IL @ Vibrant Arena at The MARK
04/13 Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
04/14 Evansville, IN @ Ford Center
04/16 Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Arena