Today, Joni Mitchell shares an unheard rarity from her vault with the release of “Traveling (Hejira),” a demo of the title track from her revolutionary eighth studio album. This early version stands in stark contrast to the soul-stirring original release, stripping Mitchell’s folk-fusion opus back to the artist and her guitar and introducing a bright and springing wide-eyed wisdom to the dusky highway meditation. The enlightening behind-the-scenes sample arrives as the second preview single for Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980), the legendary musician’s 12th retrospective collection with Rhino Records.

Set to release on Oct. 4, Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4 continues the Grammy-winning reissue series with a sprawling compilation of early recordings, demos and alternate takes from this prolific period of Joni’s career. The digital and six-CD versions feature a staggering 98 previously unreleased recordings, while a four-LP vinyl pressing will comprise 40 highlights, all tailored by the artist’s own curational guidance. “Traveling (Hejira)” follows “Intro To Coyote / Coyote,” which she initially delivered at Montreal, Quebec’s The Forum on Dec. 5, 1975 and shared to streaming platforms last month.

The tracks on Mitchell’s fourth sprawling archival dispatch are sourced primarily from the four iconic albums she released in the five-year period: 1976’s Hejira, 1977’s Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, 1979’s Mingus–a collaboration with the legendary bassist that stands as his final project before his passing that year–and the 1980 live album Shadows and Light. Beyond the studio sessions that produced these entries and Mitchell’s live performances from the period, the compilation features selections from such memorable moments as the Bread & Roses Festival, Anti-Nuclear Rally and her stint with Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue.

“Traveling (Hejira) [Demo]” is available to stream now. In advance of the album’s release, fans can pre-order and pre-save Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980). For more information on the collection and broader archive project, visit jonimitchell.com.

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