Music producer Rick Rubin began working with Crosby, Stills & Nash in 2012, but the three-month recording sessions ended prematurely when the band developed reservations about the project. David Crosby in particular felt exposed by the vocal arrangements and rejected Rubin's input, with the folk legend proving resistant to the producer's characteristic critical guidance. Despite completing some material that Rubin regarded as promising, the fundamental mismatch between his assertive production approach and the band's unwillingness to accept direction made continuation untenable.

The aborted partnership reflected a pattern Rubin had encountered throughout his career: whilst his confrontational feedback had transformed recordings by Tom Petty and Johnny Cash, other established artists bristled at his directiveness. Crosby had previously criticised Rubin publicly over creative decisions, and his defensiveness during these sessions demonstrated that interpersonal compatibility matters as much as technical expertise in the studio. Rubin later spoke diplomatically about the disappointment, acknowledging that some bands simply cannot work with his methodology, regardless of its proven effectiveness elsewhere.