Last year, Jason Isbell tweeted that if Joe Biden won the US presidential election, he would make a charity covers album dedicated to the state of Georgia. Today, Isbell and his band the 400 Unit have detailed the LP, titled Georgia Blue, which is out October 15 and features covers of songs by Cat Power, Otis Redding, Indigo Girls, the Allman Brothers Band, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and more. Guests on the record include Julien Baker, Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, Brittney Spencer, Adia Victoria, and more. Check out Isbell’s take on R.E.M.’s ‘Driver 8’ below.
All proceeds from Georgia Blue will benefit three nonprofits: Black Voters Matter, Fair Fight, and Georgia STAND-UP. “Georgia Blue is a labor of love,” Isbell said in a statement. “On election day 2020, when I saw that there was a good chance the state of Georgia might go blue, I came up with an idea: to record an album of Georgia-related songs as a thank you to the state and donate the money to a Georgia-based non-profit organization. I will admit my motivations were a bit selfish. For years, I’ve been looking for an excuse to record these songs with my band and some friends. The songs on this album are some of my favorite Georgia-related songs… I hope you enjoy listening to these recordings as much as we enjoyed making them. Keep listening to good music and fighting the good fight.”
Georgie Blue Tracklist:
1. Nightswimming [feat. Béla Fleck and Chris Thile]
2. Honeysuckle Blue [feat. Sadler Vaden]
3. It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World [feat. Brittney Spencer]
4. Cross Bones Style [feat. Amanda Shires]
5. The Truth [feat. Adia Victoria]
6. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
7. Sometimes Salvation [feat. Steve Gorman]
8. Kid Fears [feat. Julien Baker and Brandi Carlile]
9. Reverse
10. Midnight Train to Georgia [feat. Brittney Spencer and John Paul White]
11. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed [feat. Peter Levin]
12. I’m Through
13. Driver 8 [feat. John Paul White]
