Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Announce New Covers Album

Jason Isbell and his band, the 400 Unit, have announced a new covers album. Georgia Blue is due out Oct. 15 via Southeastern Records, the independent record label that Isbell founded.

The project features guest performances from a variety of Americana acts including Brandi Carlile, Julien Baker, Béla Fleck, Steve Gorman, Peter Levin, Amanda Shires, Brittney Spencer, Chris Thile, Sadler Vaden and Adia Victoria. The first single — a cover of the R.E.M. song “Driver 8” featuring former the Civil Wars member John Paul White — is available now.

With Georgia Blue, the Americana icon is making good on a promise he made during the 2020 election. On Nov. 5 of last year, Isbell tweeted that he would record a covers album of Georgia songs if Joe Biden managed to carry the state of Georgia, which had not elected a Democratic candidate since former president Bill Clinton’s first run in 1992.

The “Cover Me Up” singer may be known as much for his music as for his outspokenness. In August, Isbell announced that he would be requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a current negative test in order to attend his shows. In an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, he expressed grievances with how certain safety protocols have been politicized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You know, I’m all for freedom, but I think, if you’re dead, you don’t have any freedoms at all,” Isbell said. “So it’s probably important to stay alive before you start questioning your liberty.”

The release of Georgia Blue will coincide with Isbell’s return to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 15, when he will kick off an eight-show residency at the historic venue.

Isbell is also set to headline ShoalsFest, a music festival in the Muscle Shoals area of northern Alabama that he created in 2019. The two-day event will also feature performances by Lucinda Williams, the Drive-By Truckers, Candi Staton, Shires, White and others.