Jason Isbell Covers Johnny Cash’s ‘All I Do Is Drive’ for ‘Ice Road’ Soundtrack

Jason Isbell has released his take on Johnny Cash’s trucker anthem “All I Do Is Drive” for the soundtrack to the new Netflix film The Ice Road. The film and the soundtrack are both out on June 25.

The Ice Road soundtrack also includes Miranda Lambert covering Hank Snow’s “I’m Movin’ On,” Tim McGraw offering his version of the Cars’ “Drive,” and Carly Pearce singing Kathy Mattea’s “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses.” The film stars Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Marcus Thomas, and Laurence Fishburne.

Isbell’s contribution isn’t the only Cash-associated song on the soundtrack. The L.A. Rats — a metal supergroup of Rob Zombie, Nikki Sixx, John 5, and Tommy Clufetos — interpret the Geoff Mack song and Hank Snow hit “I’ve Been Everywhere,” famously re-recorded by Cash for 1996’s Unchained.

When Scott Borchetta, the founder of Big Machine Records, was charged with helming the soundtrack for Liam Neeson’s upcoming June 25 Netflix thriller The Ice Road, he decided on a rocking ‘psycho-billy’ track to anchor a collection of songs sampling the American roots music tableau. Borchetta pitched Nikki Sixx on possibly writing and executive producing a song for the film. Sixx recruited Rob Zombie and John 5, who decided to name their supergroup L.A. Rats.

Back when the idea was coming together, Sixx asked Borchetta to send him an example of the kind of song he envisioned for the soundtrack. Johnny Cash’s thumping “I’ve Been Everywhere” was already earmarked as a hopeful to be included in the film. Nikki listened and then sent it to Rob Zombie, who he thought would be a fit on the track. The two recruited Zombie guitarist John 5, and the rest is history. Both rockers felt the iconic Cash track was the perfect song for them to record. Sixx called Borchetta and asked, “Why don’t we just cut this?”

Listen to the best of Johnny Cash on Apple Music and Spotify.