Drive-By Truckers Archives

The Best Cover Songs of April 2026

Posted by Ray Padgett at 12:00 pm No Responses »

May 012026

Arlo Parks — Yukon (Justin Bieber cover)

The talk of Coachella this year was Justin Bieber—specifically, his controversial headlining set that featured, in part, him singing along karaoke-style to videos of himself he pulled up on YouTube. Plus, Geese debuted their old “Baby” cover live (while Sabrina Carpenter watched sidestage no less). But maybe the best Bieber happening this month was this great lo-fi cover by Arlo Parks.

Jamey Johnson – Pretty When It’s New (Merle Haggard)

Merle Haggard’s birthday saw two new covers drop. One’s in the next section. This first one’s even better though. Country singer Jamey Johnson dug deep—and late—for this pick. The song comes off one of Haggard’s final albums, 2010’s I Am What I Am. This is the same album that included “Bad Actor,” which Bob Dylan covered in concert a couple years ago. The album’s seemingly on its way to be the country version of Blackstar or You Want It Darker, a late-in-life masterpiece for the true heads. Continue reading »

Patterson Hood Joins Wednesday to Cover Big Star

Posted by Luke Poling at 12:00 pm No Responses »

Apr 302026

Asheville, North Carolina band Wednesday was playing in Portland, Oregon last week when they were joined by fellow Southerner Patterson Hood from the Drive-By Truckers to cover Big Star, another great Southern band.

At a sold-out show at Revolution Hall, Hood joined the band on-stage to cover Big Star‘s “September Gurls.” It’s a fun, celebratory cover. It’s maybe a little slower than the original, but the pedal steel and the combination of vocal ranges make the whole thing pretty enjoyable.

And, according to a post by Hood, the collaboration was just what he needed. “Left the house pretty worn out from [a] very busy day and was lifted and set right by an absolutely fantastic set by my favorite band. [Wednesday] just gets better and better all the time. Tonight they showed us all how it’s done,” Hood wrote on social media. “Tonight I got reminded why I fell in love with Rock & Roll in the first place.”

“September Gurls” first appeared on Big Star’s 1974 album, Radio City. Wednesday is currently touring the US in support of their newest album, Bleeds.

Ethel Cain Covers Drive-By Truckers for ‘Like a Version’

Posted by Luke Poling at 9:25 am No Responses »

Apr 212026

Ethel Cain kept it pretty simple when explaining her approach to covering the Drive-By Truckers’ song “Angels and Fuselage”: “You really don’t have to mess with perfection.” She offered up her cover of the song during an appearance on “Like a Version” on Triple J in Australia. Continue reading »

The 30 Best Warren Zevon Covers Ever

Posted by Staff at 9:00 am 2 Responses »

Nov 072025

‘The Best Covers Ever’ series counts down our favorite covers of great artists.

This weekend, Warren Zevon gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after decades of eligibility. So, as the culmination of a week-long tribute to the 2025 Rock Hall class where we posted covers of every artist (catch up here), we are sharing a countdown of the 30 best Zevon covers ever.

Warren Zevon is one of those musicians that other musicians love, so he bats way above his commercial weight in cover songs. The most casual person probably only knows one Zevon song—and it’s appropriate this list is posting just after Halloween. Many music nerds, though, including many musicians, revere the full catalog. Artists way more famous than Zevon, from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, have paid tribute, as have a host of younger acts that consider him a primary influence.

So whether you always hum along with the air conditioner in “Desperados Under the Eaves” or just like aah-ooo-ing to “Werewolves of London,” dive into the Zevon catalog via thirty amazing versions of his songs.

MJ Lenderman and Patterson Hood Cover Pink Floyd, Each Other

Posted by Luke Poling at 10:15 am No Responses »

Jun 042025

At this year’s Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, MJ Lenderman and Drive-By Truckers’ lead singer Patterson Hood shared both a bill and a stage. Lenderman, who opened the festivities, brought Hood out for the two to team up and play Pink Floyd‘s “Wish You Were Here.” The two kept the song similar to the original in both style and tempo, but with an added flute. (The flutist was Ben Hackett who is in Hood’s band.) The highlight is hearing the voices of the two intertwine and play off each other. Continue reading »

Shonna Tucker Covers Bob Seger for Bluegrass Tribute Album

Posted by Mike Tobyn at 11:33 am No Responses »

Jul 192024

A long-gestating bluegrass tribute album to Bob Seger is has finally been released. A standout highlight is former Drive-By Trucker Shonna Tucker fronting a cover of “Hollywood Nights,” Seger’s 1978 classic. Recorded 10 years ago she formed a bond with the material and its theme, and we can now all share in that. Continue reading »