On this, Lightning McQueen Day (9/5/95), Disney is ramping up promotional material for their upcoming Cars on the Road series. Disney has published the whole music for the show on Apple Music, along with a new teaser from the third episode and the show’s title sequence. The complete musical soundtrack may be heard or downloaded right now.
Lightning (Owen Wilson) and his closest friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) take a trip around the countryside, and the accompanying soundtrack is full of upbeat, entertaining, and occasionally tense music that establishes the mood. Among them is the show’s theme song, recorded by country singer, composer, and producer Bobby Hamrick, which is a catchy melody that conjures classic country ballads and sets the mood for the adventures of the two anthropomorphic vehicles.
Several cast members contribute to the catchy “Trucks,” while the multitalented Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary fame is the focus of the high-energy single “Brain on Wheels.” The titles of the courses give a hint to the major plot points of the series, such as meeting monster trucks, travelling through haunted areas, and competing in cross-country races. Jake Monaco composed all 37 of the tracks in the soundtrack. Since he has already composed the scores for the animated films Pretzel and the Puppies and Do, Re, and Mi, this isn’t his first time at the animation music scoring trough.
Recently, though, he composed music for the film Jerry and Marge Go Large, which starred Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening. Eighty-nine instrumentalists and seventeen vocalists contributed to his work on Cars on the Road. Lightning and Mater’s bond is explored in depth as the two go on a road trip together, leaving Radiator Springs in the rearview mirror. Together, they’re off to a wedding where the bride happens to be Mater’s long-lost sister. And so Lightning comes along to keep his pal company as they encounter a wide variety of new characters (some friendly, some not) and locations yet unseen in the Cars canon.
Their journey east will be full of surprises and adventures, but it will also leave them with lasting memories. Not only does the franchise feature the return of Bonnie Hunt and Cheech Marin, but also Lloyd Sherr. Cars on the Road, which was announced in December 2020, is produced by Marc Sondheimer and directed by Steve Purcell (1&2), Bobby Podesta (5&6), and Brian Fee (3&4), among others. The nine episodes will be released on Disney+ Day, September 8.