Mandy Moore Leads All-Star Cast in Audible Original "The Boar’s Nest"

 I don't usually promote podcasts that will not premier in the next week for two reasons. First, Spotify had this ugly habit a few years ago of announcing podcasts that never came out. Second, most readers won't remember this article (I probably won't, and I wrote it!) when the show actually is released.

 I'm making an exception here for two reasons.  First, I'm a big fan of Mandy Moore. I like her reinvention from bubble gum pop star to serious actor and stylistic singer. Moore is active in multiple philanthropic causes, and co-starred in This Is Us, one of my favorite shows. 

 The second reason is that I am an Audible subscriber. I figure that if I publish this article, the company may give me a free subscription for a year, or even life. 

Cutting to the chase, Audible and Fresh Produce Media have announced The Boar’s Nest: Sue Brewer and the Birth of Outlaw Country Music. The new scripted podcast, starring singer, songwriter, producer and Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe, Grammy and Emmy-nominated actress Mandy Moore, tells the story of Sue Brewer, an unsung hero of the Outlaw Country music movement whose home became the epicenter of the scene in the 1960s Nashville. 

Crucial to launching careers for the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Shel Silverstein, and Kris Kristofferson, Brewer’s humble living room floor - lovingly referred to as “The Boar’s Nest” - served as a raucous but nurturing creative hotbed for artistic outsiders on the road to becoming legends. Brewer shaped the sound and soul of Country music as we know it today, despite never picking up an instrument herself.

 The Boar’s Nest: Sue Brewer and the Birth of Outlaw Country Music is set to premiere March 14, exclusively from Audible.

 

“The beauty of telling this story in audio is that listeners will find themselves completely immersed in the heart of the Nashville music scene at such an exciting time in its history,” says Mandy Moore. “Sue Brewer’s pioneering legacy is one that is often overlooked, despite her resounding impact on Outlaw country and some of its most celebrated artists. I’m honored to pay homage to her and the music revolution she helped ignite from her living room.”

 

Emmy-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) joins Moore as Shel Silverstein, and the cast is rounded out by W. Earl Brown (Deadwood) as Waylon Jennings, Stephen Louis Grush (Night Sky) as Willie Nelson, John Hoogenakker (Dopesick) as Kris Kristofferson, TJ Osborne (Brothers Osborne) as Johnny Cash, Brad Leland (Friday Night Lights) as Faron Young, Maury Morgan (This Is Us) as music executive Frances Preston, Quincy Dunn-Baker (The Righteous Gemstones) as Chet Atkins, and Liz Sharpe (Tenants) as Frances Beer.

 

Told through the eyes and ears of Sue, this Audible Original is a complex and authentic portrayal of the birth of Outlaw Country, spotlighting the personal and artistic struggles that were required to launch some of Country music’s most trailblazing artists. Each episode showcases one of Sue’s famous songwriting salons and features new recordings of Country classics, bringing listeners into the creative process as each artist strums, hums, and sings them into existence. 

 

The newly-performed renditions include Jennings’ “Nashville Bum;" Nelson's "Hello Walls," and "Family Bible;" Kristofferson's "For the Good Times" and "Sunday Morning Coming Down;" Shel Silverstein's "On Susan's Floor," inspired by Brewer; the Everly Brothers "Wake Up Little Susie," and the gospel standard "I'll Fly Away." Through the music, listeners get to know these rising stars as Sue knew them.

 

Mick Jagger and Victoria Pearman’s Jagged Films, Bill Gerber (A Star is Born), and Nashville-based Oso Studios collaborated with Fresh Produce Media and Audible on the podcast, and Kimberly Senior served as director. The Boar’s Nest was created and written by producer Dub Cornett (Tales of the Tour Bus), who shared writing duties with Nashville legend Holly Gleason and writer Rachel Bonds - Fresh Produce Media’s Elena Bawiec was Head of Production, and FPM CEO Jason Ross and CCO Colin Moore Executive Produced.

 

“I am delighted The Boar’s Nest is completed and will be launched on Audible with Mandy Moore playing Sue Brewer. Set amongst now-legendary country artists in Nashville, Sue created a haven for the emerging talent of that time,” said Mick Jagger. “My dear friend Steve Bing brought the idea to us, and sadly left us before completion.”

 

The series is produced by Fresh Produce and joins other successful titles from Audible’s collaboration with the audio-first company, including the noir drama The Big Lie starring Jon Hamm and Kate Mara.

 

(Photo by Jim Wright)