As one of the most prominent folk rock groups of the past decade, The Avett Brothers have amassed a large following for their eclectic musical style and performances. Now, their influence will take place on the stage at at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California, as a new musical based on the band’s music will premier next June.

Entitled Swept Away,  the musical is written and directed by Tony Award winners John Logan and Michael Mayer respectively. The band’s 2004 LP Mignonette will be the main source of inspiration for the album, as it depicts the struggle of two brothers as they arrive shipwrecked off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1888.

Mayer had previously directed Green Day’s American Idiot at Berkeley Rep back in 2009, and previously worked in the rock world with a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Chris Miller and Brian Usifer will work on the musical arrangements and orchestrations of the new project.

Mignonette, is named after an infamous vessel that was ship wrecked in the 1880s off the Cape of Good Hope off the South African coast. The cabin boy of the ship, one of the many infamous Richard Parkers that have been shipwrecked throughout history, was killed and eaten by the crew, who were charged with his murder.

“This new and original story built with our songs has revealed meanings and connections which Scott and I never could have imagined otherwise,” Seth Avett said in a statement, according to Rolling Stone. “Beyond the unique joy and somewhat surreal experience of watching the project develop, it has been an honor to work with everyone involved; writer John Logan has led the way with talent, motivation, and inspiration.”

The Avett Brothers have been making numerous rounds across the music festival circuit, with appearances at Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music festival, Merle Music Festival. and at the Forecastle Festival. This February the group also released a new track entitled “Neapolitan Sky,” which followed two other single releases “Trouble Letting Go” and “Roses and Sacrifice.” Both of the tracks were released in November and December of last year respectively.

Originating from Concord, North Carolina, The Avett Brothers began in the early 2000s, with the group displaying their innovative ability to blend genre’s on their debut album A Carolina Jubilee. As described by the San Francisco Chronicle the band have the “heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones.”

“I guess we’re about fifteen years in and it certainly wasn’t in the plan, you know, in the early days, we didn’t think, we didn’t really think about where it might go or, aesthetically, where the songs might take us or, thematically, where the songs might take us,” Seth Avett explained in an interview.  We certainly didn’t think about how large-scale the communication could be between us and an audience. That has all been thankfully very gradual.”

Photo Credit: Kalyn Oyer