Press Kit
“There is a stranger outside your house. He is old, ragged, and dirty. He is tired. He has been wandering, homeless, for a long time, perhaps many years. Invite him inside. […] Bring him some food, the best you have, and a cup of wine. Let him eat and drink until he is satisfied. Be patient. When he is finished, he will tell his story. Listen carefully. It may not be as you expect.”
- The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson
Odessa's just trying to get home to her wife, but along the Loneliest Road in America, she'll encounter strange hosts, stray souls, and echoes of the past she’s running from... or running towards.
Hearthbound is a 10-episode folk musical audio drama, set across a post-apocalyptic Great Basin. It's a road trip, a queer love story, and a ballad for ecological restoration. You coming our way?
About Hearthbound
Writer and Producer: Jo Chiang
Director: Jack Towhey Calk
Music Director: Ginger Dolden
Music Production: Pete Lanctot
Sound Designer and Editor: Levi Sharpe
Odessa is voiced by Jo Chiang
Cal is voiced by Manami Maxted
Paulie is voiced by Amy Surratt
Medea is voiced by Liba Vaynberg
Circe is voiced by Arielle Yoder
Hank/Man on Tape is voiced by Francisco Alvidrez
Penelope is voiced by Keren Abreu
Uri is voiced by Othello Pratt Jr.
Theo is voiced by Leana Gardella
Tig is voiced by Blair Medina-Baldwin
Cassandra is voiced by Niki Asfar
Manny is voiced by Pete Winfrey
Helen is voiced by Tosha Taylor
Nico is voiced by Schuyler Van Amson
Antony is voiced by Joey Odom
Markus is voiced by Jack Towhey Calk
Disc Jockey is voiced by Lillian Meredith
Cast and Crew
Jo Chiang is a queer Taiwanese-American storymaker/agitator based in Brooklyn. Her film work has been featured by Women & Hollywood, Wifey.tv, Everyday Feminism, and Upworthy. Her work as a performer has mostly fallen into two categories– that is, really weird experimental theatre and Shakespeare, while as a writer she plays jumprope with the line between the dystopic/utopic. She has been seen onstage at Dixon Place, 13th Street Repertory Company, and La Mama ETC.
About the Creator
Website hearthboundpod.com
Email hello@hearthboundpod.com
Release Date June 3, 2025
Release Schedule Biweekly on Tuesdays
Recording Studio
Multitude in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Bantam Studios in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Social Media
Follow creator, Jo Chiang, for social updates on:
Instagram | @everjoslightly
Blueksky | @jochiang
Tumblr | @straylungs
Podcast Details
“This podcast is going to be a favorite. Bring headphones. Bring tea. Bring a person you care about, or at least a dog.” - Fiction Frequency
“Listening to this show just feels like pouring warm golden honey into your soul. It's gorgeous and perfect for Sunday morning coffees or late night driving, and anything in between. It's queer and beautiful and I've not heard anything close to it since Alice Isn't Dead.” - Ella Watts (Camlann)
“A really fun audio drama that feels SUPER O Brother Where Art Thou in the best possible way.” - Marc Sollinger (Archive 81)
”It’s outstanding […] not really like anything you’ve heard before.” - Podcast Geek
Hearthbound Has Been Likened To:
Alice Isn’t Dead
Breaker Whiskey
Mabel
O Brother Where Art Thou
Fallout
Mad Max
The Last of Us
Reviews
As a team of predominantly Q/POC cast and crew, we believe representation matters. Characters were cast and revised to respect and elevate the talent who portray them, and the themes running through our story are dear to our hearts as members from the intersections of many communities.
Some episodes contain occasional swearing.
Episode 6 depicts a scene that includes graphic violence.