Storyhill Music Duo

Among the flat-picking and fiddling contests, bluegrass, Dixieland, and polka bands, the Heritage Square stage within the 2009 Minnesota State Fair headlined an acoustic folk duo, Storyhill. Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson performed original songs that prove that American folk music is alive and well, and that acoustic folk can be just as current as folk-rock. At this concert, both played acoustic guitar and sang the gorgeous harmonies for which they are becoming well-known. Some music is lyrical while other songs included some serious picking.

Like the folk songs in the Woody Guthrie tradition, Storyhill songs tell of a specific place and time. As their name suggests, there is a story with nearly every song that brings the audience into more connection with the singers and the music.

"Highlight" (Storyhill, 2007) one of Storyhill's most popular songs, was written by John for the occasion of Chris' wedding. As John tells it, he was to sing an original piece, yet on the day before the wedding, he still had written no song. Sitting out by a stream in a beautiful area near his hometown, the music and lyrics came to him: Unseen the tie that binds us / Unknown the path before us / Unclouded the sky above / An unbelievable love.

"Mary on the Mountain" (Echoes, 1997) tells the story of young guys struggling with right and wrong choices as all young guys do, while at the same time, a 100-foot tall statue of Mary sits high above their town, overseeing all that they do with no place to hide. The song starts with this great lyric: Someone must've needed guidance / On a very grand scale.

Still, the words tell only one quarter of the story. The music, the harmonies, and the passion that each bring to a performance create a whole that sometimes seems too good to be true. At least, it seemed so while listening to Storyhill at the free Heritage Square stage at the MN State Fair.

Chris and John grew up together in Bozeman and started singing, playing, and writing together in 1989. John went on to study violin at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and play his own music around the town. Storyhill formed in Northfield, and performed on-again/off-again for over ten years. Between 1991 and 2005, the pair self-produced nearly a dozen albums on the Story Hills Music Inc. record label.

The release of "Storyhill" in 2007, produced by Grammy winner Dan Wilson, on the national label, Red House Records, marked a new era of national touring and attention. The same year, Storyhill won the New Folk Competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Storyhill performs around the United States, and also hosts an annual music festival near Bozeman, MT, The Storyhill Fest. In September of 2009, Storyhill Midwest Fest was inaugurated in northern Minnesota.

You can find several Storyhill albums to sample, buy or download online at Amazon and iTunes, and many new, used, or collectible CD's in the Amazon Marketplace and on eBay. In fact, some of the earlier records are selling in the range of $50.00 - $180.00.

If you are new to Storyhill, the self-titled album from Red House Records (2007) is a good place to start. In addition to "Highlight," the songs "Fallen," "Love Will Find You," and "Room in My Heart" are sure to make you fans.

Sources

"Storyhill" on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyhill

"Storyhill" on Red House Records: http://www.redhouserecords.com/Storyhill.html

"Storyhill On Mountain Stage," NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99419378