Storied History

Call it one of the longest encores in Minnesota music history. Fervent fans of Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson, AKA Storyhill, clapped and whistled long and loud enough that the duo stepped out from behind the curtain.

Well, sort of. “It was a number of things,” Cunningham says. “We did a handful of reunion shows after breaking up. Our mailing list was still really active, and our fan base was supporting us with online sales and web postings. [Our fans] have been calling for years for us to play more. We needed to go our own ways for a while, but we were back in the mood.”

Despite independent success—they’ve recorded thirteen albums, selling 50,000 copies—the pair was ready to sign with a label. “We haven’t been a part of the festivals and venues we’ve been wanting to get into, or in a big community of like-minded singer-songwriters,” Cunningham says. “Going with Red House puts us in the family.”

Influential Minnesota music presence Dan Wilson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic) helped pilot the new release, Storyhill, and pushed the two to commit. “He wanted to work with us, and we wanted to work with him, but he didn’t want to do a half-baked job,” Cunningham says. “We did the album of our lives, so far.”

The definitive quality of the album rests on its livelike sound. “I love the way Dan runs his sessions and records them, basically live, with all the musicians,” says Hermanson. “You learn to play the songs better and what the real heart of the song is.”

Storyhill’s songwriting, with its signature harmonies and folk sensibility, continues to mature. “We’ve already started writing the next record, and the first is yet to come out,” Cunningham says. “This as a rich time where we could really make a mark with [our] songs.” Available Feb. 13. CD-release party Feb. 14. Varsity Theater, 1308 SE 4th St., Mpls., 612-604-0222, storyhill.com