Recognized widely for their command of comic folk material, Lou Berryman and her former spouse Peter Berryman regularly supply public-radio folk hosts with lighter material to balance serious playlists. Audiences at festivals nationwide have embraced the off-kilter, idiosyncratic numbers delivered by the Wisconsin pair.
Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Lou Berryman has balanced touring with work as a fabric and fiber artist. Onstage she takes lead vocals and accordion alongside Peter, while her instrumental range also covers piano, harpsichord, banjo, viola da gamba, saxophone, lute, and guitar. Peter, a Philadelphia native who attended school in Appleton and pursued illustration, handles 12-string guitar and contributes lyrics. The pair first crossed paths in high school, launched an initial band in 1964, started a jug band together during college in 1966, and fronted additional groups in 1969 and 1971. They wed in 1967, ended the marriage in 1974, launched their professional partnership in 1975, and began a weekly residency at Madison’s Club deWash in 1977. In subsequent years they have performed at folk festivals and coffeehouses throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The duo has produced multiple song collections, among them Frescoes and Bowling Balls and The New Berryman Berryman Songbook. Their self-released albums comprise The Universe: 14 Examples (2007), Some Days (2005), Love Is the Weirdest of All (2004), The Pink One (2003), Yah Hey (2002), House Concert (2000), Some Kinda Funny (1998), Double Yodel (1995), What, Again!? (1993), We Don’t Talk About That! (1992), Cow Imagination (1990), Forward Hey: Wisconsin Songs (1988), Your State’s Name Here (1988), February March (1986), So Comfortable (1984), Cupid’s Trash Truck (1981), and No Relation (1980). Fellow folk artists including Claudia Schmidt, Sally Rogers, the Chenille Sisters, and Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer have covered their material. Garrison Keillor, longtime host of the National Public Radio series A Prairie Home Companion, has championed the idiosyncratic, quirky, humorous, and frequently profound songs.
Sharing the comedic-song niche with Christine Lavin and working in the vein of Allan Sherman, Tom Lehrer, and Noël Coward, Lou and Peter function equally as comedians and musicians, recognizing that viewpoint shapes effective songwriting. Their pieces have drawn from recipes, real-estate circulars, and Wisconsin’s protracted winters. They maintain an active schedule of recording and performing while maintaining Madison as home base between tours.
