Storyhill

Storyhill traces its beginnings to 1989, when high-school graduation in Bozeman, MT, prompted Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson to lay down their first cassette. The pair had known each other since seventh grade and had already started performing, yet the initial collaboration proved short-lived. Cunningham relocated to Spain while Hermanson enrolled at a Minnesota college, where he kept performing locally, built a regional following, and began selling copies of the earlier recording. That activity drew Cunningham back to the United States, and the two resumed playing—first in Minnesota clubs, then across the country—until 1996, issuing material both as Chris & Johnny and under the Storyhill name. At that point they elected to pursue separate routes. Cunningham spent a short time in Seattle before settling again in Bozeman, whereas Hermanson journeyed to Norway to create his debut solo album and, upon returning to the U.S., toured with the band Alva Star while also working as a solo artist. A handful of reunion concerts convinced the pair to resume their partnership as a touring and recording duo under the Storyhill banner, which yielded the self-titled album Storyhill in 2007.