Their literary alt-folk, singer-songwriter style has made them local darlings in their Columbus, Ohio home and critically-acclaimed in Europe. With comparisons to John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats), Andrew Bird, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), and Sufjan Stevens – their debut record was heralded as a find for the genre and the sublime intersection of the best American indie-folk bands. Their sophomore effort, How to Cook Everything, solidifies their reputation as an earnest, humble, and insistent voice in independent midwestern music. With contributions from 50 local musicians, Hello Emerson crystallizes life in a big town/small city amidst personal and political tensions – confirming, denying, and otherwise complicating midwestern stereotypes within each narrative-focused song.