The Bio

           Chris Titchner started performing in 1994 when he and two high school friends formed the band Three Mile Limit. The group's sound was based on acoustic guitars and percussion and focused on rich, three-part harmonies and smart lyrics. The band played many venues in the Northeast, including Club Toast, The Spotted Dog, The University of Vermont, Middlebury College, and Colby College, and shared the stage with such acts as Zola Turn, Rosemary Caine, and The Nields. Three Mile Limit performed together for three years, during which time they released three cassettes and one CD on Bridgefolk Records. Of the CD, titled Floating Off Somewhere Else, Christopher Dacus of The Colby Echo wrote: "Three Mile Limit is one of the few groups that manages to achieve a full, cohesive sound without the heavy studio engineering that many bands require."

          After the break-up of Three Mile Limit, Titchner picked up guitar and in the spring of 1998 formed Chris Titchner and Sunday Rain Dog with cellist Ana Jesse. Titchner and Jesse met in the fall of 1997 when she recorded a cello part that Titchner had written for a song on the second Three Mile Limit CD. The CD was never released but that positive experience in the studio led Titchner to invite Jesse to form a musical group together.

          Sunday Rain Dog began playing coffeehouses and open-mic nights and busked on Church Street, Burlington's downtown outdoor mall. By the fall of 1998, the duo had enough material for an album. With bassist Matt Snow and percussionist Mike Piché, they recorded Chris Titchner and Sunday Rain Dog, which was released in late December of 1998, also on Bridgefolk Records. In his review of the CD in Vermont Times, Colin Clary said: "Chris' strumming presents a bright and upbeat feel which combines nicely with Ana's cello, which seems like such a melancholic instrument, creating a good space for simple and earnest lyrics to stretch their wings."

          As Ana was in the middle of her junior year at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, pursuing a music performance degree and Chris was in Burlington, Sunday Rain Dog spent 1999 shuttling between the two states. They maintained a busy performing schedule, though, playing over twenty-five gigs at places such as Borders Books and Music, The Burlington Coffeehouse, Higher Ground, The Moosewood Restaurant, The ABC Café, and Burlington's First Night. In addition, the duo traveled to Boston in November to appear live on Coffee House on WERS 88.7, Emerson College's radio station.

          In the spring of 2000, Titchner and Jesse began work on their second album with songs written throughout 1999. This time the duo wanted a more textured sound and so teamed up with guitarists Lyle King and Aaron Giroux, singer Emily Day, and percussionist Adam "Irving" Rabin. The result was Some Things Never Change, which was released in fall/winter 2000 by Bridgefolk. Of the album, Steve Lemcke of The Burlington Free Press wrote: "The songs on 'Some Things Never Change' are as good as they are because the melodies are catchy and the vocal performance is strong. The blend of acoustic guitar and cello is an easy sell to folks who like folk-based music with a pop edge to it, and the performances are honest, forthright, and don't try to over extend themselves. An overall fine job for Titchner and his friends."

          In November of 2000, Chris Titchner moved to Raleigh, NC from Burlington, VT, in order to tap into the Triangle's prolific acoustic music scene. In addition to continuing his collaboration with Ana, Titchner is exploring his solo opportunities.

          Sunday Rain Dog made their North Carolina debut at the end of March 2001, performing at the Skylight Exchange in Chapel Hill, Hyphen Coffeehouse in Fuquay-Varina and Open Eye Café in Carrboro. Titchner spent the summer months playing various venues around NC, including Caffé Driade in Chapel Hill, Eudora's in Raleigh, The Coffee Mill in Clayton, and the music/arts festival, Fête De La Musique (Carrboro site).