Bridge Nine The First Nine Years
#B9R050

Release Date: 12/15/2017

The First Nine Years chronicles the modest beginning of the Bridge Nine record label.  Launched in 1995 in a college dormitory as a way for its 19-year-old founder, Chris Wrenn, to stay connected to his hometown hardcore music scene, the Bridge Nine label is now in its third decade of releasing 7-inch singles and albums for his favorite bands.  

These 128 pages tell the story of how the label got its start, how relationships forged in high school led to its earliest releases, and how each band was connected to the next by a single degree of separation as Bridge Nine’s reach expanded from a few local bands to having one of the most actively touring rosters in the underground, building awareness for the label worldwide.

Growth came fast as the label found itself not only in the middle of a burgeoning music scene, but with little competition as the larger indie labels that Chris had followed as a fan, no longer actively pursued the fast and heavy bands that would come to call Bridge Nine home and define its sound.  To support that growth without the benefit of loans and years before online crowdfunding became a go-to for creatives, Chris headed over to Fenway Park and peddled stickers and t-shirts to sports fans as they left the stadium after Red Sox games.  Over the next few years, a swelling collective of hawkers and peddlers (comprised of roommates, interns, and members of bands on the label) helped fuel one of the largest sports rivalries while earning the money needed to invest into the brand, as its discography continued to grow.

The First Nine Years details the many opportunities and obstacles that the label faced during its earliest era, while building a foundation to support the over one hundred artists who have called Bridge Nine home, and the over two hundred and fifty releases that they’ve recorded for the label in the years since.

This book is exclusively available as part of Bridge Nine: The First Nine Years which is a five 7" box set release. Preview the book online in its entirety HERE!