Chris Wrenn, the founder of Bridge Nine Records and Sully’s Brand, appeared as a guest on a recent episode of the SCOPED EXPOSURE podcast. The episode, which is now available on various platforms, included a discussion of the history of Bridge Nine Records, from its early days to its current status.
The host of the podcast spoke about the impact that Bridge Nine Records had on their early exposure to core music, and Chris shared insights into maintaining momentum and staying the course. Chris touched on his early days with the label, growing his DIY venture, but also transitioning into professional merch producer and now retailer with his other brad Sully’s Brand.
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After a year and a half of renovation on an old car dealership-turned-glass company, Bridge Nine Records and Sully’s Brand finally opened their doors to the public on Saturday, September 10th at 11 am. The store features a line of supersoft vintage-style tees, hoodies, banners, glassware, gifts, and more, all aimed at helping locals represent their favorite Boston teams.
For those unfamiliar, Sully’s Brand was originally founded by Chris Wrenn as a means to fund the release of records on Bridge Nine. The brand quickly became a New England institution, with its trademarked slogan “Believe In Boston” bringing fans together on multiple occasions. Hardcore and punk musicians have been known to sell “Yankees Suck” and “Believe In Boston” merchandise after Red Sox games, a tradition that has now spanned 22 years.
Overall, the store’s opening was a long-awaited moment for both Bridge Nine Records and Sully’s Brand, and locals can now visit the store to get their hands on some Boston-themed merchandise.
More about Bridge Nine Records
Bridge Nine is a record label that was founded in 1995 by a young hardcore-punk fan named Chris Wrenn.
Initially, the label released one or two records a year, documenting bands from the Boston area during the 1990s. However, when American Nightmare, a new band that was willing to tour extensively, came on board, Chris needed to find the money to invest in them.
He funded the label by selling subculture-themed bumper stickers and designing a line of merchandise that helped Boston fans express their pride.
The label expanded its roster of artists, including genre-defining albums with bands like Terror, Have Heart, and H2O. The label has been featured in major music magazines and has had almost a dozen releases on Billboard’s Independent, Heatseekers, and Top 200 charts.
Today, Bridge Nine has its own record store in Beverly, Massachusetts, where it shares the retail space with Sully’s, another brand Chris started from scratch that caters to sports fans.
