Catching Up With Bridge Nine Records

2026 marks three years since monthly record label spotlight episodes began on Getting It Out Podcast. Since then, they've become a staple of the show and often the most informative and interesting episodes. There are several reasons for that, but largely it is a credit to the passion of the people behind each label.

At this point, all who have been featured are still active, releasing records, books, hosting events/festivals, or in some cases, opening brick-and-mortar stores. Chris Wrenn, the man behind Bridge Nine Records, checks all of those boxes. He was the first to be interviewed, and for that reason, he is the first to be featured in what will (hopefully) be an ongoing series of short follow-up interviews.

In case you missed it, the original interview can be heard HERE. Additionally, at the bottom of this article is a fifty-song playlist featuring some of Getting It Out's favorite Bridge Nine related tracks.

Chris, three years ago, you appeared on episode 267 of Getting It Out Podcast to talk about Bridge Nine. What has been the biggest news with the label and store since then?

Time flies! The biggest news is that Kat and I had a baby girl this year, Eleanor Mae was born in March happy and healthy and we’ve been working to find balance. We also helped my daughter Georgia, who was thirteen at the time, open a store in Salem, Massachusetts. Her brand, Georgia Made This, has sold Salem gifts that she illustrated out of a vendor booth for the past eight years. Now, she has a full-time brick-and-mortar store. It’s kind of wild to think about. It’s become her college fund. For Bridge Nine, we worked on a few new releases with Death Before Dishonor and Agnostic Front, and have been focusing on events that we can host that will bring people together.

The store was very new when we recorded for the podcast. What has been the most valuable lesson learned from owning and operating a record store?

Having a store has been a totally different dynamic than running a label. Bridge Nine has always been very niche, while the record store is on a busy main street. We know how to take care of our core audience, but we’re still learning about how to accommodate the people who stop in just looking for a new album. When we opened, we stocked hardcore punk records almost exclusively, but got a lot of blank stares from people who saw we sold records and stopped in, but didn’t recognize a single band on the wall. Now we’re a mostly-punk record store, but try to mix it up enough so people can find something they’re stoked on.

_{Chris outside of Bridge Nine HQ.}

Using whatever metric you'd like, what has been the "biggest" release in that time?

Well, taken literally, the “biggest” release was our 2xLP reissue of Faster Than The World by H2O. We licensed it from Epitaph, who put it out in 1999, and made a special 25th anniversary pressing - the first since it was originally released - and expanded it in a gatefold jacket with a second LP. We included a seventeen-track bonus by including their original demo session for the album, which was produced by Tim Armstrong of Rancid and sounds great.

_{H2O - Faster Than The World 25th Anniversary Edition 2xLP - Buy It}

Have you released any records in the last few years that you feel were overlooked or at least deserve more attention?

Always. For every album that really hits, for whatever reason, there are two or three that float out there more quietly. Records that are equally exciting and worthwhile, they just didn’t get on the hype train. For anyone listening, check out Roll Call, Incendiary Device, and Heavyhex!

You've hosted several intimate events, including shows, since opening your store. Is there one so far that you have cherished the most?

I honestly can’t believe some of the things we’ve been able to do really happened. Since we spoke, we’ve had bands like New Found Glory, American Nightmare, H2O, Cave In, Agnostic Front, and Ten Yard Fight perform in our warehouse, among others, and I pinch myself thinking about how cool each of those shows have been. We’ve held markets, art galleries, film premieres, and book signings with artists that I admire. If I had to choose just one event, I’d say Agnostic Front playing at B9. It was a half New York, half Boston lineup with Mark McKay (Slapshot) and Jaime Sciarappa (SSD) filling in on drums and bass, respectively. They did a cover of SSD’s “Glue” and original drummer Chris Foley filled in for that song. It was so rad they played it twice. Just the coolest.

2025 is almost over. Is there a point in the calendar where you kind of shut down for the year?

No, we keep grinding all year. I kind of wish I had more time to relax and refocus, but we are still just a small crew trying to do more than we should.

You've got a book coming out early next year. What's the gist?

Yes! It’s called Fenway Punk: How a Boston Indie Label Scored Big on Baseball’s Greatest Rivalry, and it tells the story of how when Bridge Nine was really getting started over twenty years ago, I got Red Sox fans to fund the label by selling them “Yankees Suck” and other merch that riffed on sports rivalries. It’s officially out in stores on February 10th, 2026, but can be pre-ordered now at www.FenwayPunk.com.

What can we expect from Bridge Nine Records in 2026?

I’ll be visiting as many places as I can in 2026 to promote Fenway Punk, hoping to connect with fans of the label and the bands that we helped launch. We’re working on some more events that I’ll be pinching myself over in the years to come. We’ve got some long-overdue re-issues in the works, and a few new things too!

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