The First Nine Years chronicles the grass roots of the Bridge Nine record label.
Launched in 1995 in a college dorm by its 19 year old founder, Chris Wrenn, the Bridge Nine label is now in its third decade of releasing music for his favorite bands. These 128 pages tell the story of how the label got its start, how relationships forged in high school lead to its earliest releases, & how each band was connected to the next by a single degree of separation as its 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. To support that growth without the benefit of loans & years before online crowdfunding, Chris headed over to Fenway Park and peddled stickers and t-shirts to sports fans as they left the stadium. Roommates, interns & members of bands on the label helped fuel one of the largest sports rivalries while earning the money to invest in the brand, as its discography continued to grow.