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Bridge And Tunnel

Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 11-Nov-08 @ 08:57 PM

HQ: Brooklyn/Huntington Station, NY NOW PLAYING: East/West (NO IDEA; noidearecords.com) WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW 'EM: After blowing minds with a four-song demo, these socially conscious New Yorkers are the talk of the punk-rock town. YOU LIKE? YOU'LL LIKE: HOT WATER MUSIC / BRAID / SMALL BROWN BIKE STORY: Ronen Kauffman PHOTO: Chris Phelps Cast in the shadow of one of the world's most imposing cities, New York's aptly named Bridge And Tunnel have been making good time. Formed in 2006 and drawn from the ranks of neighboring New York City bands like Slingshot Dakota and the revered-but-defunct pop-punk outfit Latterman, this four-piece were ready with a four-song demo on the day of their very first show, a matinee at ABC No Rio on the Lower East Side. That demo soon caught the ears of the crew at No Idea Records, who re-released it as a self-titled EP and 7-inch later that year. Punk kids across the country subsequently freaked out. The hype and acclaim generated by the release were impressive, but not as impressive as the fact that B&T actually deserved it. Disaffected but inviting, coarse but tuneful, the band's '90s-influenced sound (including flecks of Hot Water Music and Rainer Maria) instantly resonates. With that one lonely EP in their pocket, the band captured their moment by touring-a lot. "We toured five times," says vocalist/guitarist Jeff Cunningham. "We just really love playing shows with one another, and really pushing it together." It's the collective emphasis on "together" that make Bridge And Tunnel anything but a typical career-minded band. "Above everything else, the people in Bridge And Tunnel are really good friends," Cunnigham says of his bandmates, guitarist/vocalist Rachel Rubino, bassist/vocalist Tia Meilinge and drummer Pat Schramm. "We grew up in the same scene, going through many of our formative years together," he says. "Our situations were sculpted in very similar ways to one another; a lot of us got into punk and independent music, playing shows in warehouses or basements. The band is how we spend our time together and contribute to each others' lives." Their personal connection has not only served to define Bridge And Tunnel-it has helped to grow and sustain them. "It's really easy to work with one another when you feel so comfortable, and there's no weird power struggle or hierarchy," says Cunningham. "Rachel can say to me, 'Jeff, that guitar line is cheesy, don't use that.' I'm never going to take it personally because we respect one another. I know she's only saying it because it may not be the right choice." Friendship also helped the band survive recording their much anticipated full-length East/West, created on the second floor of a working funeral home owned by the family of producer Kevin Ratterman. "There would be services during the day and we would record though the night," says Cunningham. "We seriously sat in the top level of this funeral home for two weeks; we only really left to go to the grocery store, and sometimes Rachel would go on a jog, but that was really it. I think we would have exploded if we weren't so comfortable with one another."