Cende was born halfway through a laundry cycle in the year 2013. Cameron Wisch, Dave Medina, and Greg Rutkin had all just graduated from Purchase College and moved into Brooklyn house venue David Blaine’s The Steakhouse. Bonding over their mutual admiration for punk band The Marked Men, the trio began performing at DBTS and other local venues. They were soon joined by friend Bernard Casserly and became a more serious project after the self-release of their first EP in 2015.

The band centers around the two principal songwriters of Wisch and Medina. Wisch’s infectious melodies and meticulous song structures are complemented by Medina’s raw and highly energetic punk anthems. Expanding on the catchy, power-pop songs of their debut EP, Cende’s first full-length album, #1 Hit Single, sees the band experimenting with more varied instrumentation and detailed production. The album was spearheaded by Wisch, who spent over a year carefully sculpting the album alongside producer, engineer, and friend Ronnie Stone.

The end result is a compact and emotional batch of songs that draw influence from personal relationships, bizarre dreams, and the experiences surrounding the members’ lives during three years of living downstairs in a creative and chaotic DIY space.